Soudal Open First-Round Leader Prediction and Tips

With the weather forecast looking good for the opening day of the Soudal Open, there are no real advantages to going out early or late on Thursday and this should make for a fascinating battle in the first-round leader market.

Belgian ace Thomas Detry, who now plies his trade on the LIV circuit, is the 22/1 favourite to be leading the way after the opening 18 holes and he is teeing off at 12:05 BST, alongside Casey Jarvis (35/1) and Jordan Gumberg (110/1).

New Zealand's Daniel Hillier, teeing off alongside the South African pair of Yurav Premlall (70/1) and Jayden Schaper (35/1) at 06:50 BST, is priced at 35/1 to take the first-round lead, although he has missed the cut on his three trips to Rinkven International and is easily swerved.

Nathan Kimsey arrives in a bullish mood after qualifying for next month's US Open at Shinnecock Hills and is 50/1 to be sitting top of the pile come Thursday evening. He is off at 12:45 BST alongside Andrew Johnston (80/1) and Calum Hill (60/1).

Soudal Open First-Round Leader Tips Summary

Best Bet - Darius van Driel each-way @ 50/1
Alternative Bet - Nacho Elvira each-way @ 60/1
Alternative Bet - Kota Kaneko each-way @ 70/1

Soudal Open First-Round Leader Prediction

Best Bet: Darius van Driel each-way @ 50/1

Teeing off from the 10th hole at 07:30 BST, Darius van Driel is among the early starters and he looks capable of putting down a solid marker at a course he has impressed at before.

The Dutchman is twice a runner-up at Rinkven International, in the 2019 Belgian Knockout when losing out to Guido Migliozzi and last year's play-off loss in the Soudal Open, while he was also 22nd in 2023.

Van Driel's accurate game plays into his hands when knocking it around this Antwerp course and he arrives in decent form, having secured a top-10 finish and a top-five result in two of his last three appearances.

Alternative Bet: Nacho Elvira each-way @ 60/1

Another player who has fond memories of Rinkven is Nacho Elvira, who produced a masterful performance to record a one-stroke victory in 2024 with a tournament record score of -18.

The Spaniard opened up with a 64 that year, enough for a share of second position on day one, while he was just one shot off the pace after the opening 18 holes in the 2022 edition.

Scrambling and putting well look like they will be two key metrics to success this week and it bodes well that Elvira, who won the Dubai International at the start of the year, has excelled in both departments on the DP World Tour.

The 39-year-old is off at 12:25 BST on Thursday, alongside Victor Perez and Eugenio Chacarra, and he looks to have every chance of getting into contention straight away.

Alternative Bet: Kota Kaneko each-way @ 70/1

Sticking on the theme of a player with a strong short game and it is hard to look past Kota Kaneko, who is first in strokes gained putting and 10th in scrambling on the European circuit.

After a tricky start to the year, the Japanese star has begun to look more at home at DP World Tour level, evidenced by his tied-ninth finish at the Turkish Airlines Open earlier this month.

Out at 13:15 BST alongside Hunter Logan and Tobias Jonsson, there will be little attention on this trio and that could be exactly what Kaneko needs, as the eyes of the crowds focus on the marquee groups.

Key Soudal Open Stats

• This is the fifth year in a row the Soudal Open has been held at Rinkven International

• Norwegian Kristoffer Reitan claimed the spoils in 2025, beating Ewen Ferguson and Darius van Driel in a play-off after the trio finished on -13

• Nacho Elvira holds the tournament record score at this course, posting -18 when triumphing in 2024

• Rinkven is a par 71 measuring 6,940 yards, boasting 13 par-fours, two par-fives and three par-threes

• Daniel Hillier - a 35/1 chance to be the first-round leader - leads the DP World Tour in par-four scoring

• Aaron Cockerill was tied for the lead after the opening round in 2025 and he is 80/1 to be at the summit come the end of day one again this year

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This article was written by a partner sports writer via Spotlight Sports Group. All odds displayed on this page were correct at the time of writing and are subject to withdrawal or change at any time.