‘Dream’ group for Matt Wallace with Tiger Woods and Patrick Reed

Wallace will partner 15-time major winner Woods and former Masters champion Patrick Reed in front of sell-out crowds for the opening two days at Royal Portrush as the Open returns to Northern Ireland for the first time in 68 years.

“I got a text about the draw a bit before it came out and I was just searching through and saw my name and thought it was a bit of a spoof,” the 29-year-old Londoner said. “I actually thought it was a wind-up because of the time it was (3.10pm on Thursday) and thought Tiger would be playing at that time.

“It’s a proud moment to play with him in an Open. Hopefully I can stick to my gameplan and produce in front of him.

“Massively this is a dream come true. He is my hero and I am playing with him in an Open.

“It caps everything, it is probably the biggest moment in my career to date, a reward for all the hard work I have done. Hopefully it can kick me on for the rest of my career.

“It’s fantastic. Playing with Patrick Reed as well, it’s a brilliant group. This is my second Open and I was lucky to play with Padraig (Harrington) and Bubba Watson in my first and now this.”

Wallace spent two days practising at Portrush at the start of last week, making the most of the local knowledge of former Open champion and stablemate Darren Clarke.

“When you get there and see the grandstands, the enormity of it all really hits you. It’s seriously impressive,” Wallace added.

“Darren in his own gentle way was often saying ‘don’t go left, don’t go right, don’t be long and don’t be short!’

“It’s classic Clarkey but he’s right. You have to flush it, you have to be straight and have seriously got to be on point.”

Clarke’s experience of Royal Portrush means he has been in demand for practice rounds in recent weeks, with the likes of Adam Scott, Justin Rose and Wallace all taking advantage of his local knowledge.

“I probably told them too much really,” Clarke joked. “Of course I want to beat them. But at the same time, they’re all good guys, I like them all. I’ve been giving them whatever information that they wanted and a little bit more.

“The golf course has a few things that you really need to know about it, which holes to attack and which ones not to.

“The fairways are generous here but because there’s so many different angles, picking your line off the tee and whatever club you’re going to hit off that tee is vitally important.

“I’ve always been good and bad, pretty hard on myself in the past.

“But I’m determined this week to enjoy it the best I can.

“Whether I play well or don’t play well, it’s a huge thing for all the Irish golfers, for Northern Ireland, for me that lives here a little bit, to have the Open Championship.

“So I’ll try and enjoy it as much as I possibly can.”