LIV golfer Thomas Pieters is set to make a much-anticipated return to the DP World Tour this week at the Soudal Open, hosted in his home country of Belgium. Pieters, a six-time winner on the DP World Tour, last competed on the European Tour at the Hero Dubai Desert Classic in January 2023, where he finished tied for sixth. Shortly after, he joined Bubba Watson’s RangeGoats GC on the LIV Golf League.
Joining Pieters this week are several notable Belgian golfers, including former Ryder Cup player and Dubai resident Nicolas Colsaerts, rising star Matthis Besard, and Adrien Dumont de Chassart, who made an impressive debut on the Korn Ferry Tour in 2023 and has played 14 PGA Tour events this year.
The Soudal Open kicks off the DP World Tour’s ‘European Swing,’ the fourth of five global swings this season. Starting at Rinkven International, the tour will proceed through five more tournaments, concluding with the BMW International Open in early July.
Pieters committed to the Soudal Open in December and expressed his eagerness to compete in front of his home crowd. “Playing in front of friends and family, the Rinkven members, young people in general, that is what excites me most about the Soudal Open. I am definitely hungry. I have never before won in Belgium, so I would obviously like to add that to my track record,” he said.
Pieters’ confidence is bolstered by his recent performance in the LIV Golf League, where he noted the higher standard of play. “Coming from the DP World Tour, the standard of golf is ten times better than what I used to play,” he told Gulf News ahead of LIV Golf Jeddah. “You can’t hide out here. As you can see from my results, I haven’t had the best year – if you’re average or have a bad week you’re going to finish last or in the last five which sucks, but that’s just the way it is. LIV is getting very strong.”
This year, Pieters has shown improvement in his LIV Golf performances, with notable finishes of 9th in Miami, 14th in Adelaide, and 5th in Singapore, a significant uptick from his earlier results.
Reflecting on his challenges, Pieters attributed his initial struggles to personal issues, insufficient practice, and the demands of fatherhood. “Some personal stuff, not doing enough practice and having two young kids is not easy – they’re awesome but it’s very tiring! I obviously don’t live in a country (Belgium) with the best weather, so the winter has been tough. And then I had to go and play in Mexico which is the tightest place on earth. It’s not great for the confidence, but it is what it is. I don’t want to make excuses – it’s just not been great,” he explained.
As Pieters prepares to tee off at Rinkven International, fans will be eager to see if he can capture his first DP World Tour title on home soil.
