“I have no doubt I can win a Major”

Nick Bonfield speaks to Matt Wallace to find out why lockdown was a good thing and where his impressive self-belief comes from

- Nick Bonfield

There’s no question that power is playing an increasingly important role in professional golf, with established players and up-and-coming talents dedicating more time to the pursuit of extra distance. This is a physical skill and thus can be learned, developed and improved. The mental side of golf, however, is a slightly different story. Sports psychologists and performance coaches will claim the mental game can be taught – and their increasing numbers on tour suggests there is some validity to this argument – but even the best in the business will struggle to coax good results out of someone who lacks confidence in their own ability. This isn’t an affliction that befalls Matt Wallace.

The 30-year-old has never been short of belief, but even someone who’s as self-assured as the Englishman isn’t immune to dips in form and frustrating spells where hard work doesn’t yield the desired results. Wallace freely admits the lockdown came at a good time, and now he’s out the other side, he’s firmly focused on adding to his four European Tour titles and competing with the game’s very best players on the PGA Tour.