Pieters leads but says ‘I couldn’t seem to get the ball in the hole’
Belgian admits he was not at his best but tops the leaderboard in Kuala Lumpur
By Thomas Pieters will take a one-shot lead into the weekend at the Maybank Championship as he bids to end his two-and-a-half-year wait for a regular European Tour title.
The 2016 Ryder Cup star produced a second-round 69 at Saujana Golf and Country Club yesterday to move to eight under par. That total was enough to give the Belgian the outright lead at the halfway stage after overnight co-leader Nacho Elvira carded a double-bogey and a bogey in successive holes to fall from the top of the leaderboard.
Elvira, who had led by four strokes at one stage during his second round, sits in a tie for second alongside Indonesia’s Danny Masrin on seven under.
Pieters, who won the World Cup of Golf with Belgium team-mate Thomas Detry late last year, saw room for improvement following a tricky afternoon in Kuala Lumpur.
He said: “I struggled off the tee early on – at the end it was a lot better. It didn’t feel like a good day to me, I made the best of what I had. I gave myself a lot of chances but I couldn’t seem to get the ball in the hole.”
Four-time major champion Ernie Els was among the large group on six under, while Oliver Fisher led the British charge on four under.
Scotlan’ds David Law lies tied for 55th place on level par after rounds of 73 and 71.
Defending champion Paul Casey moved into contention for back-to-back victories in the Valspar Championship with a second round of 66.
Casey carded an eagle, four birdies and a solitary bogey on the Copperhead Course at Innisbrook Resort to share the early clubhouse lead with American Austin Cook on six under par.
The 41-year-old Ryder Cup star dropped his only shot of the day on the ninth after finding sand off the tee and with his approach to the green, but was happy to bounce back after a missed cut in the Players Championship last week.
“I feel really good about it because last week was rubbish,” Casey said. “For whatever reason I struggled a little bit round Sawgrass and that frustrated me, annoyed me, (ahead of) coming in here trying to defend my title which I’d love to do because I’ve never defended a professional title.
“I’ve worked very, very hard on the game and it’s slowed things down, quietened the transition at the top of the swing, and I like slopey greens. These are very, very difficult greens but that’s the way I like them and it’s why I play well at places like Augusta as well.”
Playing alongside Casey, Dustin Johnson carded a second consecutive 69 to lie two shots off the lead on four under.
“It was wonderful playing with the world No 1 the last two days to see the quality of his game and the quality of mine was pretty good too,” added Casey.