European Tour

D+D REAL Czech Masters 2018

August 23-26

Albatross Golf Resort, Prague, Czech Republic

€1,000,000

August 23-26

Albatross Golf Resort, Prague, Czech Republic

€1,000,000

Round 1

Pieters impresses Padraig in Prague

Round 2

Round 3

Round 4

Round 2

Round 3

Round 4

August 23, 2018

Thomas Pieters laid down an early marker at the D+D Real Czech Masters as the Ryder Cup-chasing Belgian carded an eight under par opening round 64 to take a share of the lead, alongside two-time Major winner John Daly and two others.

- Getty Images

“I drove it pretty well and I putted really well. I'm just keeping going whatever I had going in America and I'm happy with the start. I love it here. It really suits my eye off the tee and it's just a matter of making the putts over the rest of the week if I keep hitting it like that."

“I'd rather go one better here and then do the same next week but I'm going to worry about tomorrow first and then Saturday, a day at a time."

“I don't think we made a bogey between the three of us and that's a lot of birdies between us so it's fun when everybody gets it going and hopefully the same tomorrow."

Pieters will surely be feeling a sense of deja vú after day one at Albatross Golf Resort. He opened with a 66 in 2015 on his way to winning this very event, while a runner-up finish here a year later - followed by a win the following week in Denmark - was enough to secure a wildcard selection from 2016 Ryder Cup Captain Darren Clarke. He will be hoping to repeat that feat over the next two weeks.

Pieters was joined at the top by American Daly, who has a runner-up finish to his name on the Staysure Tour in Europe this year, young Englishman Callum Tarren and Malaysian prospect Gavin Green.

“It was fun," said Daly. "I hit a lot of good shots today, made a few putts. It's been one of those years where I've been hitting it really good, I've just been injured and having to pull out. I don't feel great but I got around today and I just played solid golf and it's great. It feels good."

“Today there were so many pins that were perfect yardages for me. They were just comfortable shots all day long. Tomorrow maybe more half shots and more full shots but for me, it was just one of those days where the yardages into the greens were so perfect it made it a little easier. It was a very comfortable swinging round today and if I can do that every day, the injuries don't tend to hurt as much."

Eddie Pepperell is also in with a shot of forcing is way onto Thomas Bjørn's European team and he did his chances no harm with a six under 66 to move into a share of tenth alongside eight others including Harrington and his fellow Ryder Cup Assistant Captain Lee Westwood.

“I am happy with that," said Pepperell. "I didn't really have too many expectations this morning, I hit the ball badly on the range and my putter didn't feel very good warming up so I was really surprised to shoot the score I shot. It's nice when you come off the course pleasantly surprised in this game."

“Apparently I could be close to The Ryder Cup team, but it's not something I'm focussed on. If I hit a bad six iron then I'm so angry with that that The Ryder Cup is well out of the mind, but that's a good thing that I'm like that right now and I intend it to stay that way. I don't feel any extra pressure."

“Usually I'm a slow starter so to have given myself something to build on this yearly in the week is pleasing and who knows what the weather looks like tomorrow. I remember Friday last year being awful weather and I remember Lee Slattery shooting a really low round, so I'm going to go have a coffee with Lee now and maybe pick his brains.”