A native of Belgium, Pieters was the 2012 NCAA medalist and the 2013 Big Ten medalist. He helped lead the Illini to finish second in the nation in ’13 and to Big Ten Championships in 2011, 2012 and 2013. Pieters was a two-time All-American and was the first Belgian ever to compete in the Palmer Cup, where he represented the victorious European Team in 2012. He represented Belgium at the 2016 Rio Olympics, finishing fourth. Pieters has become one of the top professionals in the world, especially on the European Tour. He has seven professional wins, with six on the European Tour. Pieters tied for fourth at the ’17 Masters and was sixth at the ’18 PGA Championships. Pieters reached No. 23 in the World Rankings in 2017. He earned a spot on the 2016 Ryder Cup team for Europe, winning four Ryder Cup points, and was a member of the 2016 and 2018 World Cup teams. In 2017, Pieters tied for fourth in his first appearance at Augusta National for The Masters.