Belgian Open (golf)

The Belgian Open is a men's golf tournament which has been played intermittently from 1910 to 2000. All editions since 1978 have been part of the European Tour. After not having been played since 2000, it returned in 2018 as the Belgian Knockout, hosted by PietersProductions, along with its co-founder, Belgian professional golfer Thomas Pieters. With a prize pool set at €1 million, 144 professional golfers start the competition with 36 holes of stroke play, followed by 9-hole match play for the top 64 finishers from the stroke play rounds.^[1][2]

Soudal Open

Tournament information
Location	Antwerp, Belgium
Established	1910
Course(s)	Rinkven International Golf Club
Par	71
Length	6,924 yards (6,331 m)
Tour(s)	European Tour
Format	Stroke play
Prize fund	US$2,500,000
Month played	May
Tournament record score
Aggregate	266 Lee Westwood (2000) 266 Nacho Elvira (2024)
To par	−18 as above
Current champion
Nacho Elvira
Location map
Rinkven International GC Location in Belgium

After two years of no European Tour international tournament, the Soudal Open came in 2022. Soudal partnered with Rinkven and once again put on a top international event.

History

The first ever Belgian Open was played at the Royal Golf Club of Belgium, featuring 36 holes. It was not until 1928 that the competition format expanded to 72 holes. The first edition of the tournament was won by Arnaud Massy, the only Frenchman to win a major championship. Other distinguished champions included Walter Hagen, Henry Cotton, José María Olazábal, Nick Faldo and Lee Westwood. Belgium's most successful 20th century golfer, Flory Van Donck, won his home open five times between 1939 and 1956.

In 2018, PietersProductions took over the organisation of the Belgian Open. After an absence of 18 years, they brought the Belgian Open back to the European Tour. The Belgian Open was reintroduced under the name Belgian Knockout.

The first edition of the Belgian Knockout, which was the 53rd edition of the Belgian Open, took place from 17 to 20 May 2018 at Rinkven International Golf Club, Schilde, Antwerp. In the final, the Spaniard Adrián Otaegui won against Frenchman Benjamin Hébert after four match days. David Drysdale took third place after winning against James Heath.

In 2021, it was announced that the tournament would make a return in 2022 and would revert to a stroke play event. It was sponsored by Soudal, and renamed as the Soudal Open.^[3]

Format in 2018 and 2019

There are two rounds of stroke-play on the first two days. The top 64 and ties are credited with prize money and are declared to have advanced under Tour rules. However, in case of a tie for 64th place, there is a playoff if players are tied for 64th place to determine who advances to the knockout stages. Players eliminated in the playoff earn 65th place prize money and are credited with making the cut ("MDF").

In the knock-out stage there are six rounds, each match being over nine holes of stroke-play. Players are seeded based on their position after 36 holes. On the first day of knockout there are three rounds. Half the players use the front nine holes, the other half use the back nine. If the two players are tied after 9 holes there is a sudden-death playoff. There is also a 3rd/4th place playoff. Placings for those who didn't reach the semi-finals are decided firstly by the knockout round reached and, for those who lost in the same round, on their score in the opening 36 holes.

Two major changes will be implemented in 2019 for the event. In order to remove a potential advantage/disadvantage that may happen with some groups, the 144 players are now grouped in two sections of 72 players each. One section plays on the first morning and the second afternoon, the other on the first afternoon and second morning. The top 32 players qualify from each section, each section having a separate playoff if required. The second change applies to the first knockout round. The top 16 players will earn an advantage headed to the first knockout round. If their first-round match is tied after nine holes, they automatically advance.

