Soudal Open 2025 Tips: Six against the field for Belgium

It’s been two weeks since Martin Couvra kicked off the DP World Tour’s European Swing with a breakthrough victory in the Turkish Airlines Open. After taking last week off due to the PGA Championship, the tour continues its European adventure in Belgium this week, with the Soudal Open at Rinkven International Golf Club.

As always, here is Jamie Worsley's comprehensive preview and his Soudal Open 2025 Tips. He's picked out six players ranging from 35/1 to 80/1!

TOURNAMENT HISTORY

The Soudal Open is the latest iteration of the Belgian Open, which returned in 2018 after an 18-year absence in the guise of the Belgian Knockout—a unique knockout stroke play event that was won by Adrian Otaegui in 2018 and Guido Migliozzi in 2019.

It returned in 2022 after a three-year hiatus—this time as a classic 72-hole stroke play event—and was rebranded as the Soudal Open, maintaining its relationship with Rinkven International as host.

Last three winners:

• 2024 – Winner: Nacho Elvira (-18)

Runners-up: Romain Langasque, Thomas Pieters, Niklas Norgaard (-17)

• 2023 – Winner: Simon Forsstrom (-17)

Runner-up: Jens Dantorp (-16)

• 2022 – Winner: Sam Horsfield (-13)

Runner-up: Ryan Fox, Yannik Paul (-11)

Nacho Elvira topped a packed leaderboard in last year’s edition, converting his 54-hole lead to beat a trio of challengers by a shot. Now a two-time DP World Tour winner, the Spaniard returns to defend this week.

THE COURSE

Rinkven International Golf Club was originally designed by Paul Rolin in 1981. Martin Hawtree’s design company undertook an extensive renovation from 2014-2016, which involved the complete redesign of six holes, as well adjustments to a further four across the two courses.

This short par 71 measures 6940yds and will again be a composite of the North and South courses that exist at the property—with the back nine of the South serving as the front nine, and the front nine of the North playing as the back nine this week. It possesses 3x par 3s (189-201yds), 13x par 4s (326-484yds) and 2x par 5s (542-568yds).

The event played especially tough in 2022, with -13 enough for Sam Horsfield to claim victory. Although the last two editions have been a little easier, it still provides a solid test—averaging a winning score of 16-under-par.

This flat parkland course is densely tree-lined and predominantly tight, with only a handful of holes playing more open. That being said, it’s water that represents the most prominent danger, lurking on 11 holes.

The fairways are around average in width, but due to smart bunkering, some severe doglegs and the encroaching trees, they feel tighter. Players need to attack them strategically, making sure to find the correct side to avoid line-of-sight issues into the putting surfaces.

Subtly-contoured bentgrass greens offer great variety and are around average in size overall, showcasing an equal measure of small and large surfaces. These often elevated greens are heavily bunkered and have proven reasonably difficult to scramble around.

The course is littered with risk/reward holes, with water in-play on each of the three par 3s and the two par 5s, which should be reachable in two for most in the field. There are also several shorter, potentially drivable par 4s, with four measuring below 350yds.

Nobody has been able to completely take this fun, short and quirky setup apart—which is testament to that true risk/reward nature of the holes—and it should be fun to watch how the players approach it again.

THE WEATHER

This week’s conditions are forecast to be cool and largely clear, both before and during the event. A stiff 12mph breeze is predicted to be a constant obstacle, and with the potential for gusts at close to 30mph over the first three rounds, there’s enough wind to keep players on their toes in Belgium.

KEY STATS

• SG: Approach/Greens-in-Regulation

Leaderboards here have displayed a fairly equal mix of shorter and lengthier types, and it’s proven more important to focus on what players do into and on the greens.

Nacho Elvira ranked 9^th in approach when winning last year, and each of the runners-up ranked inside the top 25. In addition, four of the top five ranked inside the top 25 in greens-in-regulation.

