Soudal Open 2025 Preview, Picks & Analysis

HOME favourite Thomas Pieters and 2018 Open Champion Francesco Molinari are set to tee it up at the Soudal Open in Belgium this week.

Pieters and Molinari will be part of a 156-strong field at Rinkven Golf Club as the Belgian looks to improve on his runner-up finish in 2024, while the Italian will make his Soudal Open debut. 

• Tournament Winners
• The Course
• How To Watch
• Form Guide
• Tournament Picks & Tips

Pieters is, of course, now plying his trade with LIV Golf and I have to admit that I have mixd feelings about his participation in this event. Yes, he will be a huge favourite with the home crowd and yes he is likely to be in the mix coming down the final stretch. But just because he happens to be from the host country, should he be playing this week?

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He is a wonderful talent and has been missed on the DP World Tour.

(Image Credit: Kevin Diss Photography)

He made his debut on the DP World Tour in July 2013 at the French Open, where he finished 29th; at the end of the year, he battled through all three stages of the qualifying school, taking the 20th card at the Final Stage. His best result in his first year was as runner-up in the 2014 Open de Espana, leading after the second and third rounds, finishing sixth at the Russian Open and eighth at the Malaysian Open and Alfred Dunhill Championship.  

In August and September 2015, he won the Czech Masters and the KLM Open in consecutive weeks and moved into the top 100 in the world rankings.

Pieters started 2016 at the Abu Dhabi HSBC Golf Championship, where he finished second and in August he represented Belgium at the Olympic Games, finishing fourth, and was given a Ryder Cup wild card.

He began the 2017 season with a tie for second at the Genesis Open in February and followed that up with a top-five finish at the WGC-Mexico Championship, taking him to 29th in the world rankings and qualifying him for The Masters, where he finished fourth.

In November 2018, he won the World Cup of Golf with Thomas Detry. In August 2019, he shot a three-under 69 to become the first golfer to win the Czech Masters for the second time and in November 2021 he claimed his fifth DP World Tour title when he won the Portugal Masters. Two months later he added the Abu Dhabi Championship - his first Rolex Series victory. And in February 2023 it was confirmed the he had joined LIV, where he has had mixed fortunes.

Molinari has won six times on the DP World Tour and three on the PGA Tour, including The 2018 Open. He has also been part of the European Ryder Cup team three times, taking five points from five as Europe won the biennial contest in 2018. But recent years have been something of a struggle for the Italian.

He said: "I am really looking forward to making my debut at the Soudal Open. I've played on the DP World Tour for a long time now so it is nice to get the opportunity to visit somewhere new, and it looks like a good golf course which should provide a good test."

I am excited to see how Marco Penge progresses throughout the rest of the season. He is a prodigious ball striker who retained his playing rights by the skin of his teeth in 2024 but has kicked on this year by claiming his maiden DP World Tour title at the Hainan Open in China. Now filled with self-belief and confidence, Penge could become a serial winner and I believe that he has a game that could serve him well on the PGA Tour. His main focus for the remainder of the year will be to see if he can pick up one of the 10 PGA Tour cards on offer - and I would not bet against him achieving precisely that.

I also have a feeling that Spain’s Eugenio Chacarra could be one to watch going forward. He won the Indian Open and followed it with a tied fourth at the China Open and tied 11th at the Hainan Open. This will only be his 12th career start. Like most Spaniards, he possesses a wondrous touch around the greens and also has a wonderful temperament. Keep your eye on him.

Twelve months ago Nacho Elvira started the final day with a four-shot lead and birdied his first hole before making two bogeys and a further birdie for a 71 to win his second DP World Tour title, by one shot at 18 under par.

"I'm very happy," said the Spaniard. "I was a little bit emotional because I know all the hard work that I put in that sometimes doesn't show. I couldn't ask for anything better. I wasn't feeling comfortable off the tee today, my driving was a little bit off and you really need to hit it straight here.

"It was all hard because I knew I wasn't hitting it good but I tried to keep it in play and I tried to hold on to it."

On a tough day, with rain threatening to flood the course, the greens staff worked wonders to keep the course playable.

Denmark's Niklas Norgaard and France's Romain Langasque both closed with 68s for a share of second place at 17-under alongside Pieters who carded a 66. England's Joe Dean and Matthew Jordan closed with a 69 and bogey-free 65 respectively to tie for fifth place at 16-under.

Last year, the Soudal Open was watched by more than 15,000 spectators. This week the public will get an even better experience at the 18th green. The grandstand of previous years has been replaced with a public village, enabling everyone to see every player finish their rounds.

A new double-storey tent gives a 360° view of the green on the 18th hole,, but also the 10th tee and ninth green. The food and drink stands are spread over the two levels and the exhibition stands – where you will find numerous golf activations – are an extension of this. The VIP area borders the rest of the 18th green and again offers various high-quality attractions for those who want to invite customers or employees for networking opportunities.

On Saturday, immediately after the last putt, the Golf Party starts. From 6pm – 1.30am, DJs Chris Farmer & Jens De Meyerwill transform the public village into a dance temple.

Tournament director Michael Jones said: "Year after year, we receive a lot of positive feedback from our main partners, but also from spectators and players. It is very satisfying to feel the growing enthusiasm and support for the Soudal Open. The ever-increasing visibility on national and international communication platforms also underlines the growing status of the tournament. This motivates us to keep raising the bar and to provide an extraordinary experience for everyone involved."

And that will continue for at least another three years, because the contract between organisers Golazo and title partner Soudal has been extended until 2027.

Tournament Winners

It was won in 2022 by Sam Horsfield, in 2023 by Simon Forsstrom and last year by Nacho Elvira

Prize Money

Total prize money is $2.75m, with 3,500 Race to Dubai points and 1,000 Ryder Cup points up for grabs

The Course

Rinkven International Golf Club in Antwerp is a par 71 measuring just 6,940 yards but the Paul Rolin-designed course features narrow tree-lined fairways and a lot of water so don’t necessarily expect to see a lot of low scores.

Form Guide

Eugenio Chacarra looks like he could become a big player on the DP World Tour and will be looking to secure one of those PGA Tour cards

How to Watch

Thursday, May 22, Friday, May 23, Sky Sports Golf, midday; Saturday, May 24, Sky Sports Golf, 12.30pm; Sunday, Sky Sports Golf, midday

Tournament Picks & Tips

To win:

Eugenio Chacarra. Sensational prospect

Each way:

Marco Penge. Great to watch

Each way:

Thomas Pieters. Home favourite

Five to follow:

Eugenio Chacarra. Wonderful short game

Marco Penge. Massive hitter

Thomas Pieters. Glorious golf swing

Ewen Ferguson. Gifted Scot

Laurie Canter. On the crest of a wave

Five outsiders to watch:

Joe Dean. Underrated

Alex Fitzpatrick. Quietly goes about his business

Michael Lindberg. Turning his year around

Alexander Levy. In the wilderness

Martin Couvra. Gifted French golfer