Winners

Year	Winner	Score	To par	Margin of victory	Runner(s)-up	Venue	Ref.
Soudal Open
2024	Nacho Elvira	266	−18	1 stroke	Romain Langasque Niklas Nørgaard Thomas Pieters	Rinkven International
2023	Simon Forsström	267	−17	1 stroke	Jens Dantorp	Rinkven International
2022	Sam Horsfield	271	−13	2 strokes	Ryan Fox Yannik Paul	Rinkven International
2020–21: No tournament
Belgian Knockout
2019	Guido Migliozzi	−3[a]		4 strokes	Darius van Driel	Rinkven International
2018	Adrián Otaegui	−3[a]		2 strokes	Benjamin Hébert	Rinkven International
2001–2017: No tournament
Belgacom Open
2000	Lee Westwood (2)	266	−18	4 strokes	Eduardo Romero	Royal Zoute
1999	Robert Karlsson	272	−12	1 stroke	Retief Goosen Jamie Spence	Royal Zoute
1998	Lee Westwood	268	−16	Playoff	Freddie Jacobson	Royal Zoute
1995–1997: No tournament
Alfred Dunhill Open
1994	Nick Faldo	279	−5	Playoff	Joakim Haeggman	Royal Zoute
1993	Darren Clarke	270	−14	2 strokes	Nick Faldo Vijay Singh	Royal Zoute
Piaget Belgian Open
1992	Miguel Ángel Jiménez	274	−10	3 strokes	Barry Lane	Royal Zoute
Renault Belgian Open
1991	Per-Ulrik Johansson	276	−12	Playoff	Paul Broadhurst	Royal Waterloo
Peugeot-Trends Belgian Open
1990	Ove Sellberg	272	−16	4 strokes	Ian Woosnam	Royal Waterloo
Volvo Belgian Open
1989	Gordon J. Brand	273	−11	4 strokes	Kevin Dickens	Royal Waterloo
1988	José María Olazábal	269	−15	4 strokes	Mike Smith	Royal Bercuit
1987	Eamonn Darcy	200[b]	−13	1 stroke	Nick Faldo Ronan Rafferty Ian Woosnam	Royal Waterloo
Belgian Open
1980–1986: No tournament
1979	Gavan Levenson	279	−5	3 strokes	Bobby Cole Nick Faldo Michael King	Royal Waterloo
1978	Noel Ratcliffe	280	−12	1 stroke	Chris Tickner	Royal GC Belgium
1959–1977: No tournament
1958	Ken Bousfield	271		3 strokes	Antonio Cerdá	Royal GC Belgium	[4]
1957	Bernard Hunt	280		Playoff	Dai Rees	Royal Latem	[5]
1956	Flory Van Donck (5)	269		8 strokes	Ángel Miguel	Royal Latem	[6]
1955	Dave Thomas	290		1 stroke	Arthur Devulder	Royal GC des Fagnes	[7]
1954	Dai Rees	287		1 stroke	Aldo Casera Norman Von Nida	Royal Antwerp	[8]
1953	Flory Van Donck (4)	270		9 strokes	Henri de Lamaze (a)	Royal Waterloo	[9]
1952	Antonio Cerdá	286		4 strokes	Brian Wilkes	Royal GC des Fagnes	[10]
1951	Albert Pélissier	279		5 strokes	Flory Van Donck Hassan Hassanein	Royal Latem	[11]
1950	Roberto De Vicenzo	282		4 strokes	Antonio Cerdá	Royal Zoute	[12]
1949	Jimmy Adams	283		2 strokes	Max Faulkner	Royal GC des Fagnes	[13]
1948	Willie Forrester	288				Royal GC Belgium
1947	Flory Van Donck (3)	283				Royal GC des Fagnes
1946	Flory Van Donck (2)	289		4 strokes	Willie Forrester	Royal Waterloo
1940–1945: No tournament due to World War II
1939	Flory Van Donck	291		1 stroke	Max Faulkner	Royal GC Belgium	[14]
1938	Henry Cotton (3)	277		13 strokes	Arthur Lacey	Royal Waterloo	[15]
1937	Marcel Dallemagne (2)	285		4 strokes	Dai Rees	Royal Zoute	[16]
1936	Auguste Boyer (2)	285		1 stroke	Henry Cotton	Royal GC des Fagnes	[17]
1935	Bill Branch	283		Playoff	Flory Van Donck	Royal GC Belgium	[18]
1934	Henry Cotton (2)	279		3 strokes	Percy Alliss	Royal Waterloo	[19]
1933	Auguste Boyer	282		3 strokes	Henry Cotton	Royal GC des Fagnes	[20]
1932	Arthur Lacey (2)	291		2 strokes	Auguste Boyer	Royal GC Belgium	[21]
1931	Arthur Lacey	301		1 stroke	Marcel Dallemagne Pierre Hirogoyen	Royal GC des Fagnes	[22]
1930	Henry Cotton	281		11 strokes	Archie Compston	Royal GC Belgium	[23]
1929	Sid Brews	300		1 stroke	Aubrey Boomer	Royal Antwerp	[24]
1928	Albert Tingey Jr.	297		3 strokes	Jack Taylor	Royal GC Belgium	[25]
1927	Marcel Dallemagne	140				Royal Zoute
1926	Aubrey Boomer (2)	137		9 strokes	Percy Boomer	Royal Zoute	[26]
1925	Eugène Lafitte (2)	142		1 stroke	Arthur Havers	Royal Antwerp	[27]
1924	Walter Hagen	143		3 strokes	Aubrey Boomer	Zoute
1923	Percy Boomer	145		1 stroke	Aubrey Boomer	Royal GC Belgium	[28]
1922	Aubrey Boomer	150		1 stroke	Charles Corlett Marius Cavallo	Royal GC Belgium	[29]
1921	Eugène Lafitte	145		10 strokes	George Pannell	Royal GC Belgium
1920	Rowland Jones	154		Playoff	Aubrey Boomer Henry Burrows	Zoute	[30]
1915–1919: No tournament due to World War I
1914	Tom Ball (2)	144		4 strokes	Charles Mayo	Royal Antwerp	[31]
1913	Tom Ball	145		1 stroke	James Braid	Lombardsijde	[32]
1912	George Duncan	144		Playoff	Tom Ball Ted Ray	Royal GC Belgium	[33]
1911	Charles Mayo	144		3 strokes	Arnaud Massy	Royal GC Belgium	[34]
1910	Arnaud Massy	139		5 strokes	Sandy Herd Harry Vardon	Royal GC Belgium	[35]

