Author: alex

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.

The AfrAsia Bank Mauritius Open celebrates its fifth anniversary this year, and some of the world’s leading professionals are set to return to one of the most spectacular destinations on the Race to Dubai when they battle it out at Heritage Golf Club.

Multiple European Tour winner Marcel Siem of Germany attended the official launch of the 2019 AfrAsia Bank Mauritius Open on August 1 to take in the beauty of Mauritius during a two-week break in the European Tour schedule and following the busy summer period.

Another strong field will gather at the Heritage Le Telfair Golf and Spa Resort on Domaine De Bel Ombre from 5-8 December for a tri-sanctioned tournament – alongside the Sunshine Tour and Asian Tour – which is driving the growth of Mauritius as an increasingly popular destination for the world’s leading professionals.

Last year, four-time Major winner Ernie Els made his debut in the tournament, joining 2010 Open Champion Louis Oosthuizen, 2011 Open Champion and 2016 European Ryder Cup Captain Darren Clarke, 2018 European Ryder Cup Captain Thomas Björn, and a host of former Ryder Cup and Presidents Cup players as well as multiple Sunshine Tour, European Tour and Asian Tour winners.

This September, Heritage Golf Club will break ground on the construction of its second championship course – a design collaboration between Peter Matkovich and Louis Oosthuizen – that will further enhance the island’s status as a growing powerhouse in world golf travel.

“The AfrAsia Bank Mauritius Open has over the last five years captured the attention of leading golfers,” said Sanjiv Bhasin, Chief Executive Officer of AfrAsia Bank. “This is a source of encouragement and demonstrates that we are on track to make this event better every successive year. We are privileged to be the lead sponsor for the event as it enables us to present Mauritius as a formidable destination for tourism, real estate and financial services, all three of which are the key pillars of economic growth for this island nation. With this association our brand is on display on a global platform within our customer segment and in over 160 countries, strengthening our global reach.”

The scheduling of the tournament as the final event of the year on the Sunshine Tour – the next event after the Nedbank Golf Challenge hosted by Gary Player and the Alfred Dunhill Championship – and the second tournament on the European Tour’s Race to Dubai for the 2020 season, has also made it a highly attractive way for the professionals to end their year, with golf in paradise.

“It has been remarkable to witness the growth of the AfrAsia Bank Mauritius Open, which has provided the perfect platform to showcase Mauritius and our award-winning resorts in Domaine De Bel Ombre to the rest of the world. The positive feedback from the players is that this is indeed golf in paradise,” said Francois Eynaud, CEO of Veranda Leisure and Hospitality (VLH).

“We are excited to be starting with the construction of our second championship golf course at the Heritage Golf Club this September and it will add significantly to a hospitality and golf offering which we believe rivals the best in the world.”

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.

American Kurt Kitayama heads into the weekend of the AfrAsia Bank Mauritius Open with a two-stroke lead and looking to make the perfect start to his rookie season on the European Tour.

Kitayama signed for a second consecutive 65 at the Four Seasons Golf Club Mauritius at Anahita on Friday to head the field on 14 under par.

India’s Chikkarangappa S. is his nearest challenger on 12 under par following a 68, with Frenchman Victor Perez and Matthieu Pavon on 11 under. Trevor Fisher Jnr. leads the South African challenge at five shots off the lead. Ernie Els and defending champion Dylan Frittelli head into the weekend on five under par.

Kitayama travelled to Mauritius with no clear plan of where his career is going and to simply play the next three tournaments in front of him as a new member of the European Tour following his tied third-place finish at the Tour’s Final Stage of Qualifying School.

“You know, I’m just focusing on this little stretch to end 2018 and then I’ll regroup at the end of the year and see what I’m thinking about for the future. It’s just about trusting the process,” he said.

He did indeed have to trust the process out on the Anahita course as he started his second round with a birdie but then made a double bogey at the second. After that he made four consecutive birdies, and finished his round with a further four birdies in six holes.

“I started with a birdie and then just had a little blunder at two. I got back on track straight after though so it was nice to bounce back. I’m driving it well, which is making it a lot easier out there. It’s a pretty big advantage to be able to hit shorter irons in. I’ll have the same approach over the weekend. It’s gone well so far so I don’t want to switch things up too much.”

Chikkarangappa S. moved himself into contention with a round that saw him make five consecutive birdies at the start of his second nine. And an Indian flag will fly near the top of a leaderboard once again this season.

