Matt Wallace is a four-time winner on the European Tour, and is currently ranked 66th in the world. There’s no question the 31-year-old is an immensely talented golfer, and with a decade of experience as a professional under his belt, he knows a thing or two about what it takes to be successful.
But according to Wallace, even among the best players in the world, it’s clear that some are above and beyond their peers in certain ways.
On this week’s episode of Off Course with Claude Harmon, Wallace described what he thinks sets players like Dustin Johnson and Jordan Spieth apart from the rest.
“I’ve seen it with a few of the guys. No matter what the shots are like, I think DJ is probably one of the best — and you’ll know that — is just the unwavering confidence in their ability to get a score,” Wallace said. “They know, come the end of the day, if they stay patient, calm, their game’s in good shape, they’re gonna shoot a number.”
This is Matt Wallace’s surprising advice for amateurs to hit the ball farther
Wallace then described his final-round experience with Jordan Spieth at the 2021 Valero Texas Open. Spieth shot a 66 to Wallace’s 70, and Spieth won by four shots, ending a four-year winless drought.
“On that day, you know, you have these conversations on the golf course in between shots, and I just got this vibe from Jordan that day that he was super, super confident,” Wallace said. “And I’m not necessarily like that, and I think that’s sometimes what causes that frustration in me, and going hot and cold like you say, where I don’t have necessarily that unwavering confidence to go, you know what, whatever happens today, I’m going to post a number and they’re going to have to beat me. He just had that. and I took that away from that day especially.”
For more from Wallace, including the valuable lesson he learned during his year in college, and what it takes to be successful on Tour, check out the full interview below.