Belgian stars Nicolas Colsaerts, Thomas Detry and Thomas Pieters will pose a significant threat to South African hopes when the AfrAsia Bank Mauritius Open returns to Heritage Golf Club.
The trio will be aiming to take their fine 2019 form into the new season when they tee it up as the tournament turns five.
While Detry and Pieters are making their debuts in the event, Colsaerts is no stranger to the paradise island – as an ambassador for Anahita Golf Club Mauritius, he has teed it up in three of the four previous editions, finishing third in 2016.
Ryder Cup players Colsaerts and Pieters both returned to winning ways in 2019, triumphing in the Amundi Open de France and D+D Real Czech Masters, respectively, while Detry is still seeking his maiden European Tour title. But, with four top 10s last season – including third place in the prestigious Nedbank Golf Challenge hosted by Gary Player – he could be walking on sunshine by the end of the week.
Three of the four previous winners of the tournament have enjoyed double delight by triumphing twice in the same season.
South Africa’s George Coetzee, who won the first edition in 2015, also took home the Tshwane Open title in the same campaign. In 2016 Jeunghun Wang was victorious in Mauritius the week after winning the Trophee Hassan II, and 2019 winner Kurt Kitayama also went on to take the Oman Open title.
Dylan Frittelli, the 2018 champion, also won twice in the same calendar year, with his maiden European Tour title coming at the Lyoness Open in June 2017, while his December win in Mauritius was part of the 2018 season.
Coetzee is also aiming to make this the second European Tour event he has won twice, following his 2015 Mauritius victory.
The 33-year-old previously won the Tshwane Open in 2015 and 2018.