2022 was an especially approach-heavy edition. Winner, Sam Horsfield ranked 3^rd in approach and 12^th in GIR; Ryan Fox in 2^nd ranked 1^st in approach and 12^th in GIR; and fellow runner-up, Yannik Paul ranked 6^th in approach and 7^th in GIR.

• SG: Putting (bentgrass)

The majority of the main contenders in last year’s edition also putted well. Winner, Nacho Elvira ranked 3^rd on the greens, as runners-up, Romain Langasque and Thomas Pieters ranked 4^th and 9^th respectively.

2023 champion Simon Forsstrom ranked inside the top 25, but his two closest challengers excelled even more in this area, with runner-up Jens Dantorp ranking 7^th and 3^rd-place finisher Thorbjorn Olesen ranking 2^nd.

Meanwhile, winner and runner-up in 2022, Sam Horsfield and Ryan Fox, both ranked inside the top 10.

• Par 4 Scoring

That higher-than-usual volume of par 4s gives an obvious advantage to players who typically rank highly in par 4 scoring.

Nacho Elvira ranked 2^nd in this area when winning last year, and each of the previous two winners led the field in scoring on these holes.

CORRELATING EVENTS (COURSES)

British Masters (The Belfry – Brabazon Course)

The Belfry’s Brabazon Course is a flat, tree-lined parkland course, with tight doglegging fairways and bentgrass/poa mixed greens. It possesses 12 par 4s and provides a demanding tee-to-green challenge that compares closely to Rinkven.

Notable correlating form:

Guido Migliozzi:

Soudal (1^st) / British Masters (2^nd)

Niklas Norgaard:

Soudal (2^nd) / British Masters (1^st)

Benjamin Hebert:

Belgian Knockout (2^nd) / 2020 UK Championship (3^rd)

Romain Langasque:

Soudal (2^nd) / British Masters (8^th, 8^th)

Thorbjorn Olesen:

Soudal (3^rd) / British Masters (1^st)

Chase Hanna:

Soudal (4^th) / British Masters (6^th)

Adrian Meronk:

Soudal (6^th) / British Masters (3^rd)

Richie Ramsay:

Soudal (7^th, 15^th) / British Masters (3^rd)

Kenya Open (Muthaiga Golf Club)

With its narrow, doglegging fairways and bentgrass greens, the strategic challenge at the tree-lined Muthaiga Golf Club looks an ideal comp for this venue.

Notable correlating form:

Nacho Elvira:

Soudal (1^st) / Kenya (2^nd)

Adrian Otaegui:

Belgian Knockout (1^st) / Kenya (4^th)

Darius Van Driel:

Belgian Knockout (2^nd) / Kenya (1^st)

Oliver Bekker:

Soudal (4^th) / Kenya (8^th)

Joe Dean:

Soudal (5^th) / Kenya (2^nd)

Matthew Jordan:

Soudal (5^th) / Kenya (4^th)

Omega European Masters (Crans-sur-Sierre)

Crans-sur-Sierre is another short, tree-lined course that needs a strategic approach to conquer. With a couple of drivable par 4s and requiring a strong level of approach play, it has been a worthwhile comp for this week’s test.

Notable correlating form:

Nacho Elvira:

Soudal (1^st) / European Masters (4^th, 9^th)

Guido Migliozzi:

Belgian Knockout (1^st) / European Masters (7^th, 8^th)

Alexander Bjork:

Soudal (4^th) / European Masters (2^nd)

Mike Lorenzo-Vera:

Soudal (4^th) / European Masters (3^rd, 6^th)

Oliver Bekker:

Soudal (4^th) / European Masters (8^th)

Matthew Jordan:

Soudal (5^th) / European Masters (4^th)

Richie Ramsay:

Soudal (7^th, 15^th) / European Masters (1^st)

BMW International Open (Golfclub Munchen Eichenried)

Golfclub Munchen Eichenried is a flat, tree-lined course with bentgrass greens and ranks closely to Rinkven in both driving and scrambling difficulty.

