Nicolas Colsaerts said he was emotional and extremely touched after being presented with a plaque to mark the incredible albatross he had on the 16th hole at Kingsbarns during last year's Alfred Dunhill Links Championship.
On Wednesday evening, Colsaerts was presented with a plaque to mark the incredible albatross he had on the 16th hole at Kingsbarns during last year's third round at the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship.
It was a shot that played a crucial part in his runner-up finish to Tyrrell Hatton, which helped him to secure playing rights for another season.
Fittingly, it's here a year later that Colsaerts makes his 500th event appearance this week, and has announced that he will retire at the end of the season.
“When you think that there is only barely 50 of us in the history of the DP World Tour that have done it, I'm extremely proud to add my name to the list, having been part of this institution for the past 25 years," he said.
"Yeah, I'm extremely proud. The idea (of retirement) started brewing a couple of years ago. But, yeah, obviously this finish last year allowed me to get to this amazing milestone and be part of the history of the DP World Tour, which I'm incredibly proud of."
With his young son with him, Colsaerts had helped put the plaque in the ground in the exact spot he played from, which reads:
"During the 2024 Alfred Dunhill Links Championship, Nicolas Colsaerts holed a 6 iron from this spot, 224 yards, for an albatross 2, completing his round in 7 under par 65. He went on to finish runner-up that year"
During Friday's second round, Colsaerts revisited it for the first time in competition play and spoke to on-course commentator Katherine Downes.
“I'm very fortunate to have holed the six iron, and the people here at Kingsbarns have been exceptional.
“We came the other night and we put this thing down for everyone to see this week, in this year's edition of the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship.
“You know, as us humans, it's nice to think that there will be a trace of you for a long, long time.”
“But, yeah, like I said, to have this thing on the ground, when you think of people that have plaques, like Ben Hogan, Bobby Jones, Westy (Lee Westwood) has got one here, to add my name to the list, it's something I'm extremely touched about.
“I'm a little bit further back this time! I think I've got about 40 paces. So I'm not even sure I'm going to be able to get to the green.
“Every time for everyone to see my name and then see what I was able to do on that day last year. I get pretty emotional just thinking about it.”
Watch the shot below!
It's not the first plaque he's ever been awarded, either. Colsaerts has another plaque which sits on the 18th fairway at Celtic Manor, marking the 447 yard drive he hit during the first round of the 2014 Wales Open.
It reads "Nicolas Colsaerts blasted a European Tour record drive to this spot on the opening day of the 2014 Wales Open. The drive measured a staggering 447 yards."
