Soudal Open 2022 R1

May 12-15
Rinkven International GC, Antwerp, Belgium
$2,000,000
Round 2, Round 3, Round 4

Estimated reading time: 6 minutes

Sam Horsfield shot three back-to-back birdies from the 15th, and three more on the front nine, to close with a bogey-free 6-under 65 and a share of the lead in the Soudal Open.

Soudal Open 2022 R1

“I played really nicely. I kept the ball in play, this is a golf course where positioning is quite important off the tee and I was able to position it nicely to give myself a lot of good looks, and rolled in a few.

“I really struggled around the greens last week. I hadn’t chipped out of rough for three months or so since Dubai, so I struggled around the greens last week and spent a little extra time this week around them and hopefully that is all good.

“Zero (on setting goals). Literally zero. Just trying to stay healthy and play some good golf in between and see what happens.”

Soudal Open 2022 R1

Tied alongside Horsfield are fellow Englishmen Dale Whitnell and Callum Shinkwin.

Whitnell fired nine birdies in the first sixtee holes but finished double-bogey/bogey to tie for the lead.

"You can only take the positives really," said Whitnell. "I have been sort of feeling like the game has been getting there.

"I have struggled the last six weeks or so with a bit of form and swing changes, it has not been quite where I have wanted it to be, but the first 16 holes was flawless. Obviously, it has not bedded in yet, but time for that on the range this afternoon."

Soudal Open 2022 R1

Shinkwin made seven birdies and a single bogey in spite of dealing wrist pain since Wednesday.

"I wasn’t really going to be playing today actually," said Shinkwin.

"I’ve had a wrist issue from yesterday and on the range it just erupted straight up my arm and I went into the office to see if there was a first reserve around and they said they were in already and had no-one else there, so go play if you can and if you can’t just walk in.

"Four holes in I was like 'It’s not looking good', and then I shot six under."

Spain's Alvaro Quiros and Nacho Elvira, Denmark's Jeff Winther and Germany's Yannick Paul are tied in fourth place at 5-under alongside Sweden's Alexander Björk and Poland's Adrian Meronk.

Soudal Open 2022 R1