Wallace emotional as Lawrence wins in Crans
Matt Wallace was even more emotional than winner Thriston Lawrence after he finished two shots behind the South African to see his hopes of a Ryder Cup wildcard likely evaporate in the Omega European Masters in Switzerland.
Luke Donald will name his six captain’s picks for Bethpage Black today and Wallace (35) looks destined to miss out narrowly for selection.
While he closed with a three-under 67 at Crans-sur-Sierre to finish two shots behind Lawrence in a tie for second with Bethpage-bound Rasmus Hojgaard and Finn Sami Valimaki on 20-under, a bogey six at the 14th proved fatal.
“That shot into 14 killed me really, but I gave it my all,” said Wallace, who arrived in Crans Montana for his title defence fearing the worst despite finishing 12th in the race for six automatic places on the team.
He was generous in his praise of Lawrence, but asked about his Ryder Cup campaign, he choked back tears for more than 30 seconds before declaring: “I’d never give up on the Ryder Cup…”
Matt Fitzpatrick remains a favourite alongside Shane Lowry, Sepp Straka, Ludvig Aberg, Viktor Hovland and Jon Rahm to get the nod from Donald after he shot 67 to finish joint fourth for his sixth top-10 in his last eight starts.
Marco Penge also failed to qualify automatically and while he tied for eighth after playing his last three rounds in 15-under, an opening 70 likely cost him the chance to claim his third win of 2025
“Whether I've started playing really well too late, I don't know,” said Penge, whose prodigious length might yet prove attractive to Donald. ”But it's up to Luke and the captains, and just great to be in the conversation.”
As for Lawrence, the 54-hole leader started with three bogeys, but after making an eagle two at the driveable sixth, he birdied five of his next eight holes and shot 66 to claim his fifth DP World Tour win.
“Winning is tough,” said an emotional Lawrence (28), who arrived in Switzerland on the back of three successive missed cuts. “It's not easy. I was so nervous all day. It always looks so easy, but it's not. Just so emotional, so happy.”
It was also an emotional day for Douglas Golf Club as the AIG Senior Cup Finals hosts became the first club since Royal Portrush in 1979 to win the men’s and women’s titles.
In the women’s event, reigning champions Douglas beat County Sligo 4-1 in the morning as Lahinch defeated Royal Portrush by the same scoreline.
As she prepares to turn professional, Aine Donegan put the first point on the board in her last club appearance for Lahinch before Shannon Burke replied for Douglas.
While Chloe Ryan made it 1-2, Karen O’Neill beat Aideen Walsh 4&3 before teenager Claudia O’Donoghue (17) sealed victory with a 1-up win over Sarah Cunningham.
In the men’s event, Douglas beat County Louth 3-2 in the semifinals as Rosslare overcame Moyola Park 4-1 but then went 2-0 down in the final.
Peter O’Keeffe (19th) and Jack Murphy (2&1) made it 2-2 before Barry O’Connell (17) won 1-up to seal a famous win.
“We were dead and buried, six, seven holes ago,” said Douglas captain Don Coughlan. “We just kept saying, pick a hole, pick a hole, stay in the game and somehow those guys turned it around and they’ve created probably one of the greatest, if not the greatest day in the history of the club.”
Meanwhile, Markus Brier won the Black Desert NI Legends at Galgorm as Dane Anders Emil Ejlersen won the HotelPlanner Tour’s Dormy Open.
