Despite holding a three-shot lead near the turn of his final round, Thomas Pieters had to grind out a win down the stretch at the DP World Tour’s 2022 Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship.
“I just hope all the juniors back at home are watching this,” said the Belgian. “I used to watch as a kid and think it was impossible for me but then Nico (Colsaerts) came on the scene and started winning. It’s stuff like that that inspires kids and hopefully I can do that back home.”
Pieters was briefly tied by Rafa Cabrera Bello but held on for his sixth win on the circuit thanks to an even-par 72 Sunday at Yas Links in Abu Dhabi to finish at 10 under. Cabrera Bello was joined by Shubhankar Sharma in second at 9 under, with Viktor Hovland and Victor Dubuisson T-4 at 8 under.
“Winning a Rolex Series, it’s as good as it gets in Europe,” he said. “Hopefully this lists me, I’m not sure where, but I want to play all of the big tournaments and hopefully this gets me close.
"Thanks for coming back."@Thomas_Pieters made time to sign for the fans. ✍️#ADGolfChamps | #RolexSeries pic.twitter.com/zjl2IQ3sww
— DP World Tour (@DPWorldTour) January 23, 2022
“Top 50 is your strive point and when I jumped out maybe three years ago, I took it badly, but I’m happy to be back again,” Pieters continued. “I feel like I’ve turned the corner and I’m playing really good golf. I’m really in control of my ball flight and it’s nice to feel like that and making putts as well. My putting has improved massively and I felt like that’s the thing that really kept me going on the weekend.”
