Nacho Elvira carded a final round level-par 71 to win the DP World Tour’s Soudal Open after a dramatic afternoon at Rinkven International Golf Club in Belgium.
The 37-year-old Spaniard entered the final day with a four-shot advantage after opening up with rounds of 64, 64 and 67 around the par-71 course, and he quickly extended that to five after making a birdie at the first hole. But 17 holes later he found himself on the 18th green at 18 under watching playing partner Niklas Nørgaard stand over a birdie putt to force a play-off.
The Dane, however, missed his 12-footer, leaving Elvira to celebrate a one-shot victory, with Frenchman Romain Langasque and home favourite Thomas Pieters in a share of second.
English duo Joe Dean and Matthew Jordan were then at 16 under, with Dean the only player to briefly share the lead with Elvira during a tense fourth round.
Elvira’s victory serves as a reward for some remarkable consistency in a 2024 season where he has missed just one cut by a single shot and finished second at the Kenya Open.
His victory at the 2021 Cazoo Open at Celtic Manor came after a play-off despite him entering the final round with a six-shot advantage and there was a chance that he could need extra holes again as he scrambled over the closing holes.
A broken 2-iron in the warm-up and 23-minute rain delay in the middle of the round added further complications, but Elvira showed remarkable determination to get over the line and seal an emotional victory.
“It’s such a relief,” he said. “I was quite nervous because I wasn’t hitting it that well off the tee. It was all heart the last few holes because I knew I had a couple of driving holes I wasn’t comfortable with. It was tough without the 2-iron, as I needed it a few times today, and I didn’t have that option, but I managed to grind it out and I’m really pleased to have held on.”