DP World Tour Pro Bursts Into Tears After Missing Out on Another Ryder Cup Chance

Only a few hours remain before Luke Donald announces his Captain’s Picks for Bethpage, and anticipation couldn’t be higher. The European skipper, fresh off masterminding a dominant Ryder Cup win in Rome in 2023, has every reason to back the same core squad. But one Englishman has given him something extra to think about.

Fellow Englishman, Matt Wallace, just delivered an emphatic performance in Switzerland. He nearly retained the Omega European Masters title after finishing T2, 2 strokes behind Thriston Lawrence. After coming so close to a win, Wallace got a bit emotional in the post-tournament interview. And the reason behind his tears was his Ryder Cup aspirations.

In a video shared by Flushing It Golf on X, Wallace could be seen fighting back tears, his voice breaking as he admitted: “I’ll never give up on the Ryder Cup. I just won’t.” He is still very eager to convince the Team Europe captain to consider him for the squad. And Wallace has done more than enough to prove that he deserves to be picked. He is ranked 12th on the Ryder Cup standings for Europe.

This isn’t the first time Wallace has been edged out. He came agonizingly close to his Ryder Cup debut back in 2018, finishing just outside the selection line, only to miss out on a captain’s pick despite a breakthrough season on the DP World Tour. As for participation, Wallace has never played in a Ryder Cup, meaning he’s still chasing that first appearance—making this latest near-miss all the more painful.

Then what more does he need to do to make it to the Team Europe squad? Well, let’s take a look at what the probable team would look like and how Matt Wallace can still make it into the team.

Has Matt Wallace done enough to convince Luke Donald for a Captain’s Pick?

Matt Wallace was certainly brilliant at the Crans-sur-Sierre Golf Club. The only problem is, Luke Donald was always going to consider Jon Rahm as the 12th man in his squad, no matter where the Spaniard landed on the table. Hence, if Matt wants to make the team, then he will have to replace someone else ranked higher than him. That may be a tall ask considering the only man he can realistically switch places with is Matt Fitzpatrick.

If Donald goes by the most recent record, then Fitzpatrick only finished 1 stroke off Wallace in the Omega European Masters. The 35-year-old would have certainly convinced the Team Europe captain if he had won the event in Switzerland. But his failure to retain the title has put him in a difficult position to be considered.

There is another factor that might play in Matt Wallace’s favor. Despite Europe’s dominance in Rome, Matt Fitzpatrick was one of the few underperforming players the team had at Marco Simone G&CC. With Team U.S. going to Bethpage with 4 rookies, Luke Donald could also throw a curveball at them and pick Wallace for Team Europe. Their unfamiliarity with the 35-year-old will make it difficult for Keegan Bradley to plan against him. That will give the Europeans a huge advantage on American soil.