Ryder Cup: First Look At Complete European Team

Thomas Pieters (24) – Belgium

Ryder Cup Record: Rookie

Although it took a captain’s pick for him to ultimately book his ticket to Hazeltine, make no mistake about it: Thomas Pieters has played his way onto this Ryder Cup team with an outstanding three weeks of play.

There’s a real chance that if you had asked Darren Clarke for five names he was considering for a pick as recently as one month ago, Pieters’ name would not have been one of the first to come to mind for the European captain.

Over the last few weeks, though, Pieters has put together an excellent run, including a fourth-place finish at the Olympics, a second at the Czech Masters and a win at the Made In Denmark. In truth, if it wasn’t for a disastrous Saturday in Rio and a low-key Sunday in Prague, Pieters could have won in every one of his recent starts.

Pieters has incredible confidence, which bodes well for his prospects of making an impact as a rookie, and as one of the longest hitters in the world and someone who is also adept at scrambling, the Belgian is going to be positioned with a chance to get something out of every hole he plays.

This experience might be new for Pieters, but having been a member of winning teams as an amateur in the Jacques Leglise Trophy and Palmer Cup, he understands how to play team golf.

Next: Justin Rose