BURNING ambition

England's Matt Wallace has long worn his heart on his sleeve when it comes to his Ryder Cup dreams. Here, he addresses that, rates his season and discusses where he's now at in his career

- Sam De'Ath

In the world of professional golf, few journeys are as compelling as that of Englishman Matt Wallace.

Wallace is known for his gritty determination and tenacity as a competitor and his deadly accuracy and skill with his approach play. With five European Tour wins to his name, including a stellar three-win season in 2018, plus a PGA Tour victory at the Corales Puntacana Championship, he has proven his ability to win on either side of the Atlantic.

At 35 years of age, Wallace is entering the stage of his career where he is looking to push on and reach the peak of the professional game in both individual and team competition. His iron play and short game have seen him show glimpses of what he's capable of in Major Championships, notably the 2019 US PGA at this year's Ryder Cup venue, Bethpage Black, where he finished in a tie for 3rd. His form in 2025 has been a story of two halves, with the latter stage showcasing both his talent and just why he remains in the Top 100 of the world rankings.

However, the life of a pro golfer is just as much about the near misses as it is the victories. Despite a surge in form throughout the summer swing on the European Tour, Wallace narrowly missed out on selection for the 2025 Ryder Cup, finishing 12th on the qualifying points list. He locked up two top 25s in Majors, as well as a runner-up finish at the Omega European Masters, but due to wavering form at the start of the year, he just missed out on that much-coveted Ryder Cup debut.

Many would shy away from the challenge of bouncing back from this personal setback, but when I sat down with Wallace before the BMW PGA Championship at Wentworth, he spoke about how disappointment had only fuelled his fire even more to work harder, where he feels he's at in his career and the lessons that he's learned along the way...