Matt Wallace fired an impressive 6-under 65 during the second round of the Mexico Open to sit tied for the lead alongside Sami Valimaki and Mexico’s own Alvaro Oritz.
Wallace hasn’t started the year like he wanted. With a T40, T52, two missed cuts, and a T53 at his last start in Phoenix, Wallace and his caddie, Jamie Lane, decided to find a new approach.
After his round, the Englishman spoke with the media about his mindset and new mentality.
“We came up with a system of starting over par. To make the cut, you’ve got to get yourself into it,” Wallace said. “Yesterday was 4 over, and we managed to shoot 1 under, which is 5 under, and today it was 3 over. It’s not nice standing on that 10th tee 3 over already. Then I bogeyed it, so I was 4 over, so I had to get it back. That sort of determination and focus really helped.”
It’s a unique way to look at things. The past two rounds have shown how well it has worked for him, as he shot in the 60s both days.
He is tied at the top for strokes gained total, averaging 9.8 on the field. The 33-year-old also ranks No. 9 around the green and No. 5 in both approach to the green and putting. His game would be nearly complete if it weren’t for being No. 88 in the strokes game off the tee.
“The driver’s let me down a little bit,” he said. “But my iron play, short game and putting’s pretty special. Yeah, I’m happy with that. I need to tidy up the driver because that sets up the holes — I need to tidy that up and get better at that.”
On Thursday, he shot a 66, and when you put that with Friday’s 65, it gives him his lowest 36-hole total on Tour at 131 strokes. The lowest prior was 133 at the 2023 Corales Puntacana Championship, which he won.
There are 36 holes standing between him and his second PGA Tour win and 11th worldwide victory. Will this mental approach be the final piece of the puzzle for him to find more success on Tour?
Savannah Leigh Richardson is a golf staff writer for SB Nation’s Playing Through. For more golf coverage, be sure to follow us @_PlayingThrough on all major social platforms. You can also follow her on Twitter @SportsGirlSL and Instagram @savannah_leigh_sports.
