Thomas Bjørn is looking to step up his return from injury at this week’s inaugural AfrAsia Bank Mauritius Open.
The 44 year old Dane has managed just five starts on The Race to Dubai this term, with his last appearance coming almost a month ago at the Masters Tournament.
And while the 15-time European Tour winner admits he is still not 100 per cent fit, Bjørn is eager to get the competitive juices flowing again.
“I’ve not played much golf this year because of injury, and the tournaments I have played have been the difficult ones, so it will be nice to get out and play some golf again and be competitive," said Bjørn, who has been battling a back injury.
“Hopefully I can do that this week and get those things going inside me which makes me compete.
“It’s a good place to come and I’m happy with the way my game is shaping up. I’m able to practice more after the injuries, so I’m feeling better.
“I’m not 100 per cent but I like what I see in practice; I’m taking baby steps in the right direction, and that’s important.
“It’s a long year ahead but I’ll take it one step at a time. I went to Indonesia and did well a couple of weeks ago, so it’s small steps. I still have to manage my injuries and keep myself fit to play, but I can put in more hours now which is important. I’m making good progress.”
The Heritage Golf Club course which stages the latest new addition to The European Tour International Schedule has certainly caught Bjørn’s eye, although The Ryder Cup star has also been drawn to some of the off-course experiences that Mauritius has to offer.
He added: “It’s a funny course in the sense it is really difficult, or really easy - there’s not much in between.
“You have got to look to be prepared for those tough holes then take care of those short par fours and the par fives. It’s a good test of mental strength when you change round so much in a round.
“If you come in thinking you’ll do your work at the course but also enjoy yourself, it’s probably a good approach.
“There are too many good things here not to enjoy some of them, but if you try to enjoy all of them then it will affect your golf. It’s a balance, but what a place to come, enjoy yourself and play some golf.
“This is a wonderful golf course. It is a little bit different in that there are a lot of tough holes and some stretches where it isn’t that difficult. It’s a mixture between the two.
“You’ve got to manage your way around the course and not get too frustrated as you will get a stretch where you’ll do well to come out level par, but there will be opportunities. You’ve got to manage your game, your brain, and your expectations. Mentally it is more testing.”
