HERO CUP

January 11, 2023

Thomas Pieters

Abu Dhabi Golf Club

Continental Europe

Quick Quotes

Q. Welcome back to competitive action, I think it's been three months since we last saw you with the birth of your child, congratulations with that. How excited are you to get back out there and tee it up this week?

THOMAS PIETERS: Very. I missed competitive golf, really, and I mean, I practiced a bit at home but I was being a dad and yeah, it the competition that I missed the most. But really looking forward to getting going this week.

Q. Obviously a completely different dynamic this week with team golf to start off the calendar year, a lot more relaxed way to start the year would I say as well. Are you feel relaxed about it all?

THOMAS PIETERS: Yeah, very. It's lovely to have a team room. It reminds me of The Ryder Cup I played and obviously it's not the same magnitude but it's nice getting to know some of the guys a bit better, some of the caddies. It's a good atmosphere.

Q. How is the dynamic between you in the practice session today?

THOMAS PIETERS: Yeah, I played with Noren and did he try, they are good friends of mine, and so it felt very comfortable.

Q. Talking to some friends on the opposite team I imagine but they will turn into rivals this week. You started the banter early saw an social media. How do you feel that dynamic might change during this week?

THOMAS PIETERS: I don't know. You still want to beat the guys, doesn't matter who is on the team. You still want to win. I think all of us are competitors and there's only one thing we want.

Q. It's a great chance to showcase your match-play skills and abilities you have showed that in the past and it's a way to putt yourself back in that shot window in The Ryder Cup at the end of the year?

THOMAS PIETERS: You want to get the rust off your game and hopefully get some points, and it showed that you came to play and hopefully have a good season after that.

Q. And just finally, your captain, Francesco, he's going to be key in the success of your team. What has he said so far? Has he given you a specific role?

THOMAS PIETERS: Not really. Francesco is pretty quiet but whenever he says something, it's spot-on. So hopefully we get a couple motivational speeches out of him, we'll he see.