Matt Wallace secured his spot in the Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship and DP World Tour Championship after defeating Alfredo Garcia-Heredia in a play-off at the 2024 Omega European Masters.
The Englishman showed his class at Crans-sur-Sierre Golf Club by being the only player to be blemish-free after the first two rounds to lead by four heading into the weekend.
Brutal winds on Moving Day meant only three players in the field carded under par rounds, but Wallace negotiated the elements to maintain his four-shot advantage despite a three-over 73.
The 34-year-old endured a nervy final round, coming home in level par, while his Spanish playing partner produced a brilliant approach to birdie the last and force the sixth play-off of the campaign after both players finished at 11 under.
They found the fairway to start the extra hole before landing on the green with their second shots. Garcia-Heredia pushed his lengthy birdie putt left of the cup while Wallace had eight feet, which he drained with confidence to get back in the winner's circle for the first time since 2018/
“That cheer at the end meant a lot,” said Wallace.
“It was hard because I have been in those situations but I have not been ahead a lot of the day and struggling to make birdies.
“It was difficult to try and push to make birdies without giving it away sort of thing, and I wanted someone to catch me which Alfredo did and Beef (Andrew Johnston) was very close.
“Fair play to Alfredo for doing it there on the last hole, but all I was saying to myself was it is a lot easier to make birdie when you have to do it, and that is what I just did at the end there so I am very happy with that.”
As well as moving to the top of the European Ryder Cup Team Qualification List, Wallace surged up 95 places to 22nd in the season-long Race to Dubai Rankings, ensuring he will finish his season in the UAE.
The DP World Tour Play-Offs, which comprise of the Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship and DP World Tour Championship, are open to the top 70 and top 50 golfers on the Rankings respectively.
Wallace hit the headlines at last year’s DP World Tour Championship after he birdied every hole on the back nine at Jumeirah Golf Estates as he carded a career-best round of 60 on day three.
His nine birdies in a row, 12 birdies in a round, nine-hole score of 27 and nine-hole score to par of nine under all matched DP World Tour bests but they did not go in the record books due to preferred lies being in place.
