Norway's Kristoffer Reitan overcame a nine-stroke deficit to win his maiden DP World Tour title in a playoff at the Soudal Open on Sunday.
Reitan began the final round on four-under-par following scores of 71, 66 and 72 earlier in the week but managed to break the course record by two clear strokes via a scintillating 62 (-9) and set the clubhouse lead on 13-under following a very early start.
The 27-year-old patiently waited for almost three hours after narrowly missing out an a 61 as overnight leader, Ewen Ferguson attempted to break away, but the Scot was ultimately consigned to a playoff once his attempted par putt at the 18th agonizingly lipped out.
On the contrary, Darius Van Driel punched in a long-range birdie on his last hole to tie Reitan shortly before Ferguson's mistake, therefore allowing the Dutch pro to complete the three-man playoff at Rinkven International.
Following pars for each on the first extra go down 18, only the Norwegian found the fairway on their second attempt - helping him set up a golden chance to win.
Once Ferguson and Van Driel had failed with their own birdie chances, though, it set up Reitan's latest and best opportunity to clinch the biggest victory of his career.
The Rolex Challenge Tour Grand Final winner duly sent the 15-foot putt home and was able to celebrate a title he admitted may never have arrived if thoughts of quitting the game years earlier had manifested into reality.
Speaking immediately after the winning moment, Reitan said: "I don't know what to say, it's been a dream of mine since I was a little kid. I keep thinking back to a few years ago when I was considering stopping playing because I didn't find it enjoyable any more, didn't see progress.
"To be able to turn it around the way I have been doing the last couple of years has been amazing - to seal it with victory here is ridiculous."
Reitan's nine-shot redemption is not quite the largest final-round comeback in DP World Tour history, with Linn Grant overthrowing an 11-stroke deficit to Sebastian Soderberg at the Scandinavian Mixed during 2024.
Nevertheless, a round which featured 10 birdies and a single bogey placed the Norwegian high up on the list. Reitan's back-nine of just 29 strokes helped see to that.
Understandably, the man who had intended to play college golf at the University of Texas at Austin before opting to go pro instead, was not thinking about winning when he arrived at Rinkven International on Sunday morning but admitted it appeared destined to be his day once he fell into the playoff.
Reitan said: “[Winning] wasn't even on my mind, I just wanted to play a good round of golf. I've been working hard on trying to stick to my process recently. Obviously today I felt like it was a little bit my day and that was evident at the end... I couldn't be more thrilled.”
While there was delight for Reitan, there was pain for Ferguson who thought he had done enough to triumph after starting 18 with a one-stroke lead - gained via a stunning bunker shot at the par-4 16th.
However, a par at the five-shot 17th and a bogey at the last cost the three-time DP World Tour winner a chance of returning to the winner's circle and meant he signed for a closing 71.
Sharing second was Van Driel, who battled incredibly hard to reach extra holes, making gains at each of the final three holes in regulation.
Five players shared fourth, with John Parry, Jordan Smith, Haotong Li, Thriston Lawrence and Troy Merritt all grouped together on 10-under.
The DP World Tour season continues next week with the Austrian Alpine Open presented by SalzburgerLand at Gut Altentann Golf Club in Salzburg.
SOUDAL OPEN PLAYOFF
Swipe to scroll horizontally
Name
Playoff Hole
Score
Playoff Hole (#2)
Score
Ewen Ferguson
18
4
18
4
Kristoffer Reitan
18
4
18
3
Darius Van Driel
18
4
18
4
SOUDAL OPEN LEADERBOARD
-13 Ewen Ferguson (71)
-13 Kristoffer Reitan (62)
-13 Darius Van Driel (67)
-10 Jordan Smith (69)
-10 John Parry (72)
-10 Thriston Lawrence (67)
-10 Haotong Li (67)
-10 Troy Merritt (67)
-9 Romain Langasque (66)
-9 Matthew Jordan (68)
Updates from...
Jonny Leighfield
Refresh
WELCOME
Hello and welcome to Golf Monthly's coverage of the Soudal Open final round at Rinkven International in Belgium. Norway's Kristoffer Reitan set the clubhouse lead earlier today thanks to a sublime nine-under 62, incidentally a new course record, although Scotland's Ewen Ferguson remains out on course and is grinding away to stay level with his rival on 13-under.
A couple of former challengers have slipped away since we started earlier today, such as England's Jordan Smith and John Parry. As it stands, the gap between the co-leaders and joint third is three strokes, so it appears as though we're set up to see if Ferguson can edge past Reitan. Or, perhaps, it will take extra holes to decide this one.
