Month: December 2018

It took American Kurt Kitayama only three tournaments as a European Tour member to turn his rookie season into a winning one as he claimed the AfrAsia Bank Mauritius Open by two shots at the Four Seasons Golf Club Mauritius at Anahita on Sunday.

The man with a smile as bright as a Mauritius sunrise closed with a 68 to win this tri-sanctioned tournament between the European Tour, Sunshine Tour and Asian Tour on 20-under-par.

Frenchman Matthieu Pavon and India’s Chikkarangappa S. shared second place on 18 under par, while South African Justin Harding finished fourth on 17 under.

Kitayama started the final round tied for the lead with Harding. But as Harding struggled to make anything happen on the final day and eventually signed for a 71, Kitayama made two birdies and an eagle in his first five holes for exactly the fast start he needed to set him up for the victory.

“I’m just so proud and really happy. It’s an unbelievable moment for me. I’m just so happy I was able to pull it off,” said Kitayama.

“There were definitely some nerves around the first tee shot and that early stretch of going birdie-eagle-birdie helped to calm things down for the rest of the day.”

Harding made a positive start himself with two birdies in his opening four holes. But he couldn’t recover from back-to-back bogeys at holes six and seven.

“It was my own doing really. But all credit to Kurt. He was really solid out there,” Harding said.

Pavon surged through the field with a 67 that included a run of five birdies in his opening seven holes, and Chikkarangappa S. also signed for a 67 to climb the leaderboard on the final day. Defending champion Dylan Frittelli made a significant move with his 65 to finish on 16 under.

But there was a definite sense that with his quick start, Kitayama had broken the back of any challenge coming his way.

“I was aware a little bit of what was going on and I kept one eye on the scoreboard. I just tried to stay calm and take it one shot at a time,” he said.

After playing for most of the year on the Asian Tour, Kitayama earned his European Tour card by finishing third at the Final Stage of Qualifying School recently. And he’ll take this form to South Africa where he will see out the year playing the South African Open hosted by the City of Joburg and then the Alfred Dunhill Championship at Leopard Creek.

“This whole year has been, well, what a great year. I still have two more events, but to win on one of the last events of the year is just great,” he said.

Photo Credit: Warren Little/Getty.

The large group of young Mauritian golfers who attended a clinic with the professionals competing in the 2018 AfrAsia Bank Mauritius Open showcased again the phenomenal growth of this tournament and the role it is playing in the development of the game on the Indian Ocean island.

The young golfers from the Mauritius Golf Federation (MGF) joined a selection of professionals from the Sunshine Tour, Asian Tour and European Tour – who tri-sanction this event – on the practice range at the Four Seasons Golf Club Mauritius at Anahita on Saturday.

“The interest in golf amongst the young people on the island is really building up,” says Christophe Curé, President of the MGF.

“We have a Golf for All project that we run on the island and it’s helped the sport to really grow here, which has been the goal of the MGF. We are focused on growing the game amongst juniors.”

The AfrAsia Bank Mauritius Open has fulfilled a key aspirational role in this growth as more and more young Mauritians are introduced to a game showcasing talented young athletes from around the world enjoying careers as professionals.

And it’s also given them a glimpse of what is possible, with some of the biggest names in golf having played in the AfrAsia Bank Mauritius Open over the past four years, including Major winners Ernie Els, Darren Clarke and Louis Oosthuizen, 2018 European Ryder Cup captain Thomas Bjørn, and a myriad of former Ryder Cup and Presidents Cup players as well as multiple Sunshine Tour, European Tour and Asian Tour winners.

“The tournament is really becoming quite popular on the island and drawing more and more Mauritians to come and watch,” says Curé, who identifies young amateur Pierre Pellegrin as an example of how it’s helping to develop the local game.

Pellegrin played in the tournament for the first time this year as the country’s top amateur golfer. Like most young Mauritians his sport of choice used to be football and he went for trials in France. But an injury made him turn to golf, and he hasn’t looked back. Although he missed the cut in this year’s AfrAsian Bank Mauritius Open, he remains an inspiration for the many young golfers who attended the clinic.

“Pierre only started playing golf about four or five years ago after his football injury, so he has progressed really quickly. This was his first time playing in a professional tournament so I think he was a bit nervous. But the experience will be good for him and will help him grow his game in years to come,” says Curé.

And that’s exactly what the AfrAsia Bank Mauritius Open hopes to do going forward as it grows not only what the sponsors refer to as “Brand Mauritius”, but also exposes young Mauritians to a brand new sport and a world of possibilities.

Photo Caption: Sunshine Tour professional Jaco van Zyl helps a young Mauritian golfer with his stance during a golf clinic at the 2018 AfrAsia Bank Mauritius Open. Credit: Christopher Morley-Pegge.02

It may be December, but Justin Harding isn’t done yet.

The South African’s dream year is showing no sign of ending as he heads into Sunday’s final round of the AfrAsia Bank Mauritius Open tied for the lead with American Kurt Kitayama, and chasing a fifth title this season at the Four Seasons Golf Club Mauritius at Anahita.

Harding signed for a bogey-free 64 on Saturday to top the leaderboard on 16 under par, and where he was joined by Kitayama after his 70. They are three strokes clear of their nearest challengers in Japan’s Masahiro Kawamura, Frenchman Matthieu Pavon and India’s Chikkarangappa S.

“I did my job. I put myself in a decent position to get the result on Sunday,” said Harding, who showed exactly the kind of mood he was in when he opened with five birdies in his first eight holes.

“I’m thrilled. That was without a doubt my best tournament round. I really felt I played pretty good today. I had good control, especially for the first 13 holes. I felt like I could birdie every hole out there. I hit some close and felt like I could be a little more aggressive with the flags today. And then when it came to the putting I just felt like I had a good line on everything. It was a good day and I enjoyed it.

Harding is in the midst of the season of his life having already won four times, including twice on the Sunshine Tour and twice on the Asian Tour. He currently leads the Sunshine Tour Order of Merit and is third on the Asian Tour equivalent, the Habitat for Humanity Standings. Shubhankar Sharma, the man leading the Asian Tour standings, is not playing this week or in next week’s South African Open hosted by the City of Joburg, giving Harding a perfect opportunity to overtake the Indian star, starting with a win this weekend.

“Hopefully I can put a good round together on Sunday and then see what happens,” he said. “I enjoy leading. I like the guys coming to me rather than having to chase. I’m looking forward to it.”

Kitayama, who led by two strokes going into the third round, admitted he felt some of the pressure of being in a final group on the Saturday.

“Today played a little tougher. Being in the last group added a little more pressure. I grinded it out. I just didn’t hit it as well as I did on the first two days.”

Harding, though, feels he’s in a good space mentally for the challenge to come.

“It’s going to be a beautiful day on the golf course, playing golf on an island, what more can you want?”

Photo Credit: Thinus Maritz/Sunshine Tour.