Rasmus Hojgaard gave a nerveless display in a tense sudden-death playoff on Sunday to win the AfrAsia Bank Mauritius Open at the third hole after three players shared the lead after regulation play.
He made eagle on the third playoff hole, after Italy’s Renato Paratore had been eliminated at the first, and France’s Antoine Rozner was unable to match his distance and accuracy on the third attempt to find a winner in the tournament sanctioned by the Sunshine Tour, the European Tour and the Asian Tour.
‘I can’t put it into words right now,’ said Hojgaard after he was drenched in champagne by fellow Danes Jeff Winther and veteran Soren Kjeldsen. ‘I didn’t think I’d win this early. Even to be on the tour this young is something I didn’t think would happen.’
He became the third-youngest winner on the European Tour behind Matteo Manassero of Italy and New Zealand’s Danny Lee. ‘That’s cool,’ he said. ‘I never thought about that. To win so early in my career is amazing, and I’m already looking forward to the next tournament.’
He started the final round in a hurry, with a birdie and an eagle in his opening two holes, but a pair of bogeys on the 4th and the 5th seemed set to put the skids on his charge to the top. But he maintained an equilibrium that would have been admirable in one much older, picking up birdies on the 7th, 10th and 18th to get himself into the playoff.
‘I just tried to be patient and set up as many birdie chances as possible,’ he said of his approach to the final round. ‘I knew I had to make a birdie on 18 in regulation to get into the playoff or an eagle to win. It was all about putting the drive in position, and from there on – I won’t say it’s simple – but you’ve got a good chance from there.’
Once he got into the playoff, things changed a bit for him. ‘I was obviously nervous,’ he said, ‘but I had nothing to lose in the playoff, so it was driver all day. Then, for the approach shots, I just kept telling myself to believe in myself and get the number right.’
In the playoff, he made birdie-birdie-eagle on the par-five 18th to pull off the victory. ‘That was pretty cool,’ he said.
One shot behind Rozner and Paratore was South Africa’s Louis de Jager who closed with a flawless eight-under 64. After he eagled the 14th, he was unable to capitalise on birdie opportunities, notably on the 16th and 17th, which would have put him in the conversation for the title. He was joined in a share of fourth by Frenchman Benjamin Hebert, Scot Grant Forrest and Thomas Detry of Belgium, whose bogey on 17 cost him dearly.
For Hojgaard, it is all about getting home to celebrate with family and friends. ‘I’m over the moon right now,’ he said. ‘That’s all I can say.’