Notable correlating form:

Sam Horsfield:

Soudal (1^st) / BMW International (5^th)

Thomas Pieters:

Soudal (2^nd) / BMW International (2^nd)

Ryan Fox:

Soudal (2^nd) / BMW International (3^rd)

Romain Langasque:

Soudal (2^nd) / BMW International (5^th, 9^th)

Jens Dantorp:

Soudal (2^nd) / BMW International (6^th)

Matthew Southgate:

Soudal (4^th) / BMW International (4^th)

Adrian Meronk:

Soudal (6^th) / BMW International (3^rd)

THE FIELD

After the withdrawal of Laurie Canter, world No. 90 Thriston Lawrence—who hasn’t played on the DP World Tour since January—is the top-ranked player in this week’s field, and the only member of the top 100 in attendance.

Nacho Elvira returns to defend and is joined by 2023 winner Simon Forsstrom. Meanwhile, the two winners of the Belgian Knockout, Adrian Otaegui (2018) and Guido Migliozzi (2019) are also in the field.

Belgian star Thomas Pieters will again tee it up in his home championship after finishing 2^nd last year, and look out for 22-year-old Swede Algot Kleen, who makes his pro debut after an impressive amateur career that took him as high as 23^rd in the rankings.

Soudal Open Odds

SELECTIONS

Market leaders (1/4 5 places): Jordan Smith 20/1, Thomas Pieters 22/1, Eugenio Chacarra 25/1, Matthew Jordan 25/1, Keita Nakajima 28/1, Haotong Li 28/1

Four out of the last five winners on the DP World Tour have been talented youngsters earning their breakthrough win. I’m hoping that trend continues in Belgium, as I’ve selected four players also seeking that first win on tour, with a couple of proven champions sprinkled amongst them.

1.5 pts Wenyi Ding each-way (1/5 - 8 places) @ 35/1

Former No. 3 amateur Wenyi Ding has barely put a foot wrong in his rookie season. He found some improvement in approach on his last start in Turkey and having been priced up much larger than this in prior events, he looks great value to claim his maiden DPWT victory in Belgium.

Ding has missed just one cut in his 14 starts this season, recording a best of 5^th in the Australian Open at the end of 2024. He arrives here after finishing inside the top 20 in five of his last six starts, and was 12^th in the Turkish Airlines Open when we last saw him.

He’s got a good short game and is sound off-the-tee, but the one weak spot has been in approach. However, his irons appeared much sharper in Turkey, as he ranked 18^th, and as the 13^th-best par 4 scorer on tour, he should appreciate this test.

Ding hasn’t played here before and has only teed it up once at the comp courses mentioned, in Kenya. However, that did offer encouragement, as he fired three rounds in the 60s to finish 20^th, which shows that he has the skillset to take to Rinkven on his first attempt.

1.25 pts Jorge Campillo each-way (1/5 - 6 places) @ 40/1

Jorge Campillo is another player who found improvement in approach on his last start, which helped him to a 2^nd-place finish. He has performed well here in the past and possessing bags of comp form, this three-time winner held plenty of appeal at these odds.

Campillo missed his first two cuts of 2025 but has only missed one of his next nine. His best effort was a 13^th-place finish in Bahrain, though he improved considerably on that in the Turkish Airlines Open, shooting four rounds of three-under-par or better to finish 2^nd.

He produced a brilliant, upgraded display in approach there, ranking 1^st and also found some better form on the greens. I’m hoping he will repeat a similar level of performance in those areas this week, and as a top-40 par 4 scorer and ranking top 50 in greens-in-regulation, he’ll have every chance if doing so.

Campillo made his debut here in the 2018 Belgian Knockout and led after the regular stroke play element over the first two days. He again went well at the course in 2022, finishing 15^th and having won at Muthaiga in 2023—as well as finishing 3^rd in the BMW International Open, 4^th in the European Masters and 6^th at The Belfry—he has form in all the right places.