In 1957 Hunt (137) beat Rees (145) by 8 strokes in a 36-hole playoff. In 1935 Branch (145) beat Van Donck (149) by 4 strokes in a 36-hole playoff. In 1912 Duncan (70) beat Ray (71) and Ball (78) in an 18-hole playoff, played the same evening.

See also

• Open golf tournament

Notes

1. Between 2018–19, the event used a knockout format. This is the score in the final.
2. Shortened to 54 holes due to rain.

References

1. "Thomas Pieters to host Belgian Knockout in 2018". European Tour. 25 September 2017. Archived from the original on 28 April 2018. Retrieved 27 April 2018.
2. "Belgian Knockout Tournament History". European Tour. Archived from the original on 28 April 2018. Retrieved 27 April 2018.
3. "European Tour Set To Return To Belgium In 2022 With Soudal Open". Golfmagic. 14 April 2021. Archived from the original on 7 August 2021. Retrieved 7 August 2021.
4. "Belgian Open title for Bousfield". The Times. 11 July 1958. p. 4.
5. "Rees and Hunt tie for first place". The Times. 27 May 1957. p. 3.
6. "Belgian Open". The Times. 11 June 1956. p. 3.
7. "British golf win". The Glasgow Herald. 13 August 1955. p. 2.
8. "Belgian Open golf title for Rees". The Times. 19 July 1954. p. 3.
9. "Belgian Open championship". The Times. 12 August 1953. p. 9.
10. "Belgian Open championship". The Times. 11 August 1952. p. 4.
11. "British open golf championship". The Glasgow Herald. 7 August 1951. p. 2.
12. "Ostend, July 24". The Times. 25 July 1950. p. 7.
13. "Adams wins in Belgian". The Times. 15 August 1949. p. 6.
14. "The Belgian Open championship". The Times. 12 August 1939. p. 4.
15. "Cotton wins Belgian "Open"". The Glasgow Herald. 14 July 1938. p. 2.
16. "Belgian Open title for Dellamagne". The Glasgow Herald. 23 July 1937. p. 4.
17. "The Belgian Open championship". The Times. 11 August 1936. p. 6.
18. "Belgian Open championship". The Times. 9 July 1935. p. 7.
19. "Cotton wins the Belgian Open". The Glasgow Herald. 15 August 1934. p. 7. Archived from the original on 31 March 2024. Retrieved 9 December 2016.
20. "Boyer wins Belgian Open championship". The Times. 9 August 1933. p. 5.
21. "Lacey wins Belgian championship". The Times. 20 June 1932. p. 6.
22. "Belgian Open championship". The Times. 22 July 1931. p. 6.
23. "Belgian championship". The Times. 30 June 1930. p. 4.
24. "Belgian Open championship". The Times. 1 June 1929. p. 5.
25. "Belgian championship". The Times. 19 June 1928. p. 7.
26. "Belgian Open golf championship". The Times. 14 July 1926. p. 6.
27. "Belgian Open golf championship". The Times. 5 October 1925. p. 16.
28. "Golf". Le Gaulois (in French). 30 June 1923. p. 5. Archived from the original on 22 March 2023. Retrieved 22 March 2023 – via Retro News.
29. "Golf - Belgian open championship". The Times. 3 July 1922. p. 19.
30. "Golf - Belgian professional championship". The Times. 14 July 1920. p. 6.
31. "Belgian Open golf championship - Tom Ball's victory". The Times. 13 July 1914. p. 13.
32. "Belgian Open championship - Victory of Tom Ball". The Times. 18 October 1913. p. 13.
33. "Open championship of Belgium - Victory of Duncan". The Times. 6 July 1912. p. 13.
34. "Belgian Open championship - Victory of C.H. Mayo". The Times. 1 June 1911. p. 14.
35. "Open championship of Belgium - Victory of Arnaud Massy". The Times. 3 June 1910. p. 18.

External links

• Coverage on the European Tour's official site
• List of winners from 1910 to 1999 from golftoday.co.uk

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