The second edition of the AfrAsia Bank Mauritius Open takes place at Four Seasons Golf Club at Anahita this week. The one of a kind event sees three tours (European, Sunshine, Asian) co-sanction the event at a majestic destination that could prove a challenge for the players.
The field contains seven players inside the world top 100, including 2015 champion George Coetzee among a contingent of South Africans that frequent the European and Sunshine Tours. A change of venue may weaken Coetzee’s tag as favourite, added to the fact that he has not played competitive golf since March.
The top-ranked player in the field is South Africa’s Jaco van Zyl, who should be confident after winning the Eye of Africa PGA Championship earlier this season. The world number 62 has plenty to play for considering his last outing on tour ended in a missed cut at the Open de Espana.
The withdrawals of Louis Oosthuizen and Charl Schwartzel have also propelled Van Zyl into the second spot for South Africa at the Olympics, but the spot is by no means guaranteed as a crop of young players loom in the ranking. Coetzee, Haydn Porteous, Brandon Stone, and Dean Burmester will all have an eye on catching Van Zyl and know a good showing in Mauritius will help tremendously.
The 14-time Sunshine Tour winner may be playing in Mauritius for the first time, but has every chance of breaking onto the European Tour this week.
