Mauritius: Former Ryder Cup winning captain, Thomas Bjorn and Ockie Strydom, last week’s winner on the DP World Tour are both looking at another successful week as they line up for AfrAsia Bank Mauritius Open.
The venue, The Mont Choisy Le Golf course is hosting its first major professional tournament this week, and the Peter Matkovich-designed layout is reckoned as one of the prettiest in the paradise island.
Strydom is seeing the course for the first time, but he liked what he saw. “It’s my first time seeing this course, but it will be a challenge in the wind. It is wide though, so the opportunities will be there,” said Strydom, who last week won his maiden DP World Tour victory.
Strydom won the Alfred Dunhill Championship last week and is hoping to continue that form in this week’s AfrAsia Bank Mauritius Open.
South Africa’s Dean Burmester is perhaps best placed to provide insight into this layout as it’s his home course.
“I haven’t seen the golf course look as tournament ready as it does now. It’s great. The wind is up which it always is around this time of the year, and it’s playing tricky. It’s as close as you’ll get to an inland links. It’s open and with nothing to stop the wind, but with very slopey greens. I think it’s just really ready to host this tournament,” he said.
In what is very much an island style to the golf, and in keeping with “The Most Beautiful Week in Golf” theme of this event, the players have been granted permission to wear shorts during the tournament.
It all fits in very well with what is a unique week in golf, and a far more relaxed one at the end of a long year on the fairways.
“It’s amazing to be here. Just to breathe and relax and spend some time on the beach with the kids and watch them build sandcastles, and then play golf on my home course is wonderful,” said Burmester.
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