Matt Wallace Playing the British Open With the Ryder Cup on Top of His Mind

The Englishman wasn't selected for the 2018 European team despite three wins, this year he's a longshot but admits obsessing about it.

HOYLAKE, England — When you ask a player about trying to earn a spot on the Ryder Cup team, they usually hem and haw and give you the standard answer: “I don’t think about it.”

And then the obligatory follow up: "I figure if I play well enough then it will work itself out."

Boring answer, but likely true.

Yet ... sometimes playing well enough is not good enough. Sometimes you still are on the outside looking in.

Matt Wallace had that feeling in 2018 when European captain Thomas Bjorn selected Ian Poulter, Paul Casey, Henrik Stenson and Sergio Garcia for the matches in Paris, where the Americans were no match for a European onslaught.

That year Wallace won three times on the European Tour, but it wasn’t good enough.

Three wins and no cigar for the 28-year-old Englishman that did everything he could to get on a team he desperately wanted to make.

Wallace's hat trick culminating in Denmark was impressive, five birdies on the last six holes of regulation and birdies on both extra holes in a playoff against Steven Brown, Jonathan Thomson and Lee Westwood.

“I think I have given Thomas (Bjørn) something to think about,” Wallace said. “That was the plan. I put myself under pressure, the last couple of days, as well, by saying I want to give him a headache. I've stepped up to the mark and I've shown him exactly what I'm about.”

Wallace said if Bjorn didn’t pick him that’s absolutely fine.

A month later after Europe's win in the Ryder Cup, Wallace was at the Sky Sports British Masters and asked about the European win.

“I was disappointed to not be there. but saw Thomas on Tuesday and he said probably one of the nicest things someone has ever said to me as a golfer," Wallace said. "I won't say what that is because it's between me and him, but I'm going to use that, and I'm the type of character that's going to use this disappointment as fire.”

Which takes us to this year’s British Open at Royal Liverpool, five years removed from that win in Denmark.

When Wallace shot the low round in the final qualifier earlier this month at West Lancashire to qualify for the Open, the now-33-year-old was relaxed and happy as he sat in a chair outside of the scoring hut, talking to a small group of reporters.

The striking part about the discussion was when Wallace opened up the conversation about the Ryder Cup. As of this week he is 30th on the world points list and only the top three automatically qualify.

“It's a good year getting into the Open,” Wallace said on July 4. “I want to compete, I want to play well. I need to play well if I want a chance to play Ryder Cup.”

Wallace has taken the unusual approach of letting the Ryder Cup always be on his mind, right on the front burner, no matter if he misses the cut or has a good performance.

“I’m ugly and old enough now to know this is like my third time going at it,” Wallace said. "So, I just want to make it, I just want to play well and make it."

Wallace started the year playing in the Hero Cup, a Ryder Cup-style event where Great Britain & Ireland played against continental Europe.

• Watch golf live with fuboTV: Start a free trial today!

The Englishman went 2-1-1 for GB&I in front of European Ryder Cup captain Luke Donald but GB&I lost the matches, 14.5-10.5.

While a good showing to begin the year, Wallace has had by every measure an inconsistent season.

He had a one-shot victory over Denmark’s Nicolai Hojgaard at the Corales Puntacana Championship, an opposite-field event in the Dominican Republic in late March.

But the rest of the year has been marred with 11 missed cuts and only two top 10s.

“I've tried so many ways to not think about it and be so selfish, like don't even think about it, go out and play and do my own thing because then I'll take care of everything else,” Wallace said. “But I do that anyway. I played for myself anyway when we play a tournament, but I want to make it and I don't want to shy away from that.”

Wallace calls his obsession with making the Ryder Cup team a driver whether he’s playing well or not.

“What if it comes down to a couple points at the end of the season? Who knows?” Wallace mused. “Like I might be automatic or not automatic and then relying on a pick.”

It all starts this week for Wallace with precious few opportunities left to not only grab enough points to jump up the points list but get on Luke Donald’s radar.

And if he does get close again, some believe he will be a real asset.

“This guy is going to play many Ryder Cups, no doubt about it,” Graeme McDowell said at the 2021 Zurich Classic about his teammate. “I think this guy is going to play plenty of Ryder Cups, and these weeks are really important for him to get ready for those days.”