1 pt Daniel Hillier each-way (1/5 - 8 places) @ 55/1

Daniel Hillier has missed the cut on each of his two starts at Rinkven. However, as a strong ball striker with some eye-catching comp form, I see no reason why he can’t contend here.

Hillier got his season off to a great start in Dubai, finishing 2^nd to Tyrrell Hatton in the Dubai Desert Classic. He missed the cut on his next start, but hasn’t missed another since, and he arrives here after recording his second top-10 finish of the season on his latest start in the Hainan Classic, finishing 9^th.

As usual, the New Zealander has been hitting the ball well this season, ranking 16^th off-the-tee and 22^nd in approach. He’s also looked much improved with the putter—ranking 58^th in comparison to being 121^st last year—and as a top-25 par 4 scorer, he ticks every box statistically.

Those numbers make Hillier’s two missed cuts here all the more confusing, but with a win at The Belfry and 3^rd-place finish in the BMW International Open to his name, I’m certain he can rectify that this week.

1 pt Jacob Skov Olesen each-way (1/5 - 8 places) @ 60/1

Jacob Skov Olesen has seemed right at home at this level since turning pro at the end of last year. As a strong iron player who is sharp on the greens—and has already picked up a noteworthy piece of comp form—he should be in the mix again this week.

Olesen missed his first two cuts this season, but he has responded brilliantly, finishing inside the top 15 in four of his last five starts. Two of these have resulted in top 10s, as he finished 7^th in the Joburg Open and 8^th in the China Open, while he was 12^th in Turkey when we last saw him.

The young Dane ranked 2^nd in approach there, and this has been an area in which he’s performed well all season, ranking 31^st. Combined with his ranking of 63^rd in putting and 14^th in par 4 scoring, his skillset is well-matched to the requirements of this test.

Olesen hasn’t played at Rinkven before, though his 13^th-place finish in the Kenya Open is a positive. I’m also encouraged by his 5^th-place finish in last year’s Danish Golf Championship—an event in which last year’s Soudal Open runner-up, Romain Langasque finished 2^nd.

1 pt Alex Fitzpatrick each-way (1/5 - 6 places) @ 66/1

Alex Fitzpatrick has secured three top-25 finishes in his last four DPWT starts after suffering a slow start to the season. He impressed at Rinkven last year and with some strong form to his name at correlating courses, he can keep the recent upturn going this week.

Fitzpatrick missed his first three cuts of the season, but achieved a top-25 finish on his next start in the Qatar Masters. He then followed a missed cut in Singapore with consecutive 17^th-place finishes in India and Turkey on his last two DPWT starts.

He’s struggled with the long game so far, but he was much better two weeks ago, especially in approach, ranking 22^nd. His short game is in good shape, and he looked comfortable on these greens last year.

That comfort on these putting surfaces resulted in an 18^th-place finish for Fitzpatrick last year. He’s also recorded results of 5^th and 6^th on his two visits to Crans in the European Masters, and along with top-20 finishes in Kenya and at The Belfry, this type of course very much suits his eye.

1 pt Kazuma Kobori each-way (1/5 - 6 places) @ 80/1

I’ve been looking for a spot to back New Zealander Kazumi Kobori for a few weeks. The rookie has performed solidly so far this season and not at a disadvantage by his lack of length on this shorter layout, this looks the ideal week for the former top-25 amateur to contend for a breakthrough DPWT win.

Kobori has recorded five top-25 finishes and missed just three cuts in 12 starts this season. He impressed in Australia at the back end of last year, finishing 15^th in the Aussie PGA Championship and recorded his best result of the season in the Singapore Classic four starts ago, finishing 9^th.

He’s very straight off the tee, ranking 3^rd in driving accuracy and has produced generally solid displays with his irons. His ranking of 22^nd in par 4 scoring also bodes well here, and as the 28^th-best putter, he’s likely to convert the better chances he creates for himself around this diminutive layout.

Kobori recorded three wins on the PGA of Australia last year, each of which came on sub-7000yd tree-lined courses. He can earn the biggest win of his career at this similar setup this week.

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