The opening round of the Wyndham Championship was an uncomfortable affair for the players with early tee times. There was a constant downpour with wet and soggy conditions for the entirety of the round.

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Englishman Matt Wallace had some problems with the course outside of the sloppy conditions. Despite playing well on the day (-3), Wallace complained about Sedgefield Country Club to reporters after the round.

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The 33-year-old briefly tied for the lead but finished his final five holes in +2.

“A bit pissed off actually with the finish, playing nicely. Yeah, just frustrated. I don’t like this golf course.”

When asked why, Wallace gave his explanation.

“Because the runoffs are just absolutely ridiculous and this — it’s just not fun to play,” he said. “Hit a shot out of the rough on the last and it landed on the front and runs backwards 40 yards. Like, it’s just not great. Yeah, I shouldn’t be in the rough, but it’s difficult to hit the fairway all the time, especially like this.

“And then hit shots to the front and just — this is my third time playing. Every single time like, yeah, 83 percent of the winners hit green in regulations pretty much, so a lot of green in regulations is key, but the penalty for miss — even on the par-3 down the hill, 12, you can’t go long because you can putt it off the green, so you play the smart play and you play it towards the front, the middle and, from 220 yards, I mean, it’s just — it’s too severe, so they need to do something about it.”

Donald Ross designs are known for their tricky green complexes and Sedgefield Country Club is no different. Although he may not love the course, Wallace needs a good performance to make the FedEx Cup playoffs. He currently sits at 80th in the standings with the top-70 advancing to TPC Southwind next week.

“I want to be here,” he said. “I just don’t like the golf course. I want to be here, I want to play here and I want to play well. Maybe I shouldn’t say that. And hopefully if I win, I’ll say something different at the end of the week — I absolutely love this golf course. But I know the way to play well around here — you’ve got to hit lots of greens, and I felt like I’m doing that. You know, the putting was good today, which has been great. I hit quite a few greens, especially early on.

“I just think the penalty is just really, really severe, especially with bermudagrass, you know. It’s difficult to chip and play, and I just think — yeah, just personally, my personal belief, my personal preference is if I play or design a golf course, I just have areas where it wouldn’t just carry on running away. I hit 5-iron into the last there and it pitches at the front and then doesn’t go anywhere and runs 20 yards down, you know. I don’t know, maybe I’m just being me and being a bit bitchy, but yeah, it’s just how — it’s just how I see the golf course. Runoffs in the fairway, you can hit the fairway and they run into the rough. I mean, I don’t see that.”

Wallace is doing his best to get himself in the right state of mind for round two.

“Just know that — I’m trying to like it, I’m trying to like it. I think the most important person here this week with me is my psychologist and we’re trying to enjoy the tournament rather than what it produces. So great tournament, great sponsor. Just for me, I just don’t like — if I don’t have to come here, I wouldn’t, but I kind of need to.”

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