Louis Oosthuizen will face a test of both his golf and football skills when he and three fellow professionals take on a team of Liverpool Football Club legends in a game of FootGolf ahead of the AfrAsia Bank Mauritius Open.
The South African Major winner will join three professional golfers, including countryman George Coetzee, to play a game of FootGolf at The Heritage Golf Club against Ian Rush, Gary McAllister, Vladimir Smicer and Patrik Berger on the Monday of tournament week.
Oosthuizen is making his debut in the €1 million tournament, which is tri-sanctioned by the European Tour, Sunshine Tour and Asian Tour, on November 30 - 3 December
The Heritage Golf Club is home to Mauritius’ first FootGolf circuit, and Oosthuizen and his fellow professionals will take on the Liverpool legends over the nine-hole course using a size 5 football.
The aim is exactly the same as golf – get the ball into the hole in the least amount of shots (or kicks). The golfers will be delighted to know that the hole is significantly larger, as in 53 centimetres wide, and the Liverpool players are equally excited about the challenge.
“It’s going to be great being back in Mauritius and to bring more of my fellow Liverpool players to experience the hospitality of the country, the passion of the fans and the great golf course at Heritage Resorts,” said Rush.
“I’ve heard a lot about Mauritius and I can’t wait to experience what I’ve been told about the country,” added McAllister.
“I was there last year on holiday with my family. It’s a beautiful place,” said Smicer, while Berger is equally excited about the experience, saying “I cannot wait to meet the fans and play golf in Mauritius”.
Spectators at the AfrAsia Bank Mauritius Open will also have the opportunity to test their FootGolf skills against the best. Tournament sponsor Emtel is running a competition whereby four fans can win their place on a team to play against the professionals.
Since its debut in 2015 the AfrAsia Bank Mauritius has grown significantly. This year an expanded field of 156 professionals is headlined by 2010 Open Champion and current world number 22 Oosthuizen, and former European Ryder Cup Captain and 2011 Open Champion Darren Clarke.
Belgium’s Nicolas Colsaerts – a member of the victorious European team at the 2012 Ryder Cup and a two-time winner on the European Tour – is in the field alongside four-time European Tour winner Raphael Jacquelin of France and his compatriot Romain Langasque.
The field boasts a multitude of European Tour winners, including South Africans Coetzee, Dylan Frittelli and Dean Burmester, SSP Chawrasia of India and Australian Scott Hend.
