Author: Michael Vlismas

SASOLBURG, Free State (19 January 2025) – Austria’s Max Steinlechner claimed his maiden Sunshine Tour title with a one-shot victory in the Mediclinic Invitational at the Heron Banks Golf and River Resort on Sunday.

In a thrilling final-round duel with South Africa’s Daniel van Tonder, Steinlechner left it to the final hole to make the birdie he needed to win on 24 under par with a closing 66.

“I’m very grateful for getting an invite this week from the Sunshine Tour. This is my first professional win and I want to thank my sponsors and all the people involved,” he said.

The Austrian and Van Tonder were tied for the lead on 23 under par playing the par-four 18^th before Steinlecher made the birdie that secured him the title. Van Tonder parred the hole for a 66 of his own to finish second on 23 under par.

Jonathan Broomhead and Jacques Blaauw shared third on 19 under par, while Yurav Premlall’s share of fifth place earned him his second top 10 in his last four Sunshine Tour events.

Steinlechner started the final round one shot ahead of Van Tonder and the two of them went head-to-head as they both opened with birdies and kept the pressure on each other.

When Steinlechner made bogey on the par-four 16^th it enabled Van Tonder to draw level with him, before the Austrian sealed the win on the final hole.

This marks Steinlechner’s first major professional title after leaving the North Carolina State University in 2023 as Austria’s top-ranked amateur and joining the paid ranks.

It’s also given him the perfect preparation for the upcoming HotelPlanner Tour (formerly European Challenge Tour) co-sanctioned tournaments on the Sunshine Tour, beginning with this week’s SDC Open at Zebula Country Club.

While denied a victory, Van Tonder’s performance keeps him on track for his stated goal of catching Shaun Norris at the top of the Sunshine Tour Order of Merit delivered by The Courier Guy and reclaiming the number one spot he’s held for a large part of this season. Van Tonder is currently second on the Sunshine Tour Order of Merit delivered by The Courier Guy. – Michael Vlismas

SASOLBURG, Free State (17 January 2025) – Daniel van Tonder ended 2024 having been knocked off his number one position on the Sunshine Tour Order of Merit delivered by The Courier Guy, and he’s determined to get that back as he heads into the weekend of the Mediclinic Invitational just one shot off the lead.

Van Tonder signed for a sublime 63 at the Heron Banks Golf and River Estate on Friday to come through 36 holes on 12 under par, one stroke behind leader Maximilian Steinlechner from Austria. Steinlechner has put together two rounds of 64 and 65 to lead this Sunshine Tour event.

It is so far a positive start to 2025 for Van Tonder as he chases a win so early in the year, and that number one spot which he relinquished to Shaun Norris at the end of last year.

“It’s nice to start the year well like this. I want to take back my number one spot on the Sunshine Tour Order of Merit delivered by The Courier Guy. I don’t like being second. I’ve got a few good tournaments coming up to do so, and my game feels good,” says van Tonder.

He is also chasing his first victory as a new father following the birth of his daughter, Gabriella Grace, late last year.

“Our daughter was born when I was playing the Alfred Dunhill Championship in December. Then I played in Mauritius the week after that so I missed them a lot. I love being a father. Just looking at this small human being who is looking back at you, and you just wonder what’s going through her head. I must admit that seeing her smile for the first time has been the best for me so far.”

The key to Van Tonder’s round on Friday was a strong second nine of 30.

“It’s my first time playing this course and it’s quite tough. It’s long and tight. You have to hit fairways here. But I’m also very relaxed at the moment. I have a good friend caddying for me and we talk and laugh a bit during the round. It’s almost the same as when my wife caddied for me. It’s a similar feeling. You can’t just think golf 24/7. You’d have to lock me up if that was the case.”

A lot may have changed in Van Tonder’s life as he now takes on fatherhood. But one thing certainly hasn’t changed, and that will be his mindset this weekend.

“I don’t want to come second. I want to win. That doesn’t change.” – Michael Vlismas

SASOLBURG, Free State (15 January 2025) – As the Sunshine Tour tees off 2025 with its first tournament of the year this week in the Mediclinic Invitational, Jovan Rebula is equally excited to take on a new year with a strong sense of what’s possible in his own career.

