Nicolas Colsaerts is proud to once again be representing Belgium on home soil as he tees it up in his country's national championship for a sixth time at this week's Soudal Open.
The 40-year-old has been a trailblazer for Belgian golf over the last 15 years, winning three DP World Tour titles and forever etching his name in the history books as part of the 2012 European Ryder Cup team that famously completed the Miracle at Medinah.
Now handed the role of vice captain for the 2023 contest, he is looking at the next generation of stars as Europe aim to wrestle the trophy back from the United States, although his national open also provides a chance for reflection on the past.
No player has won this week's trophy more times than home great Flory Van Donck, who was triumphant five times between 1939 and 1956, and Colsaerts is delighted to have played his own part in forming his nation's golfing history.
"I never had the chance to meet Flory and it's a bit of a regret," he said. "He finished second at The Open Championship twice, if there was a Ryder Cup that included continentals back in the day he would 100 per cent have been part of the team.
"He had a Shell's Wonderful World of Golf shot here in Belgium with Gene Sarazen as MC. He was a big golf personality and an amazing player.
"There was also Philippe Toussaint that won the DP World Tour at the Benson and Hedges Festival in the 70s so there is a little bit of history in professional golf in Belgium but it's a small country so you grow up a different way.
"But we've had really, really good golfers and I'm extremely proud to have added my name to that short list of good golfers that our country has produced."
He added: "It's always nice when you come home. We're lucky enough to have a tournament in Belgium now, we didn't have a Belgian Open for most of my career so to come back now in the last couple of years having Soudal involved in various sports... it makes sense.
"It's always a bit strange when you come and play at home because you see faces you haven't seen since you were a junior so it can throw you off at times.
"I played well the first edition that we came back and it's a really cool feeling to play in front of people you know really well, play well and have a good week."
Since making his debut as an amateur at the 1998 Dutch Open, Colsaerts has played 445 DP World Tour events, leading him to admit he is "part of the furniture" on Tour nowadays.
But he also revealed his events have been a little different since he was named one of Luke Donald's lieutenants, although he hopes his peers do not see him in a different light.
"I've been part of the furniture for 20 years and I've always conducted myself impeccably so I've grown a special bond with all these guys for a long, long time," he said. "I hope that none of their behaviour changes just because I have a different job description come September.
"The thing that I do that is a little bit different than usual is I tend to sit down at tables that I normally would not when I go into a players' lounge, with players or caddies or players' staff, just to understand how they function and try to bring the best thing possible for September. It's all part of trying to put the best team together."
