After 26 years and 505 starts, Nicolas Colsaerts walked off the 18th green in tears in front of his home fans.

The 2026 Soudal Open at Rinkven International Golf Club marked the final DP World Tour event of Colsaerts’ career, and although he missed the cut after shooting a 2-under 69 on Friday, the emotional goodbye from fans still meant a lot to him.

Thousands of fans gave Colsaerts a standing ovation as he walked off the 18th hole in tears. Speaking to Golf Digest, the Belgian kept his reflection simple.

"I'm so grateful," he said. "The faces along the way, wherever it is, are really heartwarming."

Then he added, "I'm a proud Belgian."

He opened with a 1-over 72 on Thursday while wearing a Royal Melbourne cap to honor his wife Rachel’s Australian background, admitting afterward that retirement was finally starting to feel real with the cut line projected around 2-under.

"Because retirement has been brewing for a couple of years, it had been OK until this morning," he said. "If I don't shoot 68, I might not play on the weekend. And having played 18 holes only three times this year, the odds are probably against me."

The 69 showed that Colsaerts did not give up, but it still was not enough to make the cut.

Colsaerts ends his DP World Tour career with three wins, a Ryder Cup appearance, more than €10.7 million in prize money, and a place among the 50 players to reach 500 starts. He now works full-time as a LIV Golf commentator.

From a Brussels Street to Beating Pro Golfers: Nicolas Colsaerts Reflects on What It All Took

On the morning of his final round, Colsaerts was not thinking about trophies or rankings.

"I woke up this morning, and you start to think of what your parents have allowed you to do: to live your dreams," Colsaerts told Golf Digest. "You think of Rachel holding the fort at home and raising our two kids when I'm not at home."

He continued, "When you come from a street in the middle of Brussels, and you end up on the biggest stages of the game, idolized by kids and weekend golfers, it's been an absolute dream come true."

That feeling makes sense when looking at everything he achieved. He turned professional in 2000 and became known as one of Europe’s best long hitters. In 2012, he and Lee Westwood beat Tiger Woods and Steve Stricker in Ryder Cup fourball matches. But through all of it, Colsaerts said he could not have done it alone.

His competitive chapter is closed, but his career delivered everything he dreamed of from that street in Brussels.

Read more at Club Golf!

Written by

Sneha Abraham

Edited by

Pulkit Prabhav