THE MODERATOR: Let's welcome Thomas Pieters from RangeGoats GC. You had an awesome round of 5-under 66, bogey-free. Tell us a little bit about your day.
THOMAS PIETERS: I putted really nicely today. Made a bunch of momentum putts, par putts. Lovely eagle on 18 that helps. The rest of it was pretty stress-free I would say. Yeah, very happy overall.
Q. Do you think your performance last year with the RangeGoats, you guys winning last year, do you think that's helped your confidence heading into this week at all?
THOMAS PIETERS: No.
Q. It feels like you're getting into the groove at LIV. Is that getting more comfortable in this league or is it something specific you're working on with your game?
THOMAS PIETERS: It's putting a lot of work in it over the last few months. I just had a rough time last year personally, and I finally found the time and the focus to kind of re-focus on my game. Been working on every aspect, and it's kind of showing now, which is kind of nice, since Miami.
Q. What do you need to do to break away from the pack and get that lead?
THOMAS PIETERS: Just play better than them.
Q. Thomas, building on your form right now, you shot 67 I think each of the last two rounds in Adelaide. Is there something specific that you've found the last week or two?
THOMAS PIETERS: Since Miami, I've put in a new driver, and that's really helped me. I was struggling -- I couldn't find a driver that had enough spin for me. Might sound weird. My misses are better, so they kind of hug the right side of the fairway or kind of find the rough, whereas I would just lose balls before, and that's not ideal. That's really helped me. My putting has improved. Overall just better, more confidence.
Q. How much is it physical and how much is it mental when you have a club that you like and is starting to perform for you?
THOMAS PIETERS: Yeah, there's definitely a feel-good factor with a club. If you see it go in the fairway a lot, then obviously the confidence goes up, but the numbers are much better, as well.
Q. How much experience do you have on this course in particular other than last year?
THOMAS PIETERS: That's it.
Q. Do you feel like you know it, you learned quite a bit last year about the course?
THOMAS PIETERS: It's pretty straightforward because it just stops wherever you hit it. It's wet.
The greens are really big, so you kind of have to know where to hit it sometimes if you're out of position, but that's why I've got Adam.
Q. I think if there was a pace-of-play award on LIV Golf, you would win it hands down.
THOMAS PIETERS: Thank you.
Q. Is that something that you have developed over the years? Does it help you play better when you are playing that fast? And does it become sometimes frustrating when the other guys are taking their own 40 seconds but you just take --
THOMAS PIETERS: Oh, yeah, because it's cheating. There's a rule for it. I play quick because when I stand over it too long I start thinking. The less time, less thinking.
FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports