Tomorrow (Thursday) is the opening round of the DP World Tour’s $2 million Soudal Open at Rinkven International Golf Club, Antwerp, Belgium.
I am currently lying in 12th position in the 2021-2022 DP World Rankings.
Both the DP World Tour Rankings and the Official World Golf Rankings (OWGR) have huge significance to gaining entry into events around the world and so much more.
My tied second place early in the year in January at the Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship at Yas Links, Abu Dhabi, behind winner Thomas Pieters of Belgium and alongside Indian Shubhankar Sharma, my playing partner for the first two rounds this week, has set me up, hopefully for another strong season.
A good start to any season is always important, when arguably the two Rolex Series events in Abu Dhabi and the Slync.io Dubai Desert Classic at Emirates Golf Club can, perhaps, create an imbalance to the points system.
Number of golf courses
I have done some research and noticed that there are less than 80 golf courses in Belgium, in a nationwide population of around 12 million.
That contrasts with my home country of Spain with around 400 golf courses and a population of almost 50 million people.
Golf is very much on the up in Belgium with the three leading players: Thomas Pieters (36 in OWGR), Thomas Detry (131 in OWGR) and Nicolas Colsaerts, who has drifted to 597 in the OWGR with his recent illness.
Home support
My own OWGR status is not where I want it to be, but it can only move upwards with good golf and the right tournament results.
Thomas Detry, now 29 years old, is long overdue his first victory, what a week it would be, if he does it in Belgium, with all the home support.
Colsaerts, is a fellow Dubai Golden Visa Awardee and we all wish him well this week.
Big prizefund
Statistic of the week is that Colsaerts is still the current holder of the Amundi Open de France held at Le Golf National, having won it in 2019, and the last two editions were cancelled through Covid. The tournament is on the DP World Tour schedule later in the year in September, again in Paris over The Ryder Cup course, and now called the CAZOO Open de France and boasting a prizefund of €3 million.
In a game like golf, where you are completely on your own, with help from your caddie on the golf course and the manager off the course etc, health and fitness can never ever be taken for granted.
Wish me a good week and speak to you all again soon!
— Rafa Cabrera Bello is 37 years old, born in Spain and a Dubai Golden Visa Awardee and Dubai resident. He is a four-time winner on the DP World Tour, including the 2012 Dubai Desert Classic at Emirates Golf Club, represented Europe in The Ryder Cup in 2016 and is a JA Resorts and Hotels Ambassador