Rebula heads into Thursday’s first round at the Heron Banks Golf Course confident that he’s “unlocked” a new approach to his game. And he’s keen to keep testing it at the highest level during a run of tournaments – including European Challenge Tour and DP World Tour co-sanctioned events – still to come over the next few weeks.

“I feel like I’ve unlocked a different way of thinking around the golf course and around tournaments, so I’m eager to get going and see how well I can do,” says Rebula.

The source of Rebula’s confidence is his impressive finish to 2024, which included fourth place in the DP World Tour co-sanctioned AfrAsia Bank Mauritius Open in December.

“That was an unbelievable event for me. It helped me a lot mentally just to know that I can do it and the game is there. I just need to trust myself more. I took a local caddie that week who could hardly speak English, so there was a satisfaction of knowing I had done everything myself. It was a big confidence boost. It gives me a different perspective moving into the year. It all comes down to you trusting yourself and playing your own game. That’s the goal I’ve been trying to get to, but I couldn’t necessarily feel it until Mauritius. Then I could actually experience playing my own game and not having any distractions. It sounds like a cliché and everybody has been telling me to play my own game, but you can’t fully grasp it until you actually experience it. That was the big takeaway I got from that week.”

Rebula is now just outside the top 10 on the Sunshine Tour Order of Merit delivered by The Courier Guy, in 11^th place, as he chases the biggest goal of his career this year.

“My main goal is to try and get back to playing golf in America again, if that’s the Korn Ferry Tour or PGA Tour. That’s ultimately where I want to play. I had an unbelievable finish in Mauritius so it gives me confidence going into the rest of our season now, especially for the DP World Tour co-sanctioned events. We treat those like our Majors. You kind of start seeing yourself in places where you know you can be, which gives you the confidence to know you can perform in bigger events. I’m excited to build on that.”

Rebula also has the confidence of having finished tied third in last year’s Mediclinic Invitational, albeit on a different golf course.

“It’s a different golf course to Maccauvlei last year, and I haven’t played competitive golf on this course before. But the prep has gone well. I had a good holiday, and I’m excited to play.”
– Michael Vlismas

On the day of his wedding anniversary, England’s John Parry claimed a fairytale victory in the AfrAsia Bank Mauritius Open at Mont Choisy Le Golf on Sunday.

Starting the final round five shots off the lead, Parry produced a masterful back nine of four birdies and an eagle over his final seven holes to close with a 64 and win by two strokes on 14 under par.

South Africa’s Christo Lamprecht and Dylan Naidoo shared second place on 12 under par with their respective final rounds of 65 and 71.

Parry’s victory in this Sunshine Tour and DP World Tour event signals a remarkable comeback for a golfer who won on the Tour in 2010 but then struggled thereafter and considered giving up the game at one point.

“At one stage I was back on the Euro Pro Tour and close to giving up golf after first winning on the DP World Tour when I was 23. It’s been a long battle back, but worth every moment for this win,” said Parry.

The victory caps a remarkable year for Parry. He won three times on the European Challenge Tour this year and also challenged for the Alfred Dunhill Championship at Leopard Creek and finished second there the week before his Mauritius triumph.

“It’s unbelievable. At the start of this year I didn’t think this would happen. After last week, my mindset this week was more focused on trying to win and not just hoping you’ll win.”

It’s a mindset he certainly displayed with that back nine performance, the spark for which came with his chip-in for eagle on the par-five 12^th hole.

“That chip-in on 12 gave me a bit of momentum for the rest of the round. That was a key moment. I had a quick look at the leaderboard and to be honest I thought I was further back. I knew I had to get at it a bit today. I didn’t expect to chip in from that distance, and then I didn’t miss a shot coming in,” said Parry.

With his victory Parry was also crowned the winner of the DP World Tour’s Opening Swing, earning himself a $200 000 bonus.

“I think the big thing for me is knowing that you can do it at this level. This has made me very confident for 2025,” he said.