Whatever happens, we will bring you the key updates as they happen. The final group are just teeing off at the par-4 14th.
FERGUSON SETS UP BIRDIE CHANCE
The par-4 14th is quite short at just over 400 yards, but it's very tight - like many of the holes at Rinkven International, in all fairness. The Scot finds the centre of the fairway and throws his ball some 12 feet away from the flag with a wedge. Could this be the moment he nudges in front?...
Elsewhere, Haotong Li has joined the cluster of players on 10-under thanks to his sixth birdie of the day at the 17th.
NOT TO BE
Ferguson hits a solid putt on the exact line he had picked out, but it stays above ground. It was around 12 feet and moving gradually from right to left, but the ball finished behind the cup and not in it, so it's as you were through 14 holes.
RAINING BIRDIES
As the rain begins to fall in Belgium, Darius Van Driel and Jordan Smith both add birdies to their respective cards. Van Driel is up to third on his own while Smith is back into a share of fourth.
At the par-3 15th, which is only playing 168 yards today, John Parry is about to join the party as well after firing an absolute dart right beside the hole.
Ferguson, meanwhile, plundered his golf ball into the very centre of the hole and will have a go at birdie from a long way away.
THREE HOLES TO PLAY
Ferguson rolls his putt down towards the hole, but it's always drifting right and is given a further nudge away from the target when it strikes the coin of playing partner, John Parry. It matters not, though, as Ferguson slams home the par putt from two feet.
Shortly before, the Englishman tapped in for a very welcome birdie and he's back to 10-under - which is a share for fourth.
BUNKER TROUBLE
Ready to take his drive at the short par-4, Ferguson is interrupted by something mid-swing and pulls out right at the last second.
When he does fire away, Ferguson finds the bunker short of the green by about 15 yards. It's lie dependent, but this is unlikely to be easy either way.
ICE COLD
That is sublime. Could be the tournament-winning moment. Left with 42 yards to the pin and in the middle of the bunker but with a big clump of sand on the side of his ball, Ferguson takes one of his lower-lofted wedges and blasts his ball up towards the flag on the full. It takes a couple of bounces before zipping back a couple of feet. A massive birdie chance incoming for Ferguson.
World class from @EwboF 🔥He moves into the outright lead.#SoudalOpen pic.twitter.com/v7x4LRZrASMay 25, 2025
FERGUSON IN FRONT
The three-time DP World Tour winner takes a huge step towards adding a fourth title by rolling home his knock-in birdie chance. Ferguson consequently opts for a wood off the tee at the par-5 17th, knowing he no longer needs to take any chances.
DRAINED BY VAN DRIEL
What a run to the clubhouse by Darius Van Driel! Birdies at 16 and 17 gave the Dutchman a chance to tie Reitan on 18, and he took in wonderful style via a 30-foot putt. It was greeted by a huge fist pump by the player himself and a raucous cheer from those watching in the stands surrounding the green. Awesome stuff. That's a closing 67 (-4) for Van Driel.
Finishing in style!@DariusvanDriel closes out his final round with three consecutive birdies to join Reitan at -13.#SoudalOpen pic.twitter.com/Ks29OfOe78May 25, 2025
GOLF BY NUMBERS
It's not particularly thrilling at this point, but it's incredibly controlled from Ewen Ferguson as he navigates his way down 17. A wood off the tee was followed by a perfect iron down to 111 yards. A wedge has found the heart of the green, and now it's a decent birdie chance. It doesn't need to go in, but making it would take out a lot of potential drama...
SO CLOSE YET SO FAR
It's a great putt by Ferguson and tracking towards the target, but the ball just slams on the brakes at the very right edge of the hole. Ferguson will go down 18 with just a one-stroke advantage...
PAR TO WIN IT
Ferguson has made par at this hole all three days to date. Should he do it again, the 28-year-old will be the champion.
He makes a great start by firing a low bullet down the left side of the 424-yard hole.
FLIER AT THE WORST POSSIBLE TIME
John Parry sent his approach into the middle of the green and has some 25-30 feet for birdie. Ferguson would have taken that, but instead pounded his second shot through the back. Luckily for the Scot, his ball collided with the grandstand and he'll have a free drop.
Jordan Smith recently popped one up to a few feet from this very position on his way to making par. Can Ferguson do the same?
PAR PUTT TO WIN IT
Ferguson's chip is quite unconvincing and he'll need to make par from a good 15 feet. That's much further than he'd have wanted - likely by about 14 feet!
Nevertheless, he has a chance. This has to go or it's a playoff between him, Van Driel and Reitan.
