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Thomas Pieters says that he is a reformed character when it comes to snapping clubs but reckons that players shouldn’t be fined for doing so.
Pieters, who won the Czech Masters at the weekend to end a three-year winless drought, has become famous for his breaking his gear in fits of pique on the course.
One clip of him breaking a club around his neck during the 2018 BMW PGA Championship at Wentworth went particularly viral.
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However, speaking to the latest edition of the European Tour’s Race To Dubai podcast, he says those days are over.
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“I’ve just made a point of not snapping clubs and not letting myself go,” said the 27-year-old Belgian. “It’s definitely a more balanced life for me off the course now than before. People can’t really judge players for snapping clubs or whatever because nobody really knows what’s going on behind the scenes. I haven’t snapped anything this year and I won’t because I made a point to my caddie not to do it.”
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Whilst he insists he has changed his ways, Pieters reckons there’s no great harm in players breaking a club so long as they’re not harming the course.
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“If you look at baseball, hockey, tennis, those players snap their bats or racquets,” he added. “I get it, it’s not fun to watch for kids and all that, but I think sometimes you run hot and it’s just how people react. I’ve maybe not dealt with it in the best way in the past but, you know, look at [Henrik] Stenson. He never shouts or yells. Instead, he sometimes just breaks or snaps a club and just moves on, on the spot. I don’t think it’s something you should get fined for.”
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