The AfrAsia Bank Mauritius Open is proudly supported by leading brands such as AfrAsia Bank, Beachcomber Resorts & Hotels, the Mont Choisy Group, the Mauritius Tourism Promotion Authority (MTPA), the Economic Development Board (EDB) Mauritius, Rogers, IBL, Emtel, Heritage Resorts, Mastercard, Poncini, Range Rover, the Mauritius Golf Federation, Phoenix Beverages, Kohler, ticketbox.mu, DStv, Air Mauritius, C-Care, Mautourco, Häagen-Dazs, Ernie Els Wines, London No.1 Gin, Famous Grouse, Oaks and Ames, Graham Beck, Miko Coffee, TCL, CBE and SMAG.

South Africa’s Dylan Naidoo is chasing a maiden DP World Tour victory as he heads into Sunday’s final round of the AfrAsia Bank Mauritius Open tied for the lead with Eddie Pepperell, and each with something different to prove at Mont Choisy Le Golf in their final tournament of the year.
 
At the end of a difficult day of wind and firm greens, Naidoo posted a brilliant 66 during which he surged through the field with six birdies in his opening seven holes, finishing on 11 under par.

England’s Pepperell maintained his place at the top of the leaderboard with a round of 69.

They are both one stroke ahead of Denmark’s Jacob Skov Olesen, who signed for a third round of 69. And South Africa’s Jovan Rebula worked himself into contention on nine under par with a 67 on Saturday.

Naidoo, a winner on the Sunshine Tour, has never been in this position before in a DP World Tour event and will be looking to prove to himself that he belongs at this level of the game.

“I’m excited to be in this position. I’ve been there and thereabouts on the Sunshine Tour before, but I’ve never been in this position. I’ll take it all in and play as well against myself as I can in the final round,” he said.
 
Naidoo’s front nine was outstanding, but he admitted he did struggle on a back nine which ended with a frustrating bogey on the last.
 
“I had to find the competitor inside myself at times and make a couple of 12 footers to save par. As good as the front nine was, that’s as much of a grind as the back nine was. But I’m happy with the result,” he said.
 
The experienced Pepperell will head into Sunday’s final round looking to reclaim his place on the DP World Tour with a victory here after losing his playing privileges last season. He’s also hunting his first win since 2018.
 
“I think three under was a good round. I didn’t think it was easy at all. I felt like I hit the ball well off the tee today which you needed to do with the crosswinds. But I didn’t feel great with my irons, to be honest. I didn’t hole a lot of putts but did hole a couple towards the end, which is pleasing for the final round,” he said.
 
“I think I can get around here in five under par, and in windy conditions that could be enough. I would like to see my irons a bit more where I want them though.”
 
The AfrAsia Bank Mauritius Open is proudly supported by leading brands such as AfrAsia Bank, Beachcomber Resorts & Hotels, the Mont Choisy Group, the Mauritius Tourism Promotion Authority (MTPA), the Economic Development Board (EDB) Mauritius, Rogers, IBL, Emtel, Heritage Resorts, Mastercard, Poncini, Range Rover, the Mauritius Golf Federation, Phoenix Beverages, Kohler, ticketbox.mu, DStv, Air Mauritius, C-Care, Mautourco, Häagen-Dazs, Ernie Els Wines, London No.1 Gin, Famous Grouse, Oaks and Ames, Graham Beck, Miko Coffee, TCL, CBE and SMAG.
 

England’s Eddie Pepperell and Denmark’s Hamish Brown share the lead heading into the weekend of the AfrAsia Bank Mauritius Open at Mont Choisy Le Golf, with South Africa’s Christo Lamprecht just one shot behind them.

Pepperell maintained his place at the top of the leaderboard, climbing to eight under par with a solid 70 on Friday. Brown joined him with a round of 68 that started with three birdies in his first five holes.

In the afternoon, Lamprecht then moved into contention on seven under par with his round of 68, and was later joined there by Denmark’s Jacob Skov Olesen following his round of 70.

Pepperell in particular, is well aware that a weekend of opportunity awaits and the last two days have given him some much-needed confidence for the challenge ahead.

“It’s been a while since I’ve been able to feel really confident because it’s just been a lot of bad stuff in there at times. But I think what I’ve been working on with my swing the last few days does have legs, and let’s hope it has weekend legs,” he said.

