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Belgian Open (golf)

Coordinates: 51°16′51″N 4°34′25″E / 51.2807°N 4.5737°E / 51.2807; 4.5737
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(Redirected from Belgian Knockout)
Soudal Open
Tournament information
LocationAntwerp, Belgium
Established1910
Course(s)Rinkven International Golf Club
Par71
Length6,924 yards (6,331 m)
Tour(s)European Tour
FormatStroke play
Prize fundUS$2,500,000
Month playedMay
Tournament record score
Aggregate266 Lee Westwood (2000)
266 Nacho Elvira (2024)
To par−18 as above
Current champion
Spain Nacho Elvira
Location map
Rinkven International GC is located in Belgium
Rinkven International GC
Rinkven International GC
Location in Belgium

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]

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

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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

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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

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

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Notes

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  1. ^ a b 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

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  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.
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51°16′51″N 4°34′25″E / 51.2807°N 4.5737°E / 51.2807; 4.5737

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