"I decided last summer" - Thomas Pieters says he planned his 'shock' LIV Golf move last year

Belgian golfer Thomas Pieters shocked fans around the world after an unexpected defection to the controversial LIV Golf series from the PGA Tour.

However, the decision may have been unexpected to the world but it came out of nowhere as far as Pieters is considered. The 31-year-old recently told The Telegraph that he had made the decision to jump ships in the summer.

He got the chance at the last minute due to US golfer Hudson Swafford suffering a hip injury. Swafford would have to miss out on a majority of the season due to injury.

Thomas Pieters spoke to James Corrigan of The Telegraph:

"I had a call on Thursday not even a week ago, asking if I wanted Hudson’s spot. To be truthful, in my heart, I decided last summer that I wanted to join LIV. But it was not until a few days ago I got the opportunity."

However, he hoped that Hudson Swafford would recover soon.

"You don’t wish ill on anyone and I hope Hudson gets recovered soon, but as a professional, you have to grasp chances when they arise."

He further opened up about his thinking behind the decision.

"Of course, I have done this with my family and our daughters at the forefront of our thinking. It has been a whirlwind since then, really, sorting everything out and getting everything ready over the weekend. I had to tell everybody, for one thing."

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"It was a difficult decision for me, for sure," - Thomas Pieters

Thomas Pieters at the 2016 Ryder Cup - Singles Matches (Image via Streeter Lecka/Getty Images)

Thomas Pieters made his Ryder Cup debut in 2016 and performed exemplarily well. However, he did not make it back on the team after that.

The player had climbed up the ladder to reach the 34th position on the OWGR list, which put him in contention for the 2023 Ryder Cup. However, Pieters' move to the Saudi-backed league may mean that he will lose that opportunity.

Thomas Pieters admitted that it was a difficult moment to tell Ryder Cup captain Luke Donald that he was joining LIV Golf.

He said:

"I swapped texts with Luke, but he is in a tough position isn’t he. It was a difficult decision for me, for sure. The Ryder Cup has always been an ambition and it was a dream to play in 2016. I’ve been trying to get back ever since."

Pieters added that he enjoyed playing in the Hero Cup last month and would love to be in Rome for the 2023 Ryder Cup.

"I enjoyed the Hero Cup last month and naturally would love to be in Rome. But I accept the consequences of this choice, whatever they turn out to be."

With the legal battle over whether the DP World Tour can ban LIV Golf players still ongoing, it appears unlikely that anyone from Greg Norman's team will play in the Ryder Cup. But Pieters is not giving up hope.

Thomas Pieters is also hoping to compete in major tournaments in the upcoming season.

"I haven’t given up on playing in it again, including this year even. We will have to see. I could still qualify. I’m in all the majors this year. Well, I hope the US Open. Maybe, I can play so well until that it’ll make it very difficult not to pick me. I don't know. Maybe that will not be possible."

Well, only time will tell what will happen in the case of the LIV Golf players.