Great-grandfather represented Belgium in basketball and water polo at the 1920 Olympic Games.

Admires Michael Jordan, Fred Couples and the late Seve Ballesteros, tennis players Roger Federer, John McEnroe and Goran Ivanisevic, motorcycle racer Valentino Rossi, darts player Bobby George and soccer players Eric Cantona and Zinedine Zidane.

Played numerous sports as a youth, concentrating on field hockey and golf before finally putting all his focus on golf. Grandfather introduced him to the game when he took his grandson to driving range in downtown Brussels.

While rehabbing a broken arm in the summer of 2011, he caddied for friend Patrick Brose at the Belgium Foursome Championships, a noted amateur event in his home country.

Has worked on his short game with Dave Stockton.

Almost won as an amateur on the European Challenge Tour, at the Luxembourg Open. Lost in a playoff to Henrik Stenson at the event in None, Luxembourg, after shooting four consecutive sub-70 rounds.