# 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.
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.

## 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 |
| 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 | −3 | 4 strokes | Darius van Driel | Rinkven International |
| 2018 | Adrián Otaegui | −3 | −3 | 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 | −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 |
| 1957 | Bernard Hunt | 280 | | Playoff | Dai Rees | Royal Latem |
| 1956 | Flory Van Donck (5) | 269 | | 8 strokes | Ángel Miguel | Royal Latem |
| 1955 | Dave Thomas | 290 | | 1 stroke | Arthur Devulder | Royal GC des Fagnes |
| 1954 | Dai Rees | 287 | | 1 stroke | Aldo Casera Norman Von Nida | Royal Antwerp |
| 1953 | Flory Van Donck (4) | 270 | | 9 strokes | Henri de Lamaze (a) | Royal Waterloo |
| 1952 | Antonio Cerdá | 286 | | 4 strokes | Brian Wilkes | Royal GC des Fagnes |
| 1951 | Albert Pélissier | 279 | | 5 strokes | Flory Van Donck Hassan Hassanein | Royal Latem |
| 1950 | Roberto De Vicenzo | 282 | | 4 strokes | Antonio Cerdá | Royal Zoute |
| 1949 | Jimmy Adams | 283 | | 2 strokes | Max Faulkner | Royal GC des Fagnes |
| 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 |
| 1938 | Henry Cotton (3) | 277 | | 13 strokes | Arthur Lacey | Royal Waterloo |
| 1937 | Marcel Dallemagne (2) | 285 | | 4 strokes | Dai Rees | Royal Zoute |
| 1936 | Auguste Boyer (2) | 285 | | 1 stroke | Henry Cotton | Royal GC des Fagnes |
| 1935 | Bill Branch | 283 | | Playoff | Flory Van Donck | Royal GC Belgium |
| 1934 | Henry Cotton (2) | 279 | | 3 strokes | Percy Alliss | Royal Waterloo |
| 1933 | Auguste Boyer | 282 | | 3 strokes | Henry Cotton | Royal GC des Fagnes |
| 1932 | Arthur Lacey (2) | 291 | | 2 strokes | Auguste Boyer | Royal GC Belgium |
| 1931 | Arthur Lacey | 301 | | 1 stroke | Marcel Dallemagne Pierre Hirogoyen | Royal GC des Fagnes |
| 1930 | Henry Cotton | 281 | | 11 strokes | Archie Compston | Royal GC Belgium |
| 1929 | Sid Brews | 300 | | 1 stroke | Aubrey Boomer | Royal Antwerp |
| 1928 | Albert Tingey Jr. | 297 | | 3 strokes | Jack Taylor | Royal GC Belgium |
| 1927 | Marcel Dallemagne | 140 | | | | Royal Zoute |
| 1926 | Aubrey Boomer (2) | 137 | | 9 strokes | Percy Boomer | Royal Zoute |
| 1925 | Eugène Lafitte (2) | 142 | | 1 stroke | Arthur Havers | Royal Antwerp |
| 1924 | Walter Hagen | 143 | | 3 strokes | Aubrey Boomer | Zoute |
| 1923 | Percy Boomer | 145 | | 1 stroke | Aubrey Boomer | Royal GC Belgium |
| 1922 | Aubrey Boomer | 150 | | 1 stroke | Charles Corlett Marius Cavallo | Royal GC Belgium |
| 1921 | Eugène Lafitte | 145 | | 10 strokes | George Pannell | Royal GC Belgium |
| 1920 | Rowland Jones | 154 | | Playoff | Aubrey Boomer Henry Burrows | Zoute |
| 1915–1919: No tournament due to World War I ||||||||
| 1914 | Tom Ball (2) | 144 | | 4 strokes | Charles Mayo | Royal Antwerp |
| 1913 | Tom Ball | 145 | | 1 stroke | James Braid | Lombardsijde |
| 1912 | George Duncan | 144 | | Playoff | Tom Ball Ted Ray | Royal GC Belgium |
| 1911 | Charles Mayo | 144 | | 3 strokes | Arnaud Massy | Royal GC Belgium |
| 1910 | Arnaud Massy | 139 | | 5 strokes | Sandy Herd Harry Vardon | Royal GC Belgium |
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.