Thomas Pieters, who needs to win this week's Czech Masters and the Made In Denmark event next week to have any hope of making Europe's Ryder Cup team, got off to a good start in the first round on Thursday. The 24-year-old Belgian fired a five-under-par 67 in Prague to take joint second place with Swede Peter Hanson, one stroke behind leader Ryan Evans of Britain. Pieters may be up against it in his bid to move into the top nine automatic qualifying places on the Ryder Cup points list with two counting tournaments to go but he can look back at last season for inspiration.
