HERO DUBAI DESERT CLASSIC

January 28, 2023

Thomas Pieters

Majlis Course at Emirates Golf Club

Press Conference

Q. A 67 today you've positioned yourself as well as you could, right at the top. Looks like a game of two halves between the front and back nine.

THOMAS PIETERS: Well, it looked. Yeah, the front nine I was a bit scruffy. I made two bogeys with a wedge coming off 9. I was not in a good head space.

And then I shoot 31 on the back, I don't know how, but my putting seemed to work, and you know, I've still got some tough to do on the range because my driving is pretty poor.

Q. If you DO go to the range later on, what is it you're going to work on?

THOMAS PIETERS: I'll let the coach figure it out. Driving doesn't feel very good, so we'll have to fix that. But all the rest is in good shape.

Q. Given you made seven birdies yesterday and eight today, overall, you must have a lot of confidence right now, especially heading into the weekend?

THOMAS PIETERS: Yeah, like I said the putting has kind of bailed me out. I can definitely see them rolling in from 15 feet which is a nice feeling. But I've got to get a bit more stress free off the tee.

Q. Still a lot of golf to be played, 36 holes to go. What are stress levels right now?

THOMAS PIETERS: Yeah, there's no stress levels. I was just really angry after nine. It wasn't really stress. I was just trying to get back into my round. But it's nice to see your name up at the top.

Q. How do you get back into the round? Do you have any specific technique to get your mindset again?

THOMAS PIETERS: Make birdies. That makes me happy. Sometimes that works.