LIV Golf’s Thomas Pieters to make DP World Tour return at Soudal Open 2024

LIV Golfers Thomas Pieters will tee off at the Soudal Open in less than 24 hours. The DP World Tour event is scheduled at Rinkven International Golf Club in Antwerp, Belgium, from May 23 to 26.

The Soudal Open will kickstart the European swing after the end of the Asian swing. LIV Golfer Thomas Pieters is notably on the field at the tournament. The last tournament he played at the DP World Tour was the Hero Dubai Desert Classic in January 2023. He finished T6 at the tournament.

Pieters joined LIV Golf in 2023, signing for RangeGoats GC led by Bubba Watson. The European Ryder Cup star hasn't played any tournament on the DP World Tour since joining LIV.

Pieters is utilizing a loophole to feature at the Soudal Open as he is playing through the national spots category. This enables host country players to qualify for DP World Tour tournaments if they're not exempted from the competition.

The total purse for this year's Soudal Open has notably increased from $2 million to $2.5 million. The winner will receive $382,500, the runner-up will receive $247,500 and the third-placed player will earn $141,750.

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Thomas Pieters is excited to play at the Soudal Open

Back in March, Thomas Pieters expressed excitement about playing at the DP World Tour's Soudal Open. He said (via Soudal Open):

"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."

Pieters also praised two young guns, Matthis Besard and Adrien Dumont de Chassart, who are set to compete at the tournament. He said:

"I think it is wonderful that those two young talented Belgians will be there. You must not underestimate the incredible journey they have already been on."

He also expressed pride in Belgian players playing at a high levels and said he tries to be accessible to young players who seek advice or guidance.

Thomas Pieters didn't have a great 2023 season after joining LIV Golf, finishing 33rd in the overall individual LIV Golf rankings. He didn't have a very good start to the 2024 season at Mayakoba where he finished 43rd, while his performance worsened by five places in Hong Kong.

However, Pieters rebounded at the LIV Golf Miami event, registering his first top-10 of the season. He comes to the Soudal Open from his best performance of the season at Singapore, where he finished fifth. He is currently 22nd in the individual rankings of the ongoing LIV Golf season.

Let's take a look at Thomas Pieters's performance in the 2024 season so far:

• Mayakoba: 43rd (+4) (R1: +1, R2: +1, R3: +2)
• Las Vegas: 30th (-2) (R1: -5, R2: E, R3: +3)
• Jeddah: 37th (-2) (R1: E, R2: -3, R3: +1)
• Hong Kong: 48th (E) (R1: +1, R2: -2, R3: +1)
• Miami: 9th (-6) (R1: E, R2: -3, R3: -3)
• Adelaide: 14th (-13) (R1: -3, R2: -5, R3: -5)
• Singapore: 5th (-11) (R1: -5, R2: -4, R3: -2)