“Shubhankar Sharma has really shown the way for a lot of Indian youngsters this year. As Indian golfers we’re now out in the world and playing with the best. Jeev Milkha Singh was telling us there were only four or five Indian golfers on tour during his time. Now we have closer to 25, and about 15 of us holding a full card on the Asian Tour and a couple on the European Tour,” he said.

South Africa’s Fisher Jnr. worked his way into contention on nine under par and with a bogey-free 66.

“I feel good. I’ve shown signs of improving but it’s been up and down the last six months. One or two good rounds, and one or two bad rounds. This week I’ve been trying to think more about the mental side, be a bit more confident and easier on myself out there.

“I’ll keep doing what I’m doing. I’ll just trust the positives, try to play my own game, stay in my zone and give myself a chance out there,” he said.

Photo Credit: Warren Little/Getty Images.

A bit of sun, sea and sand is said to cure all manner of ills, and it certainly seems to be working for Jaco van Zyl as he opened with a seven-under-par 65 to be only one stroke off the lead after Thursday’s first round of the AfrAsia Bank Mauritius Open at the Four Seasons Golf Club Mauritius at Anahita.

The South African’s start in this tri-sanctioned tournament is his best since his return from a wrist injury and he led for most of the round before Frenchman Victor Perez and India’s S Chikkarangappa overtook him with their rounds of 64 in the afternoon.

Van Zyl finished the day in a three-way tie for second place with Japan’s Masahiro Kawamura and American Kurt Kitayama.

Behind them, South Africa’s Justin Harding kept up his challenge to win both the Sunshine Tour and Asian Tour Order of Merits as he chipped in on the 18th for an eagle and a round of five-under-par 67. He currently leads the Sunshine Tour Order of Merit and is third on the Asian Tour’s Habitat for Humanity money list, but with an outside chance of winning that if he has three strong weeks, starting in Mauritius.

Harding’s playing partner Ernie Els played his way to a steady three-under-par 69 on Thursday.

On a sweltering day on the island, Van Zyl took advantage of a cooler early tee-off time and opened with a birdie, finished with an eagle, and made a further four birdies and no bogeys in between.

“The early tee time was good. The course is in absolutely fantastic condition considering the amount of rain they had on Monday and Tuesday. And it’s the first round of a new season, so it’s really nice to get off to a good solid start,” he said.

“After coming back from my injury, I think I’ve played six events in Europe in the latter part of the year. It feels like I’m still getting back into it, and shooting seven under in the first round is a really good feeling. The short game has been really good. Normally I’m a very consistent ball striker, and I’ve been battling with that a little bit over the last six weeks. But that’s starting to come on nicely and I’m getting the distance back. I’m still hitting it fairly straight but the big difference is definitely the chipping and putting. I’m making a lot more putts than I have been.”

Photo Credit: Thinus Maritz/Sunshine Tour.

Ernie Els is hoping the local knowledge he has of an Anahita golf course that he designed gives him an edge over the rest of the field when he makes his debut in the AfrAsia Bank Mauritius Open on Thursday.

The four-time Major winner and former world number one said his decision to play in the tournament was sparked by the 10th anniversary of the opening of the course he designed at the Four Seasons Golf Club Mauritius at Anahita.

“It’s really exciting to be back, and I absolutely hope knowing the golf course gives me an advantage,” Els said on the eve of the first round of this tri-sanctioned tournament between the Sunshine Tour, Asian Tour and European Tour.

“I haven’t been back here since we opened the course. It’s so nice to have a tournament of this stature played on our golf course. It’s amazing though, we designed the golf course 10 years ago and this was during one of my phases where I liked small greens and run-off areas. Hopefully that doesn’t come back to bite me this week.”

Els played 18 holes in practice on Wednesday and said he liked what he saw in terms of the golf course’s condition following a deluge of rain falling overnight. “It’s in good shape and I think the guys can score. There’s room off the tee here. We have wider fairways but most of the holes were built thinking about the winds off the ocean. The greens are pretty small and they are quite undulating so that is where your challenge will be this week.”

Els is also hoping the relaxed nature of this tournament counts in his favour this week, especially after his finish of tied third in another island event, the Fiji International, on the Asian Tour this year.

“When it comes to island courses it’s the relaxation I like. When I played in Fiji I had my wife and my daughter with me, and my wife is here this week. We’re also close to South Africa so I feel like I’m really heading home from here.”

