Soudal Open Halfway Leaderboard: Round 3 Betting Tips | May 2026

Halfway Drama at Rinkven: Vaillant and Lombard Share the Lead After 36 Holes

Tom Vaillant and Zander Lombard head into the Soudal Open weekend locked together at 13 under par after an absorbing second round at Rinkven International Golf Club. Vaillant produced a second consecutive bogey-free round — following Thursday’s 65 with a superb seven-under 64 — to set the early target in the clubhouse. Lombard, who led by a stroke after Round 1, answered late with a 31-foot birdie putt at the last to join his co-leader at the top of the leaderboard.

The pair sit three clear of a five-way logjam at 10 under, with Jacob Skov Olesen, Casey Jarvis, Richard Sterne, Jorge Campillo and Ben Schmidt all right in the mix heading into the weekend. This remains wide open behind the two leaders.

Our Pre-Tournament Pick

Jose Luis Ballester was our pre-tournament fancy, but the Spaniard has not been able to fire the rounds required at Rinkven and does not feature in the weekend contention picture. With the cut now done, our focus shifts to the players in realistic striking distance of Vaillant and Lombard.

Who’s in Contention

Tom Vaillant (13 under) has been the model of consistency. Four bogey-free rounds in his last six events, back-to-back 65 and 64 this week, and a calm head under pressure. He’s the outright leader on countback and looks every bit the part. Available at around 7/2.

Zander Lombard (13 under) looked like he might surrender the lead on Friday before that stunning 31-footer dropped at the last. The South African’s form is built on ball-striking — he missed just two greens all day in Round 2 — and his confidence after returning from injury is clearly building. Priced around 6/1, he represents better value than his co-leader.

Jacob Skov Olesen (10 under) is the most interesting of the chasers at around 12/1. Three shots back, consistent across both rounds, and comfortable on a course that rewards accuracy over the tee. He’s the value bet from the chasing group. Casey Jarvis and Jorge Campillo are also right there, while Richard Sterne and Ben Schmidt complete the busy 10-under pack.

Round 3 Betting Angles

Rinkven is forecast to get trickier over the weekend — firmer, bouncier greens, according to Lombard himself — and that favours players with precise iron play over those relying on wedge approach angles. Vaillant has found every green; Lombard’s ball-striking is elite this week. That narrative doesn’t obviously favour the chasers unless one of them goes very low early and applies early pressure.

Skov Olesen’s 64 in Round 1 was built on accuracy, and his steady 68 in Round 2 suggests he hasn’t lost that sharpness. Three back with two rounds to play is more than achievable if the conditions tighten and the leaders drop a shot or two. At 12/1 he’s the best-value bet in the field going into Saturday.

Lombard’s pricing at 6/1 deserves attention. He holed from 31 feet to stay level with Vaillant — that’s the kind of momentum a player rides into the weekend. His confidence about leaning on his woods and staying aggressive suggests he’s not going to back off. If the two leaders pull clear of the chasers early, this could develop into a two-horse race between them.

Our Updated Pick

Halfway Leaderboard (After Round 2)