Matt Wallace Interview - Scottish Open 2024
J.Lindeberg is the official clothing sponsor of the DP World Tour and we went inside the ropes with JL Ambassador Matt Wallace during the Genesis Scottish Open to talk all about sports, fashion, JL, links golf & much more...
JL Ambassador - Matt Wallace
GP: Thanks for joining us here at the Genesis Scottish Open today, Matt! You've been with J.Lindeberg since the start of 2018, how much have you seen the brand evolve in that time?
MW: Well, what I thought JL were about before I joined - I thought they were very brash, very open & just all about prints or patterns. But what I soon realised was that they offer so much more than that; you can still be a bit more sophisticated and monochromatic - but then you can add a little bit of print and more "fashion" into your outfits now and again.
What I love doing with it is taking a bold print but matching it with something quite classy and stylish – that then allows you to show off the pattern much more. I love doing that. I love being a little crazy but a little bit chill as well.
I remember last year at The Open, I wore a really bold polo in white & pink – it was a pretty crazy print & I thought I looked like an ice cream! But it was popping out on quite a dull day & I loved that.
GP: The one outfit that sticks in our mind was the one you wore on your way to the round of 60 during the DP World Tour Championship with a record equalling nine birdies in a row. Do you remember what you wore on that day?
MW: Yeah that was cool. It was a green & blue camouflage polo and I paired it up with a navy pant & navy cap, too.
GP: Yes! And not long before that round in Dubai, Viktor Hovland actually wore the same print on his way to winning the BMW Championship during the FedEx Cup. Would you say that’s a coincidence, or do you think there’s something in that? Does wearing that kind of print put a little “pep-in-your-step”?
MW: 100%. I always feel like “you look good, you feel good, you play good”. On a rare occasion, there are actually some outfits where I’ve said “I’m not wearing that again” because I’ve played so bad!
I was feeling great in that moment any way and when you feel like you’re looking good, you have a belief that you’re going to play decent that day too. The other one is the Masters Par 3 contest that I won in 2019; I was wearing another blue camouflage top & a navy pant. I’ve still got that shirt at home to signify that I won the Masters Par 3 – so that’s cool.
GP: That leads nicely into the next question then…we have noticed that you tend to wear all-black on Sundays. What’s the story behind that?
MW: So, I won my first European Tour event in Portugal – the one that got me out onto the European Tour. Then I won in India wearing navy & white...but I just felt stronger in Portugal than I did in India. Even though I played great in India and I won the play-off. I always feel strong wearing black; it’s this stealth-like feel that I like to have on Sundays. I might add in some white shoes, but that’s it. We’ve actually spoken to JL about that as well – we’d love to do a little play on that and call it “Matt(e) Black”; maybe add in some black prints, too. Watch this space!
GP: We were privileged to go "inside the ropes" with you during your first round at The Renaissance Club today & it looked like you were striking the ball well out there. How did you find it?
MW: Yeah I hit the ball well but just didn’t have much momentum. I was happy with how I played but it’s not always going to be perfect. If I can keep playing the way I played today then I’ll keep giving myself more and more chances. You’ve got to be patient. There’ll be scores out there today at 6, 7 or 8 under par but as long as I’m playing like that, I’m happy.
GP: And you’ve had some good finishes while playing in Scotland before as well! Do you feel “at home” playing links golf?
MW: Yeah. It’s all about ball-striking, driving it well and playing into areas which won’t get you in any danger. You can be a little bit more aggressive with your putts because of the speed of the greens too, so I definitely like playing up here.
GP: Bringing it back to JL then, they’re famous for “bridging sports and fashion” and you’re a BIG sports fan. Scrolling through your Instagram, there are posts about NBA, rugby, football & skiing to name a few. We even heard you commentating for BBC Radio 5 Live during the Ryder Cup! So the question is, if you weren’t a professional golfer, which sport would you love to be a professional at?
MW: Well, cricket was my sport when I was younger. So probably that. I still love watching it and playing it. But if I could choose any then it would be Formula 1. I love driving but obviously I could never get to that elite level. I just love the vibe of F1.
GP: Final question then, where will you be watching the Euro 2024 final - England vs Spain - this Sunday?
MW: There's actually potential for us to go to the game; it just depends on our friend getting us tickets and if we can actually get ourselves there – which will be very difficult. It’ll depend on how we do here this weekend and then also considering how we can get back for The Open next week. But it’s potentially a once in a lifetime opportunity, so I’d love to be there.
GP: Awesome! Good luck for the rest of the tournament & for Royal Troon next week, Matt.