The field this week includes every champion since the tournament became tri-sanctioned, including George Coetzee (2015), Jeunghun Wang (2016) and Dylan Frittelli (2017).

Photo Credit: Clémence Rogers.

Justin Harding will make a strong push to become the first South African golfer to ever win the Asian Tour’s Habitat for Humanity Standings, starting with this week’s AfrAsia Bank Mauritius Open at the Four Seasons Golf Club Mauritius at Anahita.

Harding is currently third on the Asian Tour money list following a breakthrough season here in which he has won twice. The South African has been in incredible form in 2018, also winning twice on the Sunshine Tour and currently leading the Order of Merit here.

The previous highest finish on the Asian Tour money list since 2004 by any South African was Anton Haig who finished third on the money list in 2007.

Harding will be the highest ranked player on the Asian Tour money list at this week’s AfrAsia Bank Mauritius Open, which is tri-sanctioned by the Asian Tour, Sunshine Tour and European Tour.

Harding has already made Asian Tour history this season by becoming the first player to win twice in his first two starts on the Tour when he won the Bank BRI Indonesian Open and then the Royal Cup. And with three tournaments left on the Asian Tour’s season, Harding still has a realistic chance of finishing top of the Tour’s money list.

The Indian golfer Shubhankar Sharma currently leads the way on the Habitat for Humanity Standings with earnings of US$ 755 994. Harding is US$ 331 817 behind Sharma in third place.

But Sharma will not be playing in this week’s AfrAsia Bank Mauritius Open or the following week’s South African Open hosted by the City of Joburg, which is also tri-sanctioned by the Sunshine Tour, Asian Tour and European Tour.

If Harding wins in Mauritius and Johannesburg, he will take over the top spot on the standings from Sharma. And it’s not unlikely, given that the South African has already achieved back-to-back wins twice in 2018 on the Sunshine Tour and the Asian Tour.

“The players on the Sunshine Tour will be gunning for my number one spot on the Order of Merit and it’s very important that I play well here. It’s an added bonus that the event is also sanctioned by the Asian Tour so I’ll also improve my position on the Habitat for Humanity Standings if I do well,” Harding said ahead of Thursday’s first round of the AfrAsia Bank Mauritius Open.

“Anahita is very wind dependent. The last time I played there, the winds were blowing at 65km/h and I was nearly blown off the golf course. It’s a long golf course and if the wind picks up, it will be very challenging.”

The AfrAsia Bank Mauritius Open is set to welcome the strongest field in its tri-sanctioned history when the tournament is played at the Four Seasons Golf Club Mauritius at Anahita from 29 November to 2 December.

Ernie Els will make his debut in the tournament, with the four-time Major winner, World Golf Hall of Fame member and former world number one headlining this year’s field.

Dylan Frittelli, who has secured his playing privileges on the PGA Tour in 2019, will defend his title in a field including another former champion in George Coetzee, who won the inaugural tournament in 2015.

Justin Harding, the South African who has won twice on the Asian Tour this year and twice on the Sunshine Tour, will be looking for his first European Tour title in Mauritius.

Nicolas Colsaerts, Belgium’s former Ryder Cup player and a two-time European Tour winner, four-time European Tour champion Bernd Wiesberger from Austria, and multiple European Tour champions Matteo Manassero from Italy, Gregory Bourdy and Gregory Havret from France, and Germany’s Marcel Siem are also in this year’s field.

Rising French star Romain Langasque is back to challenge again in a tournament where he finished third last year.

And the field will also feature South Africa’s Zander Lombard, who finished tied first in the European Tour’s Qualifying School recently.

“We are delighted with the field for this year’s tournament, which reflects how quickly it has grown and gained the respect of some of the world’s leading professionals,” said Ryan Dodds, Head of Golf Management & Projects: Veranda Leisure and Hospitality.

“We are only in our fourth year since the AfrAsia Bank Mauritius Open teed off as a tri-sanctioned event, and in this time we’ve had Major winners, former world number ones, European Ryder Cup stars and captains, Presidents Cup players and some of the most exciting young players in the game play in Mauritius. This year’s field is really another positive step in terms of our vision to keep growing the tournament as something unique in world golf.”

The AfrAsia Bank Mauritius Open is tri-sanctioned by the European Tour, Sunshine Tour and Asian Tour and will offer a total purse of €1 million.