When Team USA humiliated Darren Clarke’s European Ryder Cup team in Hazeltine in 2016, at least they had something to cheer about: a new star had emerged. Belgian player Thomas Pieters, making his debut, was an isolated success story in the 17-11 loss, leading all scorers throughout the three days with four points and looking fearless in front of the hostile home crowd. Pieters was only 24 years old at the time, and success was expected. In fact, six months later, he finished fourth at the US Masters, demonstrating his increasing potential.
Fast forward eight years however, and not only have there been no further Ryder Cup appearances, but that effort at Augusta remains his best effort at a major championship.
Despite the fact that his current profession has been successful. Pieters was pursued by LIV Golf despite his decline in form, and he joined the Saudi-backed project in January 2023, citing the shorter timeline. Pieters doesn’t seem to want to take advantage of the best of both worlds, despite the fact that a number of rebel players have expressed their discontent at being excluded from PGA and DP World Tour events. In fact, he’s threatened to withdraw from the sport if his LIV deal is terminated as opposed to returning to the status quo.
“Honestly, I couldn’t play 25 to 30 events a year. I think I’d quit,” he told bunkered. “It was a big part of me coming over having young kids and having more time at home. At first I thought I could spend all that time practising and now you look after your kids and practice.”
Pietersen acknowledged that he would gladly accept an invitation to participate in another Ryder Cup game, but it doesn’t seem like he is particularly drawn to the idea. When questioned about his willingness to wear the yellow and blue in golf’s most prestigious team event once more, he was rather critical.“When I quit golf in five or ten years, my kids won’t care how many times I’ve won or how many times I’ve played in the Ryder Cup,” he remarked. “It’s selfish if I want to win and play that many Ryder Cups.
It won’t alter who I am as a person. Though not to the extent that everyone believes, I do care about it. My children will far outlive me when it comes to golf. Although I love golf, it is not my life.Ironically, Pietersen was experiencing a comeback and had moved up to No. 34 in the world rankings at the time of his departure. However, he hasn’t won in LIV Golf and hasn’t participated in a major since Hoylake’s 2023 Open Championship.
His latest showing was an 11th-placed finish at the rebel event in Chicago. That left him 30th in the overall LIV standings for the 2024 season.
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