The DP World Tour returns to Belgium this week for the Soudal Open, the opening event of the European Swing on the Race to Dubai. Here are your five things to know.
Start of the European Swing
With three of our five Global Swings completed, Phase One of the Race to Dubai continues with the European Swing.
Running through to July’s BMW International Open in Germany, the Swing features six counting events in five countries with 3,000 Race to Dubai Ranking points on offer at each.
While the U.S. Open, the penultimate men’s Major Championship of the season, features within the Swing, and points accrued count on the Race to Dubai, they do not in the Swing Rankings.
As with the other previous events, each Swing will have its own identity and its own Champion who will each earn $200,000 and qualify for each of the ‘Back 9’ events.
The leading member (not otherwise exempt) will also qualify for the Genesis Scottish Open, the second of five Rolex Series this season, in July.
Forsström returns to scene of maiden DP World Tour win
In his rookie season on the DP World Tour, Simon Forsström entered the winner’s circle with victory at Rinkven International.
The Swede registered a series of late birdie in the final round to go wire to wire to finish one stroke clear of fellow Swede Jens Dantorp.
The victory came on the back of an impressive start to life on the DP World Tour, having recorded three top tens over the first five months since securing his card via the Final Stage of Qualifying School.
Belgium was also the scene of his sole win on the European Challenge Tour, at the KPMG Trophy in 2016.
Forsström is yet to reach the same heights he hit last season, one which saw him reach the Nedbank Golf Challenge, so far this year but will hope a return to the scene of past success can lead to an upturn in form.
Inside the field
Following more than three months out of the game after undergoing surgery on a lingering hip injury, Marcel Siem returns to action.
Just days after making the cut at the U.S. PGA Championship, having secured his spot via the Asian Swing, Adrian Otaegui aims to maintain his momentum at the scene of one of his five DP World Tour titles.
Another player who featured in last week’s Major at Valhalla Golf Club and is teeing it up this week in Belgium is Jordan Smith, who finished in the top 40 in the United States.
Leading the Belgian contingent on home soil are Nicolas Colsaerts and the PGA TOUR's rising star Adrien Dumont De Chassart, two of 15 home professional or amateur players, while Junior Ryder Cup star Lev Grinberg is back aiming to create more headlines.
Six of the nine players who progressed through U.S. Open Final Qualifying at Walton Heath on Monday are also in action, including English pair Richard Mansell and Sam Bairstow.
Ryder Cup Captain in town
One player who is certainly likely to draw huge crowds is European Ryder Cup Captain Luke Donald.
Having won the Ryder Cup last year in Italy, the Englishman is set for his debut at the Soudal Open and has a connection to Belgium through his friend and Team Europe Vice Captain Colsaerts.
The two players won the Ryder Cup together at Medinah in 2012 and former World Number One Donald is excited by the opportunity to play in Belgium for the first time.
“Moreover, being a small country on the map, Belgium has certainly bloomed with so much golfing talent on the international scene,” he said.
“And I would like to say a special thanks to Soudal to support our wonderful sport not only in Belgium but also on the DP World Tour around the globe!”
History behind the event at Rinkven
This year’s Soudal Open marks the fifth occasion Rinkven International has played host to the tournament.
After an 18-year hiatus, the event returned to the schedule in 2018 at the venue - located just outside of Antwerp - under the name Belgian Knockout.
In an innovative format, the tournament combined stroke play followed by match play for two consecutive years before it reverted to a stroke play event in 2022 for the inaugural staging of the Soudal Open.
The par-71 6,940-yard course, combining a woodland and parkland setting, features six par fours under 400 yards in length, leading to players having to weigh up the pros and cons of being aggressive off the tee.
Designed by Belgian golfer and coach Paul Rolin in the early 1980s, the tournament takes place over a composite course of holes taken from both the North and South 18-hole layouts.
