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Masters: Why you can’t sleep on Thomas Pieters on jammed leaderboard

By Colin Mieczkowski

Apr 6, 2017; Augusta, GA, USA; Thomas Pieters hits out of a bunker on the 2nd hole during the first round of The Masters golf tournament at Augusta National Golf Club. Mandatory Credit: Rob Schumacher-USA TODAY Sports
Apr 6, 2017; Augusta, GA, USA; Thomas Pieters hits out of a bunker on the 2nd hole during the first round of The Masters golf tournament at Augusta National Golf Club. Mandatory Credit: Rob Schumacher-USA TODAY Sports /
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The Masters leaderboard is packed, and tournament rookie Thomas Pieters is looking good

Despite golf missing its top player in Dustin Johnson, the 2017 Masters has been an exciting tournament so far. The leaderboard is tight at the top, and the names are big.

Rickie Fowler, Sergio Garcia, Charley Hoffman and Justin Rose are among those golfers. However, what about Thomas Pieters, who is tied for the lead heading into the clubhouse?

The former University of Illinois star is playing in his first Masters, and is making an early impression. Hitting great shots, and making solid recovery plays has helped him up the leaderboard.

Hoffman had started the Masters off with his golf clubs on fire, leading at -7 and setting a tournament record. Since then, he has dropped to -4 to open up the doors although he’s still dangerous.

Pieters had a shot at the solo lead, but missed a couple of good putts. If he can drop those medium length putts, he’ll be a force to be reckoned with over the weekend.

Although it’s his first time teeing it up at Augusta, Pieters is no stranger to big competition. In his first Ryder Cup appearance in 2016 at Hazeltine, he finished with a 4-1 record, only losing during the first day.

Keep this mind also: he’s quietly one of the best approach players in the world, ranking fourth when hitting from 150-175 yards out. Augusta is a course that can be overpowered, but it’s Pieters’ accuracy that has helped him thus far.

Another key thing of note, is that Pieters is seventh in the world in one-putt percentage. He certainly came close to nailing some decent length putts too.

If he can make more one-putts, then his chances are high because the rest of his game looks good. It also goes beyond just his skill however.

Although he’s been a pro for four years, he’s still a young buck

Being his first Masters, you just have to wonder if the pressure will start to get to Pieters. He’s what I call, a “young veteran” as he turned pro in 2013.

Nonetheless, he’s still young at only 25 years old. And with stars like Fowler, Garcia and Hoffman sticking to him like peanut butter and jelly, it’s going to be tough.

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Then again, we may not be talking about Pieters, Fowler and others if Hoffman’s clubs were still on fire. He could’ve been pulling away, similar to Jordan Spieth in 2015.

But now, things are much juicier, with such a jam packed leaderboard. And no doubt, golf fans from the Chicago area are pulling for the U of I alum.

Although Pieters hails from Antwerp, Belgium, it’s easy for a big sports town like Chicago to adopt him as being his second home. A strong finish would also truly put Belgium on the map as a golf producing destination.

The story lines will be flowing like Rae’s Creek this weekend at Augusta National with so much unpredictability. However, Pieters is a guy that you don’t want to sleep on.

Not saying he will win the tournament necessarily. But, with such big names on the leaderboard, it’s easy to overlook him and there I say; don’t sleep.

Next: 2017 Masters: Two Tough Days at the Office

Who do you think we should keep an eye on this weekend? Let us know in the comments section or you can let me know on Twitter @ChiGolfRadio. Finally, be sure to keep locked here for all things Masters.

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