Sunday 18 August 2019 19:35, UK
Thomas Pieters was delighted to return to the winner's circle after securing a first victory since 2016 at the D+D Real Czech Masters.
Get the best prices and book a round at one of 1,700 courses across the UK & Ireland
Pieters - who claimed his maiden victory in the event in 2015 - posted a final-round 69 at Albatross Golf Resort to finish a shot ahead of Adri Arnaus and register his fourth European Tour title.
The Belgian took a one-shot lead into the final round and doubled his advantage with a front-nine 33, before surviving a late fightback from Arnaus to claim a first win since the 2016 Made In Denmark.
"It feels good to win again," Pieters said. "I never doubted myself, but it's just been a long road of not feeling that great with the golf swing. It feels good to get back on track again and get another win.
"It's difficult when everybody says you should be winning two or three times a year. It's always nice to hear that but it's almost a negative sometimes because I always felt like I was underachieving but hopefully there's many more like this.
"I felt like I was in control today, almost the whole day and I kind of did my own thing. Last year I would have whacked at that shot at 15 six times and finished way down the field, so I think it was a smart thing to do to take a drop."
Arnaus was four shots back with four holes to go but capitalised on a bogey-four from Pieters at the 16th to halve the gap with a four-foot birdie, before picking up another shot from close range at the last.
"I never gave up," Arnaus said. "I tried to make some birdies coming in and see if he would make a mistake but he didn't.
"It came into my mind that it was sort of match play so I just tried to beat him over the last two holes, which I did but I came up one short.
"Every week I come out here I learn and I'll take a lot from this one I'm sure. I'm just enjoying the process at the moment and hopefully I can be up there again in the next few weeks."
