By Jimmy Emanuel

Now splitting his time between competing and a commentary career that has proven exceptionally popular, Colsaerts is no stranger to Australian shores having teed it up regularly in past years and through his Australian wife, Rachel.

Ten times a winner as a professional, the Belgian was one of the stars of the “Miracle at Medinah” when the Jose Maria Olazabal led European team staged an historic comeback to claim the Ryder Cup in 2012 on American soil.

Representing his native Belgium at the 2016 Olympic Games, Colsaerts’ most recent win came in 2019 at the Amundi Open de France, adding to the former World No.32’s DP World Tour wins at the Volvo China Open (2011) and Volvo World Match Play (2012).

He recently finished in a tie for sixth at the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship in Scotland.

Joining fellow Ryder Cup representative Robert MacIntyre at the two Australian majors, the 40-year-old is the latest player to commit to an impressive field gathering for the two-day Cathedral Invitational at the highly rated Cathedral Lodge and Golf Club in Victoria.

Adam Scott, Cameron Smith, Marc Leishman, Geoff Ogilvy, defending champion Nick Flanagan, top-ranked All Abilities player Kipp Popert and reigning Challenger PGA Tour of Australasia Order of Merit winner David Micheluzzi have all confirmed for the Cathedral Invitational on the men’s side for its second staging.

Meanwhile, the tournament which pits men and women against one another from scaled tees will also feature rising Australian stars Gabi Ruffels, Cassie Porter and Grace Kim, as well as LPGA Tour veteran Sarah-Jane Smith.

The latest international player set to contest Australian golf’s biggest prizes, Colsaerts will first tackle Royal Queensland Golf Club at the Australian PGA Championship, where Smith, Scott, Leishman and MacIntyre will also be joined by Adrian Meronk, Min Woo Lee, Cameron Davis and Lucas Herbert, beginning November 23.

Moving to Sydney, that group will be joined by more overseas hopes in Nick Hardy and Patrick Rodgers from the United States, as well as Chile’s Mito Pereira and Joaquin Niemann, with the men’s and women’s Australian Opens again played concurrently across The Australian and The Lakes Golf Clubs from November 30.

The first national Open to be played in a dual gender format last year, having Minjee Lee, Hannah Green, Steph Kyriacou, Sarah Kemp, Jiyai Shin, Smith, Kim and Ruffels, as well as defending champion Ashleigh Buhai confirmed as starters.

Starting on December 5, the second day of play at the Cathedral Invitational (December 6) will offer a rare chance for public to wander the Cathedral Lodge & Golf Club property where the tournament’s second winner will be crowned and awarded the $100,000 first prize.

Tickets for the Fortinet Australian PGA Championship, ISPS HANDA Australian Open and Cathedral Invitational are available via www.ticketek.com  

The ISPS HANDA Australian Open is proudly supported by the NSW Government through its tourism and major events agency Destination NSW and naming rights partner ISPS HANDA.

The Fortinet Australian PGA Championship is proudly supported by the Queensland Government through Tourism and Events Queensland, and Brisbane City Council via Brisbane Economic Development Agency.