“The confidence goes quicker than it comes back, but we all know that if you’re a good player and you find something the confidence can come back quite fast. Then you’ve just got to keep that magic as long as you can. That’s the challenge for me to overcome this weekend.”

As co-leader, Brown is looking forward to a weekend of continuing the momentum of having just gained his DP World Tour card through the European Challenge Tour.

“It’s nice. There’s still a lot of golf left, but it’s nice. I never doubted my ability to be good enough at this level. But it’s still nice to actually do it. I’m looking forward to the weekend,” he said.

The leaderboard remains extremely close going into the final 36 holes, with Lamprecht in particular keen to take advantage of a new mindset he has for this tournament.

“The mindset this week has changed. I just came from playing PGA Tour Q School in America and that was one of the most tense weeks of my career by far. So coming over here with my whole family, who I haven’t seen in a year, I’m treating it as a holiday week and just having fun. That’s been really helpful. It’s a holiday weekend now. That’s all it is. I’m just going to go out there and enjoy it,” he said.

The AfrAsia Bank Mauritius Open is proudly supported by leading brands such as AfrAsia Bank, Beachcomber Resorts & Hotels, the Mont Choisy Group, the Mauritius Tourism Promotion Authority (MTPA), the Economic Development Board (EDB) Mauritius, Rogers, IBL, Emtel, Heritage Resorts, Mastercard, Poncini, Range Rover, the Mauritius Golf Federation, Phoenix Beverages, Kohler, ticketbox.mu, DStv, Air Mauritius, C-Care, Mautourco, Häagen-Dazs, Ernie Els Wines, London No.1 Gin, Famous Grouse, Oaks and Ames, Graham Beck, Miko Coffee, TCL, CBE and SMAG.

Eddie Pepperell enjoyed a memorable first ever round of competitive golf in Mauritius as he opened with a six-under-par 66 to lead the first round of the AfrAsia Bank Mauritius Open by a single stroke at Mont Choisy Le golf on Thursday.

On his first trip to Mauritius and treating it as a belated honeymoon with his wife, Jennifer, Pepperell produced a strong finish of four birdies in his final five holes to lead by one over Denmark’s Jacob Skov Olesen, who signed for a bogey-free 67.

“It’s the first time me and Jennifer have been here. We really love it. We’re staying in a lovely hotel. I said to her before we came out here to treat it as a bit of a honeymoon because we haven’t had one since our wedding in August,” said Pepperell.

The English professional overcame a bogey at the second and produced a string of birdies thereafter, including that strong finish in some windy and testing conditions.

“I’m pleased with that. I wasn’t expecting it. After bogeying the second hole I was worried it was going to be one of those Thursdays again. But I turned it around nicely and played very well. I had a good finish. I just told myself, ‘Keep your head down and let it happen’. It’s been a while since I’ve been in a position where I’m at the top of the leaderboard on a Thursday.”

It was a positive start by the double DP World Tour champion, who admits he had to stay in the present when his game was flowing – particularly on that closing stretch.

“Sometimes it can get in your head, but I just tried to keep my head down and focus and keep doing what I’ve been working on in the range. This year there have been so many rounds I’ve played where things have deteriorated and I’ve become increasingly frustrated, and the difference today was my game held up. Clearly what I’ve been working on has been good, so if I can just keep doing it in tough conditions then I’m optimistic. This golf course is really tricky, especially in the wind. This course needs the wind and you can easily make some high numbers around here. It’s deceptive.”

Olesen was equally pleased with his start as he seeks to emulate fellow Dane Rasmus Højgaard, who won this tournament in 2019.

“It went pretty well. I’m happy about the game. I feel like everything was solid. There wasn’t one particular thing that was really good, but there was also nothing that was bad. I hit some good iron shots and rolled in a couple of decent putts. It was a good start. The wind is definitely a factor here. You’ve got to switch your mindset a little bit and just take your medicine sometimes and play what you get from the wind.”

Italian Renato Paratore, Denmark’s Hamish Brown, Norway’s Andreas Halvorsen and South Africans Jacques Blaauw, Wilco Nienaber and Jayden Schaper are all well placed just two shots off the lead.

