New Zealand’s Josh Geary has received a much-needed confidence boost after advancing to the final 16 of the innovative Belgian Knockout.

Geary finished a cumulative 7-under par for the 63 holes played at the Rinkven International GC including two victories in the nine-hole medal matchplay format.

It’s been a difficult season for Geary since earning status on the Tour at last year’s Q-School but he will take plenty of confidence from his good scoring in Antwerp.

He was one of six Australasians to advance from the 36-hole qualifying to the knockout stages, Adam Bland, Dimi Papadatos, Nick Cullen, Lucas Herbert and Marcus Fraser also getting through.

Cullen, Herbert and Fraser all lost their opening round matches, Cullen to Adam Bland who blistered the nine holes in 5-under-par.

Fraser came up one shot shy against Jinho Choi while Herbert played his worst golf of the week to lose to Oliver Farr of Wales by six shots.

Geary accounted for Sweden’s Anders Hanse by a shot, 1-under to even par, while Papadatos also posted a one-shot margin of victory over Tom Lewis, 1-over to 2-over.

In the round of 32 Geary overcame Bland by a shot, 2-under to 1-under, while Papadatos couldn’t get anything going in his match against David Drysdale and was 3-over to the Scotsman’s 4-under.

It was Drysdale who also ended Geary’s week after an enthralling and tense match in the round of 16, the pair going 11 holes before Drysdale triumphed 2-under to 1-under.

Geary had a two shot lead after the opening three holes with a birdie at the first to Drysdales’ bogey at the third but the margin was reduced to one with a dropped shot from Geary at the fourth.

A two-shot swing at the seventh when Geary made bogy to Drysdale’s birdie saw the Scotsman go a shot ahead but the New Zealander squared things again at the next with a birdie.

A pair of pars at the ninth meant extra holes, birdies by both at the 10th sending them down the 11th where Drysdale’s birdie was enough to seal the win.

Just missing the matchplay portion of the tournament were Ryan Fox and Jordan Zunic who both lost out in an 11 for eight play-off for the final spots.

Also missing the weekend were Andrew Dodt, Brett Rumford, Jack Munro and Jason Norris.