PLAYOFF INCOMING
Ohh, that is heartbreaking for Ewen Ferguson! He hit a fantastic putt but it did a 270-degree tour of the hole and stayed up.
Ferguson, Van Driel and Reitan will prepare to go again. Reitan finished about three hours ago now and has spent time on the range, but you wonder how sharp he will be by now...
Drama in Belgium! Ferguson lips out for the win. We have a playoff.🏴 Ferguson🇳🇴 Reitan🇳🇱 Van Driel#SoudalOpen pic.twitter.com/AEJM6KPSiKMay 25, 2025
PLAYOFF FORMAT
It's quite a simple playoff format here. The three men will play the 18th in a sudden death format until one person shoots the outright lowest score. They've got three chances to sort it on the 18th or the hole will be changed. They're all heading back to the tee now.
UNDERWAY
Darius Van Driel goes first in the playoff and absolutely rockets a dead-straight drive down the 412-yard 18th. Reitan sets up on the right side of the tee box and cuts one off the left side. That flew past Van Driel by some way. Completing an incredible-sounding hat-trick of perfect drives is Ferguson, with his ball on the right half of the fairway. The Scot was on the opposite side of the fairway when he flew one over the back of the green in regulation, so he may have fewer negative thoughts in his mind stood over the ball...
NERVY START
Van Driel's drive went 290 yards, leaving him with a 122-yard gap wedge, but the Dutchman became too aggressive with his approach and has dabbed it just over the back. Following him from just 107, Ferguson bails out into the front right portion of the putting surface. and with the exact same distance, Reitan punches a wedge towards the flag but watches it rip back to 25-30 feet away. He'll be favorite, the Norwegian, but not by much. The nerves are fully on show from all three players.
GREAT TOUCH
Van Driel, with wedge in hand once more, goes first and dabs his ball to maybe three feet out. That was a really nice touch. He should make par from there.
SUPERB EFFORT
Ferguson rolls his long-range birdie chance up to kick-in range, but it finishes inches to the left of the hole. That leaves the door open for a man who started the final round NINE strokes off the lead...
BACK DOWN 18
Reitan produces an almost identical putt to Ferguson. He gave it a really good go but it was set too far out of the left and never had a chance at coming back that far. Van Driel tidies up for par, and all three players head back down the 18.
According to the TV broadcast, if the golfers can't be separated after three trips down 18, they will continue to play it but change the pin position. Interesting.
NOT VINTAGE
Two of the three men see their second go down the 18th turn out to be quite disappointing, it must be said. Van Driel pulled his towards the trees, but it bounced out and has given him a shot at the green. Ferguson is also in the rough down the left, but again has a shot at making the putting surface.
Reitan, however, is smack down the middle and has 121 yards in.
REITAN FAVORITE
Despite the contrasting locations of their tee shots, each player has a pretty good chance for birdie now. Van Driel is hole-high but right on the left edge of the green, Ferguson is some 20 feet under the hole, and Reitan is maybe 12 feet away to the Scot's right. If Reitan was watching Van Driel in regulation, he would have seen this putt go in from a pretty similar line.
ANOTHER CHANCE TO WIN
Ferguson and Van Driel both hit decent efforts but ultimately tap in for par. Reitan has a chance to win from 15 feet, straight up the hill.
KRISTOFFER REITAN WINS
Unbelievable! Kristoffer Reitan wins the 2025 Soudal Open with a birdie at the second playoff hole!
He started the day nine strokes behind Ferguson. Reitan went out in regulation and broke the course record with a 62. He had a three-hour break after reaching the clubhouse. Then, the Norwegian came back out and took his first DP World Tour title via a beautiful 15-foot birdie putt on the second playoff hole. Incredible.
The moment @KristofferR_98 claimed victory for the first time on the DP World Tour 🇳🇴🏆#SoudalOpen pic.twitter.com/n4UvzreUYwMay 25, 2025
There were some brilliant quotes from Kristoffer Reitan immediately after the winning moment. The affable Norwegian admitted he had considered giving the game up just a few years ago due to a lack of enjoyment and progress, later calling his win "ridiculous."
He said: “I don't know what to say, it's been a dream of mine since I was a little kid.
“I keep thinking back to a few years ago when I was considering stopping playing because I didn't find it enjoyable any more, didn't see progress, and to be able to turn it around the way I have been doing the last couple of years has been amazing - to seal it with victory here is ridiculous."
Asked whether he felt a win was even possible when he woke up on Sunday, Reitan said: "It wasn't even on my mind. I just wanted to play a good round of golf, been working hard on trying to stick to my process recently. Obviously today I felt like it was a little bit my day and that was evident at the end... I couldn't be more thrilled.”
