13th Aug 2019 | Czech Masters
Czech Masters Tip: Thomas Pieters
Course record is MC-1-2-66-9 and he's been playing better than recent finishes on tour suggest. Ranked top-30 on tour for driving distance, scoring average and strokes gained tee-to-green.
He might have not much to show for his efforts but Thomas Pieters has actually been playing rather well this season. The recent mixture of majors, prep-events and the hiatus on the European Tour has slightly clouded the picture but the 27-year-old has made 11/15 cuts this calendar year and his underlying statistics are right up there.
Pieters averages 307.5 yards off the tee and is ranked 30th for scoring average and 11th in strokes gained tee-to-green. One of the best ball-strikers on tour, his weakness is on the greens where he loses strokes to the field. However, this week he returns to a familiar venue having played every edition of the Czech Masters.
Albatross Golf Resort is clearly a good fit; he plays the par-5s very well and his course record is MC-1-2-66-9. In 2014 he missed the cut by one stroke and in 2017 he was set for a top-30 finish until a horror Sunday and an 83.
That is the exception in what is an excellent record and he should be able to win or go close with various bookmakers paying 7 places at 1/5 odds.
Odds correct at time of publishing: 05:44 13th Aug, 2019 but subject to change