Czech Masters Moving Day Wrap Up

There was a bizarre incident at today’s moving day at the Czech Masters. Belgium Thomas Pieters shot a 7 under 65 to take a one-stroke lead over Sweden’s Pelle Edberg going into the final day. And he managed his 65 with a two shot penalty for hitting the wrong ball!

How on earth do you hit the wrong ball in an event like this? Well, he played the wrong ball in the rough! 

"It's never happened to me before," Pieters said. "I normally check my ball. It still hurts a little bit because it is my mistake. It could have been a lower one but I'm still really happy with the way I played and seven under is a good score on a Saturday."

His was a quiet remarkable round all in all. He got off to a flying start, with an eagle on the par 5 first, and made another four birdies on the front nine.

After his two shot penalty on the 11th, which resulted in a double bogey, he immediately steadied the ship with a birdie on the 12th, and birdies on the 14th and 16th to complete his round of 65.

"It was nice to fight back and finish off with a couple of birdies, but I need to learn from it obviously and not make stupid mistakes like that," Pieters said.

He has certainly been hitting it long all week, and leads the field in this category, with an average of 320 yards. That’s Bubba long!

Also blazing it up were Sweden’s Pelle Edberg, with a 67 to sit one back on the Belgium. He’s only had two bogeys all week, so he’s playing really solid.

Dane and total GolfPunk, Thorbjorn Olesen, also carded another 67. He needed a 68-foot putt for birdie on the last to finish three shots behind the leader. Thorbjorn is the only one in the top five to have actually won a European Tour event, so we are hoping that this experience will get him over the line again.

Sweden’s Mikael Lundberg also merits a mention in dispatches as he shot a course record equaling 64, which included an eagle and six birdies. He certainly understood what moving day meant, and his round propelled him up the board into a tie for sixth on 9 under.

It’s game on for the final day of the Czech Masters tomorrow. We’re ready! Come on Thorbjorn.