– The leader of the Omega European Masters remains the Frenchman Adrien Saddier (-13), who has signed a second-round scorecard of 65 strokes today (literally speaking, because the Frenchman is among those who played 36 holes today, the first two rounds back-to-back due to Thursday’s fog delays). Keep an eye on Saddier, who has grown tremendously as a player in 2025 and certainly won’t be a bystander this weekend in the final matches. But the man of the day, and we’ll see if he is also the man of the week, is Matt Wallace (-12).
– Twelve months ago, Wallace started the Ryder Cup qualification year with a convincing and solid series of results: eighth in the British Masters, winner of the Omega European Masters, where he is defending his title this week, and twelfth at Wentworth. It seemed that this time the 35-year-old Englishman, who has never hidden his obsession with making it into a Ryder team at least once, was on the right track…
– However, his 2025 season on the PGA Tour has not been as successful as he needed to keep accumulating points at a good pace and secure an automatic spot on the European team. Once again, he reached the final sprint with a precarious position and under pressure, depending on the captain’s picks. This time, moreover, with other candidates better positioned. His name was barely mentioned in predictions. If anything, he was given a chance to catch Luke Donald’s attention and favour if he could win again a year later at the Swiss Crans Sur Sierre Golf Club. And that’s what he’s set out to do…
– Wallace was off any Ryder (and tournament) radar when this morning he had already played nine holes of his first round and was at PAR, after missing a two-and-a-half-metre birdie putt on the 9th hole of the Swiss course. However, from that moment on, he was to stage a moving and valuable charge, with a twelve-under-par score over 27 holes: five-under-par for the second half of that first round and a second-round score of 63 strokes, the best result of the day.
It almost goes without saying that in this long stretch of 27 holes, the Englishman played exquisite golf, deeply engaged in his dual battle, hitting greens in regulation, sinking very good mid-range putts, and also leaving himself a good handful of birdie chances after hitting some sublime second shots… It was a full-fledged charge, without mercy and without giving himself a single break. He was only to drop one bogey in these 27 holes, right at the end of the second round (hole 7), but he immediately responded with a birdie on the 8th.
– Now, without a doubt, the weekend could feel long for him. But if he can steer this ship to a safe harbour, it is possible, and even probable, that Luke Donald will feel almost obliged to include him in the team, especially if there are indeed two spots in his six picks: Lowry, Aberg, Hovland, and Rahm are certainties, and we have to wait and see what happens with Sepp Straka, who is not entered in either Ireland or Wentworth and ended his brilliant PGA Tour season on a dull note, affected by some personal issue.
– Tomorrow will be Matt Fitzpatrick‘s turn (-4), who hasn’t played a single hole today and is forced to respond to his compatriot in the second round. Marco Penge (-4), who like Wallace played 36 holes today, finished with three birdies in his last five holes to, firstly, ensure the cut, and still give himself a chance over the weekend to impress captain Donald. However, his playing partner and also Ryder team candidate, Nicolai Hojgaard (PAR), has taken a step back that could be definitive after missing the cut.
– Ángel Hidalgo (-4) has also secured his presence in the last 36 holes with two final birdies on holes 8 and 9, while Jorge Campillo (-2) will have to wait until tomorrow to see if he makes the cut when the second round is completed. Tomorrow morning is Iván Cantero‘s turn (-5), the best-ranked Spaniard who has only played two holes of his second round today, signing two pars.
