Wallace wins again, Van Rooyen runs close

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Pumped up

Matt Wallace prevailed from a four man all-English playoff to win his third European Tour title of the season at the Made in Denmark.

READ: Local hero Thorbjørn Olesen sealed his place on the Ryder Cup Team

The 28-year-old birdied five of his last six holes in a 67 to get to 19 under alongside fellow Englishmen Steven Brown, Jonathan Thomson and Lee Westwood before a birdie on the second extra trip up the last handed him a fourth European Tour win at Silkeborg Ry Golf Club.

Brown and Wallace both put their approaches inside six feet on the first play-off hole for a pair of birdies before Wallace went even closer on the next with Brown only able to make a par.

South Africa’s Erik van Rooyen, chasing a maiden win on the European Tour, missed out on spoiling the UK party as he finished one shot short of the playoff number.

Van Rooyen birdied 15, 16 and 17 but was left with too much to do despite carding a 65 on Sunday.

The Joburg Open runner-up went out in 32 thanks to four birdies on his front side but failed to birdie both of the back nine’s par 5s as well as the drivable par 4 12th.

He shook off that disappointment with that late trio of gains but was left to sit in the clubhouse as the English quartet battled it out for the win.

In the battle for a place in Thomas Bjorn’s Team to take on the United States later this month, Matthew Fitzpatrick closed with a 66 to get to 16 under and a tie for seventh but that was not enough to dislodge Olesen from the final qualifying place.

Wallace’s win, his fourth in 16th months, could add to Bjorn’s woes when it comes to choosing his remaining four players to form Team Europe on September 28-30.

The team is finalised on Wednesday.