The DP World Tour returns to Belgium this week as Rinkven International Golf Club plays host to the historic Soudal Open. Here are your five things to know.
A storied event makes its return
The Belgian Open was first part of the DP World Tour in 1978 but it was a top-class fixture in golf long before that.
First played in 1910 and becoming 72-hole strokeplay in 1928, the event has been won by greats such as Sir Henry Cotton and Walter Hagen, with the likes of José Maria Olazábal, Darren Clarke, Sir Nick Faldo and Lee Westwood lifting the trophy in more recent years.
While it has spent a few spells in hiatus down the years, significant new investment in 2022 means the grand tradition goes on, but golf in Belgium has never been afraid of innovation.
Back to 72-hole strokeplay
The event was away for 18 years after the 2000 edition was won by Westwood but upon its return it was the revolutionary Belgian Knockout.
After 36 holes of stroke play and some dramatic play-offs produced a field of 64, over the weekend the format reverted to nine-hole medal match play, with the last man standing on Sunday taking home the trophy.
Adrian Otaegui won in 2018 for his second DP World Tour title, while Guido Migliozzi also won his second title here 12 months later.
The 2019 event also saw Brendan Lawlor beat Adem Wahbi in the G-GOLF Knockout event for golfers with disability, earning Lawlor entry into the European Challenge Tour's KPMG Trophy.
72-hole strokeplay is the order of the day this year but Belgian golf will always have its place in history for innovation in the game.
Home heroes on display
While some of the game's biggest international names may have won the Soudal Open down the years, it is home hero Flory Van Donck who tops the roll of honour with five wins.
He was the last home winner in 1956 but Nicolas Colsaerts, Thomas Detry and Thomas Pieters will be looking to follow in his footsteps this week and will take droves of fans with them.
Pieters enters the week third in the DP World Tour Rankings in Partnership with Rolex after his maiden Rolex Series victory at the Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship, while fellow Ryder Cupper Colsaerts will be seeking a fourth DP World Tour victory, three years after he ended a seven-year drought at the Open de France.
Detry, meanwhile, is looking for his maiden triumph and would perhaps be the most popular winner of all with two runner-up finishes in each of the last two seasons.
With a host of local players and amateurs also teeing it up this week, the local fans will have plenty to cheer about.
Ryder Cuppers to the fore
Colsaerts and Pieters will not be the only Ryder Cup players teeing it up this week as a strong field descends on Antwerp.
Bernd Wiesberger played in the biennial spectacular last year and he is joined by Pieters' 2016 team-mates Rafa Cabrera Bello and Andy Sullivan.
Victorious 2018 skipper Thomas Bjørn tees it up for the third week in a row as one of a total of 11 Ryder Cup players from nine different countries in the field.
Major places up for grabs
The second of four 2022 European Qualifying Series events takes place this week, with ten spots at the U.S. Open Championship up for grabs.
Detry grabbed his place at Torrey Pines via last season's series and he will be hunting a third consecutive appearance in America's national open.
The top ten aggregate DP World Tour Rankings points earners (not otherwise exempt) from last week's Betfred British Masters hosted by Danny Willett, this week’s event, the Dutch Open (May 26-29) and the Porsche European Open (June 2-5) will secure their spots in the field at The Country Club, Brookline.
Migliozzi took that route last season and finished in a share of fourth position - there is all to play for.
