Matt Wallace produced a stunning back-nine birdie blitz to hold off the challenge of fellow Hero Cup star Nicolai Højgaard and win his first PGA TOUR title at the Corales Puntacana Championship.
The Englishman made four birdies in a row from the 13th to sign for a closing 66 and finish at 19 under, a shot clear of Dane Højgaard, who enjoyed his best finish on the PGA TOUR to date.
Wallace ended a near five-year wait for a victory in the Dominican Republic, having claimed his fourth and most recent DP World Tour title at the 2018 Made in Denmark.
That win was part of a meteoric rise starting in early 2016, as he claimed six Alps Tour wins - five of them coming in a row - to graduate onto the European Challenge Tour, where he won the co-sanctioned 2017 Open de Portugal to make it onto the DP World Tour.
This feels different/amazing. Thanks everyone! pic.twitter.com/M9uwHZYG9T
— Matt Wallace (@mattsjwallace) March 26, 2023
In his first full season on Tour he won three times and reached 23rd in the Official World Golf Ranking in the summer of 2019 but earlier this year dropped out of the top 200 for the first time since the week before his victory in Portugal.
A top ten at last week's Valspar Championship suggested a return to his best was on the cards and he is now back in the winner's circle and eyeing a Ryder Cup debut in September.
"It will be really nice to take a trophy home," he said. "I haven't been able to do that for five years and I've been wanting to do it for a long time. I get to celebrate with my family and friends and my loved ones and stuff. It's crazy, it hasn't even sunk in yet. That will be great.
"I'm getting grey hairs now all the stress I put myself under in golf. Everyone knows I'm a feisty character but that got me through that today.
"I was calm, felt I was determined, I felt like I had it in me all week. I really felt like I was playing some really good stuff and I felt like I was going to be up there at the end of the week no matter what.
"Didn't get off to the start I wanted today, but Sam [Wallace’s caddie] was brilliant and we just were so positive. Then the way I finished was exactly how I feel like I can play golf. That was awesome, down those final few holes was brilliant and I'm really proud of myself to get through that."
Wallace had led after 36 holes but was one back heading into the final day and bogeyed the second to leave himself with more work to do.
Birdies on the third, fourth and seventh then kept him in contention as he turned in 34 and his big back nine left him in the clubhouse with a two-shot lead and a nervous wait.
Højgaard birdied the 17th to make it all to play for coming down the last but could only par the 18th and it was Wallace left holding the trophy.
"Him and his brother Rasmus, you guys are going to be hearing about them for a long, long time," Wallace said as he tipped the Højgaard twins for Major wins.
Mutual respect 🤝@MattSJWallace crashed Nicolai Højgaard’s interview to congratulate him on his round @CoralesChamp. pic.twitter.com/fiVh2cvlb9
— PGA TOUR (@PGATOUR) March 26, 2023
"For him to come here and deliver like that having a chance on 18, those guys are seriously going to be impressive.
"I'd like to caddie for him when I stop playing because those guys are going to make a lot of money and win a lot of tournaments."
Wallace gave Højgaard a hug as he was giving his own reactions and the 22-year-old found it hard to hide his disappointment at a second-placed finish.
"It's very disappointing," he said. "I had a lot of chances on the back nine today to put some pressure on him, so I've got a feeling I'm really disappointed right now.
"Obviously in a short period of time I'll be happy with where I'm at, but you play to win and it's tough coming up one short."
