The DP World Tour welcomes back the AfrAsia Bank Mauritius Open to its schedule after a two-season hiatus for the final event of the calendar year. Here are your five things to know.
A brand-new venue
The sixth edition of the AfrAsia Bank Mauritius Open is breaking new ground as it heads to Mont Choisy Le Golf. The 7,050 par-72 championship course, which is hosting an international tournament for the first time, is set in the northern region of the island, near the seaside resort of Grand Baie. The layout – designed by former golfer turned architect Peter Matkovich and opened in October 2017 – features five par fives, eight par fours and five par threes. The course boasts unique Mauritian landscaping and black volcanic rock outcrops, with ponds providing further character alongside the grassy surroundings.
International roll call of former champions
Since the event was first staged in 2015, there have been five different champions, reflecting the global field that assembles on the idyllic Indian Ocean island. South African George Coetzee won the inaugural edition in 2015, when he defeated Denmark’s Thorbjørn Olesen in a play-off. A year later, South Korean Jeunghun Wang made it back-to-back wins on the DP World Tour, a week after lifting his maiden title at the Trophée Hassan II in Morocco. Another play-off was required in 2017 when Dylan Frittelli became the second South African to lift the trophy, before Kurt Kitayama of the United States won his maiden Tour title in just his third start in 2018. The most recent edition of the tournament in 2019 saw young Danish star Rasmus Højgaard also claim his breakthrough win as he beat off competition from Antoine Rozner of France and Italy’s Renato Paratore over extra holes.
Sunshine Tour partnership
This week’s stop is the last of a four-week run of events that are co-sanctioned with the Sunshine Tour. After the season-opening Joburg Open, won by England’s Dan Bradbury, the DP World Tour remained in Johannesburg for the Investec South African Open before last week’s Alfred Dunhill Championship at Leopard Creek. The latter two were both won by home favourites, in Thriston Lawrence – who claimed his third DP World Tour title in little over a year - and Ockie Strydom respectively. The relationship between the DP World Tour and Sunshine Tour goes back over quarter of a century and was strengthen by a new landmark partnership announced in July 2021. In March the DP World Tour will return to South Africa for the co-sanctioned SDC Championship at St Francis Links and the Jonsson Workwear Open at The Club at Steyn City.
Ryder Cup flavour to proceedings
Two of Team Europe’s Ryder Cup Vice Captains for the 2023 edition at Marco Simone Golf & Country Club will be in the field in Mauritius - Thomas Bjørn, the victorious European Captain at Le Golf National in 2018, and Nicolas Colsaerts will close out 2022 at Mont Choisy. Bjørn does so after celebrating a seven-shot victory in the MCB Tour Championship Mauritius at the weekend, in the year-ending event on the Legends Tour. He and Colsaerts will be joined by Ryder Cup hopeful Thomas Detry, who has already been confirmed as part of Continental Europe’s team for the inaugural Hero Cup in Abu Dhabi next month. The Belgian is enjoying a strong start to his rookie campaign on the PGA TOUR and will hope to make a winning finish to the year as he goes in search of his first DP World Tour title.
Final event of 50th anniversary year
This week’s event marks the final event to have been held during the DP World Tour’s 50th anniversary year. There have been historic moments throughout 2022, including Linn Grant becoming the first female to win a title on the DP World Tour at the Volvo Cars Scandinavian Mixed, Adrian Meronk securing the first title for a player from Poland at the Horizon Irish Open, and the inaugural G4D Tour season, which saw England’s Kipp Popert win four of seven events. Meronk and Popert tasted further success as the year drew to a close, with victories earlier month at the ISPS Handa Australian Open, which saw the dual staging of the men’s and women’s events alongside the Australian All Abilities Championship. Throughout 2022 there were debut champions, players who returned to the winner’s circle after long waits, the first co-sanctioned event between the DP World Tour and PGA TOUR at the Genesis Scottish Open, and a thrilling end to the season as Rory McIlroy pipped Ryan Fox to be crowned European Number One for the fourth time. With the 2023 season up and running, who will be celebrating the final victory of the Tour’s landmark 50th anniversary year come Sunday afternoon?
