Belgium’s Thomas Pieters and Canada’s Richard T. Lee surprised everyone by shooting standout seven-under-par 64s to take the first-round lead at the International Series England event. They are ahead of England’s Richard Bland, Chinese Taipei’s Chan Shih-chang, Atiruj Winaicharoenchai from Thailand, and Korea’s Seungtaek Lee who all fired 66s. Pieters, who plays for RangeGoats GC on the LIV Golf League, is still searching for form but seems to be on the right track after his impressive round.
Pieters attributed his success to driving well and putting nicely and felt comfortable on the course as it was similar to where he practices in Belgium. Lee, who had a recent injury but pushed through, is a two-time winner on the Asian Tour and showed resilience in his round. Richard Bland also had a solid start to the tournament, making an eagle and saving par on a tough hole, indicating a good start to the event.
Local knowledge seemed to play a factor for some players, like Pieters who knows the area well and feels comfortable on the course. Bland and other players also mentioned the challenging nature of the course, requiring precise shots to avoid penalties. Andy Sullivan from England also had a decent start after a two-week break, citing struggles off the tee but still managing to score well. American John Catlin and New Zealand’s Ben Campbell also had respectable scores in the tournament.
The International Series England event is part of the Asian Tour and The International Series, offering a prize purse of US$2 million. With this being the ninth event of the year on the Asian Tour, players are looking to make their mark and secure a solid finish. Pieters and Lee’s impressive rounds have put them in a great position going into the next rounds, while other players are also looking to build on their performances. Overall, the first round saw some standout performances and promising starts from various players.
