DP World Tour Championship: Thomas Pieters

Back in the summer Thomas Pieters showed his class to control the Czech Masters even when under heavy pressure from Adri Arnaus and wouldn’t look out of place on the roll of honour in Dubai.

Measuring 7,675 yards the Earth Course isn’t for the fainthearted but that isn’t a problem for the young Belgian who averaged 311 yards off the tee last year on the way to a T12 finish. His record at this venue now reads 22-40-58-12, a mixed bag certainly but Pieters has been playing some good golf the season, better than the bare results.

Pieters is currently ranked second on tour for strokes gained tee-to-green but is held back by a putter that is 173rd in strokes gained. That is the frustration but I watched him closely in the Czech Masters and he made plenty of clutch putts so i’d class him as streak rather than bad.

Alvaro Quiros managed to win around here with power and a putter that deserved to live in the lake. Pieters is better than the Spaniard in almost every respect and like Willett last year this tournament can launch him back into the big time.