The Soudal Open is a home match for Thomas Pieters. The man from Antwerp lives 20 minutes from the Rinkven International Golf Club in Schilde. Pieters is calling all Belgian fans of golf to come and show their support in large numbers this week.
“It is a wonderful feeling to wake up in my own bed and to drive to work in 20 minutes”, Pieters said on Tuesday during a press conference. It is the first time in three years that Belgian top players – Thomas Pieters, Thomas Detry and Nicolas Colsaerts – will be playing a golf tournament in their home country.
“I am very much looking forward to this week and hoping to see many Belgian fans there”, says Pieters. “If you are a fan of mine, Thomas or Nicolas or golf in general, you will only get one opportunity per year to see us doing our thing in our country. So, I see no reason why you would not come here as a fan of golf.”
In 2018 and 2019, the family Pieters organised their own tournament at Rinkven, the Belgian Knock-out as part of the European Tour. “Organising a tournament like that brings with it a lot of stress. As a family we are extremely proud that we organised it for two years to show that it is possible. I am immensely proud that Golazo is continuing that work this way with the first Soudal Open. I am very excited about this week!”