Ryder Cup captain Thomas Bjorn scraped into the third round of the Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship, but will have been delighted with the progress of several of his EurAsia Cup stars in the UAE on Friday.
Chief among them was Belgium’s Thomas Pieters, who carded a flawless 65 to surge into the clubhouse lead at the Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship on -12 under par.
The top of the leaderboard is littered with players who helped Europe defeat Asia 14-10 in Malaysia a week ago – including Ross Fisher and Alexander Levy, in a share of third on -10 under.
Two-time Abu Dhabi winner Paul Casey and Austrian Bernd Wiesberger were a shot further back on -9 under on a day which would have given Bjorn – who just survived the cut at -2 under – plenty of food for thought ahead of Ryder Cup selection in September.
Big-hitting Belgian Pieters carded seven birdies at Abu Dhabi Golf Club – which has a falcon carved into it – as he soared on day two.
Thomas Pieters is the man to catch. Here’s why:
-8 On the par fours (1st)
-10 When hitting the fairway (T1st)
-3 When missing fairway (T2nd)
-12 When hitting GIR (T2nd)
+3.7 Strokes Gained driving (3rd)
+8.0 Strokes Gained tee to green (2nd) pic.twitter.com/AGRa51xZBC— The European Tour (@EuropeanTour) January 19, 2018
The Ryder Cup star, who finished second here in 2016 and fourth a year earlier, made three birdies in an outward 33 after starting on the back nine.
He birdied the first then holed from 20 feet at the second, with two putts from just off the green at the par-five eighth providing another gain.
The 25-year-old found sand with both his tee shot and approach at the ninth, but chipped in from the bunker for an unlikely closing birdie.
That left him one ahead of Spain’s Jorge Campillo, who also birdied his last two holes en route to a bogey-free 64.
“It was nice to hole one on the last after two terrible shots. But the rest of it was decent today. Ball-striking was good,” said Pieters.
Missed fairway. Missed green. Holed bunker shot. 👏🏻@Thomas_Pieters signs for a 65 to take the clubhouse lead. pic.twitter.com/oDVta6hY2K
— The European Tour (@EuropeanTour) January 19, 2018
“I hit most of the middle of the greens. If I had a wedge, I went at the flag and I think I got up-and-down or made birdie with a wedge in my hand three or four times. It wasn’t really that fancy today but a very good round.
“I’ve done well here in the past and it suits me. We hit driver wherever we can and the rest of it is good ball-striking and going at a couple of flags with wedges when you have them, you need to do that.”
