Thorbjorn Olesen claimed the eighth and final automatic spot on Europe’s Ryder Cup team as he finished tied for 20th place at the Made in Denmark tournament on Sunday.
The home favourite carded a last-round 68 to finish on 11-under-par, but more importantly as far as he was concerned, Matt Fitzpatrick did not win the title.
Going into the final round, England’s Fitzpatrick was the only player who could have denied the in-form Olesen his Ryder Cup debut, but he could not mount a victory charge, finishing on 16-under after a fourth-round 66.
Englishman Matt Wallace won the title, his third of the year on the European Tour, after prevailing in a four-man playoff with Ryder Cup vice-captain Lee Westwood, Jonathan Thompson and Steven Brown, who all finished on 19-under.
Wallace birdied the second playoff hole to claim the title and push himself into contention for one of the four wildcard picks to be announced by Ryder Cup captain Thomas Bjorn on Wednesday.
“I’ve stepped up to the mark and I’ve shown him exactly what I’m about,” Wallace said.
“If he doesn’t pick me, then that’s absolutely fine, but if he does, he knows he’s going to get exactly that in his team.”
WHAT A PERFORMANCE‼️
Matt Wallace birdies 10 of his last 13 holes to win the #MiD18 on the second play-off hole. pic.twitter.com/fPtAqy5rY7
— The European Tour (@EuropeanTour) September 2, 2018
Sweden’s Johan Edfors was the only player to win three times in a Ryder Cup year and not make the team, in 2006.
Open Championship winner Francesco Molinari, Olympic gold medallist Justin Rose, Tyrrell Hatton and the 2017 Race to Dubai champion Tommy Fleetwood all qualified for the 42nd Ryder Cup via the European Points list.
Olesen claimed his place via the World Points List alongside world number five Jon Rahm, four-times major winner Rory McIlroy and 10-time European Tour winner Alex Noren of Sweden.
The Ryder Cup against the United States takes place in Paris from September 28-30.