The European Swing gets going again this week as the DP World Tour returns to Belgium for the Soudal Open. Here are your five things to know.
A landmark event
While this event can trace its roots back well over 100 years, this week sees the 20th time it has been part of the DP World Tour schedule. First played in 1910 and won by 1907 Open champion Arnaud Massy, it would be played every year until 1958 barring breaks for the two World Wars. During this time it would be won by Belgian great Flory Von Donck five times, a record which still stands to this day. After a 20-year hiatus it returned as a DP World - then European - Tour event and in 13 editions over the next 22 years would be won by the likes of Major champions Sir Nick Faldo, José María Olazábal and Darren Clarke. It returned again in 2018 as the Belgian Knockout, with an innovative format involving 36 holes of stroke play to cut the field to 64 players, sometimes leading to a dramtic multi-player play-off. Then over the weekend there were six rounds of nine-hole knockout stroke play to decide a winner, with Adrian Otaegui and Guido Migliozzi winning in 2018 and 2019. The event then returned as 72-hole stroke play after the Covid disruption and that will be the format for this week's 20th DP World Tour edition.
Local stars set to shine
Thomas Detry is likely to be the headine act this week as he, almost unbelievably, searches for his first DP World Tour win after five runner-up finishes. The 2025 WM Phoenix Open champion on the PGA TOUR narrowly kept his card last year but enjoyed a promising start to 2026 across the Opening and International Swings. Matthis Besard - a 2023 Q School graduate - is also in the field as he looks to get back on Tour among a total of eight professional and five amateur Belgian stars also containing a certain Miracle of Medinah star.......
Colsaerts bows out
Arguably Belgian golf's biggest star of the modern era, Nicolas Colsaerts will this week play his 505th and final DP World Tour event. After a debut at the 1998 Dutch Open, the next 28 years have seen him win three DP World Tour titles and famously play in the 2012 Ryder Cup where Europe completed that incredible comeback from 10-6 down for victory. He has also served as a Ryder Cup Vice Captain and this week he will exit the stage on home soil. “I am incredibly grateful that the Soudal Open is giving me the chance to spend my final week as a professional golfer here in my home country,” says he said. “Belgium is my home. I have always tried to give a lot back to Belgium and Belgian golf. It makes sense to say goodbye here. It always feels overwhelming when I play at the Soudal Open and see so many familiar faces standing by the green.”
Back in the Swing
After a break for the US PGA Championship last week, the European Swing resumes with the second of six events across the continent and the first of five consecutive natiobal opens on the DP World Tour schedule. Yurav Premlall leads the swing Rankings after his remarkable 14-shot win in Catalunya but it is still very much all in play between now and July. The winner of the Swing will not only gain access to every event of Phase Two of the season - the Back 9 - but also a US$200,000 bonus. There is also a place at the Genesis Scottish Open - the second Rolex Series event of the season - up for grabs to the hghest player in the Rankings not already exempt.
Inside the field
Premlall will be looking to extend his lead at the top of the Swing Rankings and he is joined by fellow 2026 winners Mikael Lindberg, Jordan Gumberg, Casey Jarvis, Freddy Schott, Nacho Elvira and Jayden Schaper. Jarvis and Schaper are both looking for third wins of the season as they look to chase down Patrick Reed at the top of the Race to Dubai Rankings Delivered by DP World. Recent Abu Dhabi Championship and Rolex Series winners Paul Waring and Victor Perez are teeing it up this week as are a strong contingent of HotelPlanner Tour and Qualifying School graduates looking to make their mark.
