THE FLYING SCOTSMAN
Jamieson flawless at Wentworth
SCOTT JAMIESON’S opening 67 was as flawless as the wonderfully rebuilt greens at Wentworth yesterday to leave the Scot best-placed Brit after the first round of the BMW PGA Championship.
The 33-year-old from Glasgow, who was in the first group out at 7am, carded five birdies and no bogeys in a thrilling display. And he was joined on that score by Italian Francesco Molinari and Thailand’s Kiradech Aphibarnrat, with the trio just a shot behind leader Johan Carlsson of Sweden.
‘It’s a fantastic start,’ said Jamieson, who cut a more confident figure than the struggler who narrowly retained his European Tour card in 2015 and 2016. ‘Any bogey-free round is great and to do it at Wentworth is even better.
‘The last two years have been a bit of a struggle for me but it’s been a solid start to this season. I just carried on where I left off last year, because from September on it was really good. I kept my eye in over the winter because I didn’t want to lose any momentum.’
Some might have wondered about Thomas Pieters’ momentum after the brilliant Belgian was the most notable absentee at the Players Championship in Florida two weeks ago.
But after opening with a 68 yesterday, he made it clear he would far rather win the European flagship equivalent, surely music to the ears of European Tour chief executive Keith Pelley.
‘This is my tour, I love being at home and look at the names like Seve that are on this trophy,’ reasoned Pieters.
After an amazing run that saw him finish runner-up in the Genesis Open in Los Angeles, third in the WGC-Mexico Championship and fourth on his debut at the Masters, you can imagine the eyebrows raised in America when he sat out the Players.
‘Sure, I took a lot of heat on social media and elsewhere and if that’s their opinion that I should have played, that’s fine — but I’m happy with my decision,’ said the 23-year-old.
While there is no suggestion Pieters (right) does not like playing in America, his attitude was probably best summed up by fellow countryman Nicolas Colsaerts, who commented wryly: ‘People think because he went to college in America and joined the PGA Tour he only wants to play over there, but I don’t think he would want to be surrounded by Americans for 365 days a year.’ After a quiet start to his season following his heroics last year, Open champion Henrik Stenson also posted a 68 that suggested his campaign is now effectively under way. Ross Fisher and Graeme Storm were best-placed Englishmen after the same score, while Scot Richie Ramsay was just a shot further back. Then there was course designer Ernie Els, who felt he hit the ball like he did in his vintage years but settled for 71 rather than a 69 after an act of honesty. On the 12th hole, he told his playing partners that, as his ball was plugged, he needed to lift it to check it was his and, after doing so, chipped in seemingly for an eagle three.
However, he was unhappy at the perfect contact, believing it impossible from his original plugged lie and thus thinking that he must have replaced the ball incorrectly. So he called a two-shot penalty on himself.
‘I didn’t feel comfortable about it, so I took the penalty,’ he said.
Fellow South African Branden Grace, by contrast, had to insist his conscience was clear after receiving a controversial drop on his way to a 68.
After making an eagle on 12 to move into a tie for the lead, his approach to the 13th plugged in the bank of a bunker, leaving him with an awkward lie on the upslope. After taking his stance in the sand, he called in a rules official and said his feet were touching the rubber sheeting at the base of the bunker, thereby entitling him to a free drop.
Former Masters champion Danny Willett Tweeted: ‘@European Tour please explain that drop?! Burying feet enough in to get to the base of the bunker???’ while Paul McGinley labelled the ruling ‘ridiculous’.