Pieters, Bland hot at International Series England
Belgium’s Thomas Pieters of RangeGoats GC and Richard T. Lee from Canada had low expectations at the start of this week’s International Series England, but that all changed Thursday when they both shot standout 7-under 64s to co-lead after Round 1.
They are ahead of England’s Richard Bland of Cleeks GC, Chinese Taipei’s Chan Shih-chang, Korea's Seungtaek Lee, and Atiruj Winaicharoenchai from Thailand, who fired 66s here on the Longcross Course at Foxhills Club & Resort in Surrey.
Pieters is still searching for the kind of form that saw him triumph on six occasions on the DP World Tour, but it looks like he is not far away, after setting the pace with a round made up of an eagle and five birdies, the same as Lee.
“Drove it well and putted really nicely,” said Pieters, whose best finish this year on the LIV Golf League is a T5 in Singapore.
“The course kind of suits me. It’s similar to the Belgium Open course, where I practice. It’s tight and narrow, but if you do hit a lot of drivers you can get close to loads of par fours. You make this course easy when you hit it straight.”
He was 4 under through five, after he made birdie on the first two holes and eagled the par-5 fifth. Three birdies in the last five holes, including on No. 18, saw him catch Lee, who played in the morning.
“I feel good over the golf ball," Pieters said. "I am putting nicely, but I had no expectations this week. I know the area, I am a member across the road at Queenwood, I play a lot of golf around here. So, yes, I feel comfortable here.”
Lee fell down the stairs three weeks ago in Korea and has been nursing a sore shoulder since, but he shrugged that off today.
The Canadian had to pull out of International Series Morocco last month because of the injury.
“It’s the right shoulder that hurts,” said Lee, a two-time winner on the Asian Tour, with the most recent victory coming at the Shinhan Donghae Open in Korea in 2017.
“I have had some good treatment; been working out a little bit; been working on my game. It seems like it is trending in the right way.”
The 33-year-old, who started his round on 10, made an eagle on the par-5 14th, where he attacked the pin with a 6-iron second shot and holed a 6-footer.
However, it was a par save on the seventh, a par 4, that made his day.
“I made a great up-and-down for par, holing from 8 feet. That really summed up my bogey-free round today," Lee said. “It is a very tough course. You must place your shot in the perfect position with your tee shots and if you do that you can make a score. If you don’t, it is going to penalize you.
“It’s a tight course but I hit a lot of drivers to be honest. I like to hit those low-cut, controlled drives, and it’s working pretty well. Hopefully it works out tomorrow as well.”
Bland, who has claimed two senior majors this season – the Senior PGA Championship and the U.S. Senior Open – looked like he might finish the day in the lead, but made bogey on Nos. 15 and 17.
“When the wind gets up it can be difficult, which is what happened,” Bland said. "I am happy with the way I played, it’s a good start.”
His English compatriot Andy Sullivan is next best-placed after a 67, along with Thailand’s Sadom Kaewkanjana, Gunn Charoenkul, Nitithorn Thippong, and Pavit Tangkamolprasert, and Sweden’s Kristoffer Broberg, Robert Dinwiddie from England, and China’s Sampson Zheng.
Four-time DP World Tour winner Sullivan is coming off a two-week break and was delighted to start well.
“Scored well, wouldn’t say I played great," Sullivan said. "It definitely shows I have not done a lot in two weeks. I took the kids on holiday, just been preoccupied with the kids. Been out with my mates a bit, having a good time. Haven’t played much golf, so today was about seeing where we are. It has definitely highlighted I am still struggling off the tee.”
American John Catlin, leader of both the Asian Tour Order of Merit and The International Series Rankings, returned a 68. Catlin has played well for Crushers GC in 2024, filling in for the injured Charles Howell III.
New Zealand’s Ben Campbell, winner of International Series Morocco, came in with a 69.
This week’s (US) $2 million tournament is the ninth event of the year on the Asian Tour and the fourth stop on The International Series.
Photo courtesy of Asian Tour