In a thrilling conclusion to the Omega European Masters, Matt Wallace of England emerged victorious in a playoff, his first win on the DP World Tour in six years. Initially entering the day with a four-shot lead, Wallace found himself tied with Alfredo Garcia-Heredia after the latter birdied their last chance. This led to an extra hole at the 18th tee in Crans-sur-Sierre.
Wallace managed to approach once again, landing his shot only eight feet away – a considerable improvement on his prior attempt – placing significant pressure back on his adversary. Garcia-Heredia, Spain’s 42-year-old contender whose efforts for a first triumph in 132 events continues, failed to achieve a birdie from a distance of 18 feet. Overwhelmed with relief, Wallace celebrated his victory after successfully making his putt, even displaying strong emotions in his interview following the round.
In his post-game talk with Sky Sports, Wallace described the challenges of the day, admitting that despite his solid performance, he struggled to get a run going. He gave credit to Garcia-Heredia’s efforts in the closing stages, but also emphasised the importance of determination and focus, particularly drawing on his experience from two years ago where he lost at this same tournament.
Experiencing an unwelcome déjà vu on the opening hole where he hit a tree and had to make a bogey, he was adamant he had no intentions to walk away without a fight. He admitted the weather conditions made the day difficult as the windy conditions of the previous day turned into rain, adding an additional obstacle to his battle for the championship.
The four-stroke lead of Wallace was merely sustained, given Garcia-Heredia’s similar falter. However, Wallace’s sloppy performance at the first two holes, and missing the green on the third, undermined his previous excellent track record of only missing two fairways during the Friday’s round of 62. His first birdie, however, didn’t come until the seventh hole, a driveable par-four.
Andrew Johnston, another member of their trio, similarly scored three at the same hole and sunk a 17-foot putt on the subsequent hole, thereby cutting down Wallace’s lead to three. As foggy conditions on the 12th tee causes delays of nearly half an hour, the players were forced into a temporary standstill. The competition resumed with Johnston and Garcia-Heredia securing a birdie on the par-five 14th hole, cutting the lead down to two. Garcia-Heredia seemed to have fallen behind due to his early two bogeys, but he staged a comeback, taking both players to nine under.
On the 15th, all three players scored a birdie, but Wallace’s following bogey let his lead be diminished to just one. A magnificent approach by Garcia-Heredia at the very last hole diminished the lead completely. While Johnston fell just short of forcing a playoff with a 50-foot attempt, he secured his highest finish since August 2020. His recent injuries had meant he had to rely on membership exemptions to play.
Cedric Gugler, with a world ranking as low as 862, was a pleasant surprise to the Swiss crowd. As a local favourite playing on what could be considered his home course, thrilled spectators with a round of 66, securing fourth place. Meanwhile, Ireland’s Gary Hurley ended the week on two over, finishing joint 56th after concluding with an even-par 70.