THOMAS Pieters claimed his first European Tour victory in three years and a second triumph in the D+D Real Czech Masters.
The Belgian held off a brave late charge from his playing partner Adri Arnaus to win by a single shot at Albatross Golf Resort.
The 27-year-old’s distance from the tee was pivotal all week as he signed for a three-under par 69 and a winning total of 19-under.
Pieters said: “I’m relieved. It’s been a long time – it’s been three years since I last won.
“It feels good to win again. I never doubted myself but it’s just been a long road of not feeling that great with the golf swing.
“It feels good to get back on track again and get another win.
“It’s difficult when everybody says you should be winning two or three times a year.
“It’s always nice to hear that but it’s almost a negative sometimes because I always felt like I was underachieving.
“But hopefully there’s many more like this. I felt like I was in control today, almost the whole day and I kind of did my own thing.
“Last year I would have whacked at that shot at 15 six times and finished way down the field. I think it was a smart thing to do to take a drop.
“I tried to hit one out of that rough at the 10th yesterday and it didn’t come out – so I was kicking myself because I should have taken a drop.
“I looked at it this time, took a drop and made a good par. I think that’s what being an experienced golfer is all about, judging stuff like that.
Pieters paid tribute to his young rival, who has been improving steadily all year.
Thomas added: “What a player Adri is. To finish like that, stiff it on 16, give himself a chance on 17 and then make birdie on 18, he made it tough on me.
“Hats off to him and I’m just lucky to finish one shot ahead of him.”
It certainly was not plain sailing for Pieters despite leading the tournament all day and carrying a three-stroke advantage into the back nine.
Spaniard Arnaus – a rookie who graduated from the Challenge Tour last year – birdied two of the final three holes for a closing 69 of his own and an 18-under totat.
That meant Pieters needed to convert a short putt at the 18th to avoid a play-off. He duly tapped in though, earning a fourth European Tour title in the process.
It was a long-awaited return to the winner’s circle for Pieters, four years after a meteoric rise began with a win at the D+D Real Czech Masters in 2015.
It culminated in a memorable Ryder Cup debut at Hazeltine National in 2016 – where he became Europe’s greatest-ever rookie with a points’ haul of four from five.
The man who represented Belgium in the 2016 Olympics in Rio, played with 2020 Ryder Cup Captain Padraig Harrington in the opening two rounds in Prague this week.
Pieters will be targeting a return to Team Europe as he moved to 42nd in the Race to Dubai ranking and moved back into the top 100 in the Official World Golf Ranking.
Arnaus, who looks like a winner in waiting after his third runners-up spot in 2019, said: “I never gave up, I tried to make some birdies coming in and see if he would make a mistake but he didn’t.
“He was solid getting up and down on 15 and overall it was a really good battle so I’m happy.
“It came into my mind that it was sort of matchplay so I just tried to beat him over the last two holes, which I did but I came up one short.
“Every week I come out here I learn and I’ll take a lot from this one I’m sure. I’m just enjoying the process at the moment and hopefully I can be up there again in the next few weeks.”
