Thomas Pieters is feeling upbeat about 2025, despite a rollercoaster year on the LIV Golf circuit where he finished 30th in individual standings.
The Belgian star is heading to the Dubai Desert Classic, where he’ll be one of six LIV players competing on the DP World Tour. It’s a return that means a lot to him.
“I still have one year of my exemption left,” Pieters told Golf Monthly. “If I want to play my way into form, Dubai was the obvious choice.”
He’s planning a two-week stint in Dubai, attracted by the perfect weather and tough competition. But there’s more to it than just golf.
“I miss just playing in Europe,” the 32-year-old admitted. “You go to these cool towns like Paris and London. In America, when your round is finished, what do you do? It’s very different when you’re in Prague or Madrid – that’s what I love about my job.”
It’s quite a shift from his comments last March, when he claimed LIV Golf’s standard of play was “10 times better” than the DP World Tour. Now he’s looking forward to playing about half a dozen European events this year.
2024 wasn’t all smooth sailing for Pieters. His “biggest heartbreak” came at his home tournament, the Soudal Open in Belgium, where victory slipped through his fingers. But he bounced back strong, scoring top 15 finishes in Qatar and Saudi Arabia late in the year.
One big change: he missed all four major championships in 2024.
While some LIV players are pushing hard for major championship exemptions, Pieters seems pretty zen about it all.
“If you’re in the top 10 of LIV, you’re a fantastic golf player and you should be playing at the Majors,” he said. “But personally, I made my decision knowing there’d be no Majors, and that’s fine by me. If I happen to play another one, it would be amazing, but it’s not on my schedule.”
The newly-signed 4Aces player is now focused on making his mark in 2025, starting with that Dubai double-header.
