George Coetzee is expecting a tough challenge at the Four Seasons Golf Club at Anahita as he returns from a two-month break to defend his title at the AfrAsia Bank Mauritius Open.
The South African won the title last year at Heritage Golf Club after a play-off, with a 13 under par total enough to get him into a head-to-head against Thorbjørn Olesen which he won with a birdie on the second extra hole.
This year the event has moved from the south of the stunning island to the east, and, with the wind expected to play its part, Coetzee admits it will be a very different test from last season.
"I think we are all going to have a tough challenge on our hands this week," he said.
If the wind keeps blowing like this, I don't think the winning score will be double figures under par. I think we'll even do well to stay under par - George Coetzee
Coetzee last featured on the European Tour at the WGC - Cadillac Championship at the beginning of March and while his recent hiatus may have been voluntary, he has been no stranger to a lay-off in the last year.
The 29 year old won two events in the 2015 season before his campaign was brought to an abrupt halt when he broke his left ankle while surfing in Bali in September.
He missed his first cut after that at the BMW SA Open hosted by City of Ekurhuleni in January but has not looked back since with three top 15 finishes in six starts and a win on the Sunshine Tour at the Dimension Data Pro-Am.
"It's obviously important to get the win to know the mental plan I had last year is still working," he said. "I'm comfortable being in the lead now and being in contention. It's good to know the game is still there.
"I actually feel I've played better after the injury. Spending five months thinking about everything lying in bed has obviously helped. I'm not trying to change anything in my swing to fit my ankle, but I've been working hard off the golf course to get the ankle ready and to be able to trust it and commit to it.
"It's a long process and it's probably going to be another couple of months before the pain really goes away.
"It's been a while since I've been tested. There's definitely some rust to work off before the tournament starts."
Coetzee has been back in the water on his break and after a fishing trip with fellow South African stars Richard Sterne and Charl Schwartzel, he is delighted to be back in action in Mauritius.
I went surfing the first couple of weeks and broke a couple of boards – luckily no ankles! - George Coetzee
"Then I went fishing last week and had a great time with Sterne and Schwartzel and another couple of mates in the Seychelles. It was great to be out there doing other stuff and not talking only about golf.
"I haven't been back in Mauritius since the win but I've been looking forward to this trip for quite a while. The golf course is quite different from the previous one and I'm looking forward to the challenge."