The AfrAsia Bank Mauritius Open is proudly supported by leading brands such as AfrAsia Bank, Beachcomber Resorts & Hotels, the Mont Choisy Group, the Mauritius Tourism Promotion Authority (MTPA), the Economic Development Board (EDB) Mauritius, Rogers, IBL, Emtel, Heritage Resorts, Mastercard, Poncini, Range Rover, the Mauritius Golf Federation, Phoenix Beverages, Kohler, ticketbox.mu, DStv, Air Mauritius, C-Care, Mautourco, Häagen-Dazs, Ernie Els Wines, London No.1 Gin, Famous Grouse, Oaks and Ames, Graham Beck, Miko Coffee, TCL, CBE and SMAG.

It’s known as “Golf’s Most Beautiful Week”, and for the Sunshine Tour and DP World Tour professionals gathered for this week’s AfrAsia Bank Mauritius Open at Mont Choisy Le Golf, there’s definitely a sense that this is one of the more relaxed and enjoyable weeks on Tour.

“This is definitely a top three week of the year. You know when you come here that you’ll be looked after incredibly well, play in beautiful weather and get a sense of true Mauritian hospitality. You can sense a little bit more of a relaxed vibe, and it fits perfectly with the island,” says Nicolas Colsaerts.
 
Oliver Bekker can feel it too. “Everybody is so relaxed this week, even the players. This place just puts you in a good frame of mind. You don’t get as upset if you hit a bad shot. I think that helps with the golf.”
 
As relaxed as this week is, there is no less of an opportunity for the 156 golfers gathered on the north of the island.
 
This €1.5 million event, now into its eighth edition, will decide the winner of the DP World Tour’s Opening Swing, who will earn a $200 000 bonus as well as exemptions into several of the DP World Tour’s biggest tournaments in the second half of its season.
 
And at the same time it will offer the chance for the Sunshine Tour’s professionals to make further inroads on the Sunshine Tour Order of Merit delivered by The Courier Guy and the Fortress Rookie of the Year standings before the festive break.
 
The Mont Choisy Le Golf course is also primed for a strong welcome of this field since the last time the tournament was played here in 2022, when Frenchman Antoine Rozner claimed victory on 19 under par.
 
The course, designed by World Golf Awards Golf Course Designer of the Year 2024 Peter Matkovich, has been tightened up with narrower fairways and thicker rough. And the wind will add to the challenge.
 
“You need to control your ball flight around this golf course,” says Bekker, who finished seventh here in 2022. “It’s always windy, but it’s a consistent breeze. I don’t mind playing in the wind. It’s a scoreable golf course, and if you putt well you’ll always have a chance.”
 
“It’s a true test of golf,” adds Marcel Siem, who is a local favourite since relocating his family from Germany to Mauritius.
 
“The fairways are really good and the rough is up a bit more. It’s always a bit windier on this side of the island – I’d say about a two-club wind at least.”
 
But as competitive as it will be when Thursday’s first round tees off, there’s still that desire from the professionals to enjoy everything that this truly unique week in world golf offers.
 
“My wife Rachel will caddie for me this week so I’m looking forward to it. It’s a great opportunity for us to spend time together and for her to share my life inside the ropes a bit more. I just want to enjoy this week, and when that happens it translates into my performance on the golf course,” says Colsaerts.
 
The AfrAsia Bank Mauritius Open is proudly supported by leading brands such as AfrAsia Bank, Beachcomber Resorts & Hotels, the Mont Choisy Group, the Mauritius Tourism Promotion Authority (MTPA), the Economic Development Board (EDB) Mauritius, Rogers, IBL, Emtel, Heritage Resorts, Mastercard, Poncini, Range Rover, the Mauritius Golf Federation, Phoenix Beverages, Kohler, ticketbox.mu, DStv, Air Mauritius, C-Care, Mautourco, Häagen-Dazs, Ernie Els Wines, London No.1 Gin, Famous Grouse, Oaks and Ames, Graham Beck, Miko Coffee, TCL, CBE and SMAG.