The European Tour heads to the Indian Ocean this week for the inaugural AfrAsia Bank Mauritius Open – the first official event to be tri-sanctioned with the Asian and Sunshine Tours.
Denmark’s Thomas Bjørn, the 15-time European Tour winner, is joined in the field by the Thailand’s Kiradech Aphibarnrat and South African George Coetzee, both of whom have triumphed on The European Tour already this season.
Coetzee, who won his second European Tour title in the Tshwane Open on home soil in March, returned to action in last week’s WGC – Cadillac Match Play following a four week break, while Aphibarnrat starts the week in ninth position on The Race to Dubai following his victory in the Shenzhen International last month.
Bjørn’s most recent European Tour victory came in neighbouring South Africa last year, and the Ryder Cup player has compatriots Thorbjørn Olesen and Søren Hansen for company at The Heritage Golf Club.
Olesen is making his first start since the start of February after recovering from a hand injury which has limited him to just four appearances so far in 2015.
He will be hoping for a quick return to the form he showed at the back-end of last season, which led to him claiming his second European Tour title in the Perth International.
While the tournament marks the first tri-sanctioned event between the three tours, the total prize fund of €1million is the highest purse to be paid out for an event held in Mauritius.
The three tours are each represented by 40 players, with a further 12 tournament invitations completing the 132-man field.
