Month: September 2019

A strong contingent of French professionals have confirmed their presence in this year’s AfrAsia Bank Mauritius Open as they edge closer to a first French champion in this tri-sanctioned tournament between the European Tour, Sunshine Tour and Asian Tour.

French golfers have finished third and second in the past two editions of this €1-million tournament, which this year will be played at the Heritage Golf Club at Heritage Resorts from 5-8 December. In 2018, France was second only to South Africa in the number of its golfers who finished within the top 20 in the AfrAsia Bank Mauritius Open.

The French challenge will be led by Benjamin Hebert, currently the top French golfer on the European Tour’s Race to Dubai ranking in 15^th place and within the top 100 on the Official World Golf Ranking.

Heritage ambassador Romain Langasque, currently 21^st on the European Tour’s Race to Dubai rankings, will also be in the field.

In 2017, when the AfrAsia Bank Mauritius Open was last played at the Heritage Golf Club, Langasque finished third and only two shots out of the playoff between champion Dylan Frittelli and Arjun Atwal of India. Langasque again came close to securing a maiden European Tour title when he finished third in July’s Aberdeen Standard Investments Scottish Open, a tournament that is part of the European Tour’s prestigious Rolex Series.

Matthieu Pavon flew the French flag at Anahita in 2018 when he finished tied second and just two strokes behind eventual winner Kurt Kitayama. Pavon has also shown signs of becoming the next French champion on the European Tour with his finishes of tied 10^th in both the BMW International Open and the Scandinavian Invitation this season.

They will be joined at Heritage Golf Club by Heritage ambassador Clément Sordet, who finished 11^th in last year’s AfrAsia Bank Mauritius Open, and who this year had his best European Tour finish of second in the Oman Open in March.

Victor Perez, who finished 14^th in the 2018 AfrAsia Bank Mauritius Open, and Raphaël Jacquelin, who finished tied 17^th last year, add to a very strong French line-up for the fifth edition of this tournament.

“We are extremely proud of our Heritage ambassadors and their performances in the AfrAsia Bank Mauritius Open, which is a flagship event for our award-winning resort. We look forward to welcoming them back to our magnificent Heritage Golf Club, which has been recognised as one of the top 10 golf courses in Africa and the ‘Best golf course in the Indian Ocean’ at the World Golf Awards for the past five years,” said Thierry Montocchio, CEO of Veranda Leisure and Hospitality (VLH).

In five years the AfrAsia Bank Mauritius Open has not only witnessed its own rapid growth as a tri-sanctioned tournament with the European Tour, Asian Tour and Sunshine Tour, but it has also significantly stimulated the golf economy of Mauritius.

From 5-8 December, the Heritage Golf Club at Heritage Resorts will host the AfrAsia Bank Mauritius Open for the third time in the last five years. The tournament teed off here in 2015 as a unique coalition between three of the largest professional tours in world golf – the European Tour, Asian Tour and Sunshine Tour. It has attracted Major winners, former world number ones, Ryder Cup captains and a myriad of other leading international golfers. But perhaps the biggest impact has been on the golf economy of Mauritius.

“Immediately after the first tournament we saw an increase of 6 000 rounds in one year at Heritage Golf Club. Growth like that is really unheard of, especially considering that the course has been open since 2004,” says Jonathan Menteath, the General Manager of Heritage Golf Club.

The global television broadcast of the AfrAsia Bank Mauritius Open, which reaches close to 400 million homes worldwide, has also significantly boosted Mauritius as a leading golf tourism destination.

“Golf in Mauritius has grown from 170 000 rounds in 2011 up to 240 000 rounds in 2018, and I believe that the global exposure that the tournament gives Mauritius has played a big role in establishing Mauritius as a must-visit golf destination,” says Menteath.

He is expecting this to increase with the completion of Heritage Resorts’ second championship golf course, a design collaboration between renowned golf course architect Peter Matkovich and 2010 Open champion Louis Oosthuizen.

“The project has been launched in July 2019 and the course is scheduled to open in September 2021. The design and layout of facilities has been finalised with Peter Matkovich, Louis Oosthuizen and the buildings architects. We are working hard to open what will possibly be the best golfing facility in the Indian Ocean,” says Menteath.

“It will add immeasurably to the popularity of the Domaine de Bel Ombre and Heritage Resorts. Having two championship golf courses on our doorstep is going to take the resort to another level in that golfers really won’t need to look much further when deciding on what destination and resort to visit on their golf holiday. The design of the second course is so unique and so exciting. It starts at the top of our property and cascades down to the bottom of the property one hole at a time. The views are breathtaking. I think our second course is going to be a popular playing experience to say the least.”

In a bid to further stimulate golf tourism to Mauritius, Heritage Resorts also offers its guests a Golf Bliss Package that allows them premier access at discounted rates to all the golf courses on the South West of the island at the resorts of Heritage, Paradis, Tamarina and Avalon.