His 43rd birthday on November 14th will coincide almost with his departure from the DP World Tour. Nicolas Colsaerts announced to our colleagues at Canal+ that he is living "his last weeks on the European Tour." The most French of Belgian golfers has indeed decided to hang up his golfing boots.
Sitting on the putting green near the St-Nom-la-Bretche clubhouse where he practically launched his career at the 2001 Lancme Trophy, the Brussels native, in Yvelines this week for his 18th French Open, explained his decision.
Nicolas Colsaerts, statements
"I'm playing my last French Open," he said. "I'm going to reach 500 tournaments, at Dunhill or in India..." (Editor's note: he has 498 tournaments to his name with this 2025 French Open). This still requires a little clarification from the European Tour. I've been contemplating the idea of hanging up my clubs for two or three years. Because life makes things a bit complicated to manage. And I no longer have the energy to play 25 to 30 weeks a year to try to pick up half a point here and there. I'm a bit fried... That's why it's so hard to play a French Open here, to have played this Saturday with Martin (Couvra) in the rain but with a crowd around us. It's a bit unusual for me, but ultimately the decision was made a while ago."
"I was already supposed to retire last year, and then there was this miracle at Dunhill where I finished second, and I realize that I can finish in 500 (tournaments)," he continues. "It was close to my heart. It's one thing that bothered me, not having managed to play 500 tournaments. I've been here for 25 years. Since 2001. With ups and downs at the beginning. I'm part of the furniture. I know I've been pushing myself to the limit for a long time, but these are my last weeks on the European Tour."
Winner of the 2019 French Open at Le Golf National, Nicolas Colsaerts won the Volvo China Open in April 2011 and the World Volvo Match Play Championship in May 2012, a few weeks before his triumph at Medinah with the European Ryder Cup team. At the end of 2021, he announced he was suffering from a rare kidney disease, but through courage and self-sacrifice, he managed to return to the European Tour in April 2022. Before winning another Ryder Cup in Rome in 2023. This time as vice-captain.
