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BEL OMBRE, Mauritius – South Africa’s Jayden Schaper literally saved the best for last.

In his last shot of a defining year, Schaper chipped in for eagle to beat American Ryan Gerard in a playoff and win the AfrAsia Bank Mauritius Open at La Réserve Golf Links on Sunday.

It was a moment of pure genius from the 24-year-old professional and capped his second consecutive victory on the Sunshine Tour and DP World Tour after winning the previous week’s Alfred Dunhill Championship, also in a playoff.

“Those are the shots you’re dreaming about when you’re on the practice green as a youngster. To pull it off in a tournament and in a playoff – I don’t know. I just can’t wait to get back and look at the footage of that shot because you’re in the moment and focused and you don’t really take in what just happened. I’m pretty sure it’s going to hit me later but it’s just so insane,” said Schaper.

In the last three weeks he’s finished second in the Nedbank Golf Challenge in honour of Gary Player, first in the Alfred Dunhill Championship and first in the AfrAsia Bank Mauritius Open.

On a windy Sunday at La Réserve Golf Links, Schaper produced a final round of 64 including three birdies in his final four holes to finish at 22 under par. Gerard, playing behind him, was on the 18^th one shot behind and had a scare when he thought his ball had moved when he addressed it on the fairway. He was cleared by a rules official and went on to make an incredible birdie from the greenside bunker to tie Schaper, closing with a 66.

Gerard made his intentions clear this week when he said he’d flown all the way from Florida to play this event as a final opportunity to win and end the year in the top 50 on the Official World Golf Ranking, thereby securing himself a Masters invite.

Playing the par-five 18^th as the first playoff hole, both golfers made par.

And then came the moment of magic from Schaper on the second playoff hole to end a career-defining 2025 and set up an exciting 2026 for the young star.

“So far it’s been two of the best weeks of my career, but hopefully there is more to come. It’s been insane and you could never have asked for any better. It’s unreal,” he said.

South Africa’s Casey Jarvis finished third on 17 under par with a final round of 71.

Schaper’s victory capped a remarkable week on the Sunshine Tour and DP World Tour, and on a celebrated golf course that in a very short time has garnered global awards and praise.

“It is an incredible golf course. When we played it for the first time in 2023 it had only been open for a couple of months and it was a bit young. But two years later it has matured incredibly well and the playing surfaces are as good as I’ve seen anywhere. It has to be perhaps the most stunning golf course I’ve ever seen in my 32-year tenure on the DP World Tour,” said Miguel Vidaor, Tournament Director for the DP World Tour.

The AfrAsia Bank Mauritius Open is proudly supported by leading brands such as AfrAsia Bank, Heritage Resorts, ER Group, Beachcomber Resorts & Hotels, Heritage Villas Valriche, Mont Choisy Group, Mauritius Tourism Promotion Authority (MTPA), Range Rover, Emtel, Poncini, Mauritius Golf Federation, Phoenix Beverages, ticketbox.mu, DStv, C-Care, Mautourco, Ernie Els Wines, CBE, Miko Coffee, MobiMEA, Mastercard, SMAG and iconic. – Michael Vlismas

BEL OMBRE, Mauritius – Julien Sale making the cut in his first appearance in this week’s AfrAsia Bank Mauritius Open was significant in many respects. Although playing under the French flag, Sale was born and raised on the nearby island of Reunion and his presence in this Sunshine Tour and DP World Tour event is a massive source of inspiration for the young golfers in the region.
 
On a Saturday when a host of young junior golfers attended the AfrAsia Bank Mauritius Open Golf Clinic at the La Réserve Golf Links, Sale reflects exactly the aspirational effect this event is having on the development of golf in Mauritius.
 
“This tournament is a big source of inspiration for our junior golfers,” says Yannick Mervan, President of the Mauritius Golf Federation.
 
“We have seen a good increase in terms of participation of junior in our federation. They watch these golfers on TV and there are able to see them here in real life. And we’ve seen the effect. This year we had two Mauritian junior golfers who joined the World Amateur Golf Ranking.”
 
Sale’s appearance in this event is a true return to his golf roots in a region that is starting to tell the story of its own golf heroes and create its own generation of stars who, through event, can now see a pathway to global success.
 
Sale made history on the Asian Tour this year when he won in his first tournament as a member of the Tour in the Smart Infinity Philippine Open, also becoming the first French winner of this title. He ended 40^th on the HotelPlanner Tour’s Road to Mallorca rankings this year with three top-10 finishes.
 
Similarly, Mauritius’ Pierre Pellegrin has come through the ranks of this tournament, having played in it since his amateur days and now as a professional. It’s been a key stepping stone in his own career as he’s now graduated to the Sunshine Tour.
 
“Playing my home Open is very important. I hope the young golfers of Mauritius are inspired by it because competing against some of the best golfers in this event is a privilege,” says Pellegrin.
 
Even for those working in the Mauritius golf industry, the AfrAsia Bank Mauritius Open is a source of true pride.
 
“For us, this is the biggest tournament in the Indian Ocean. It’s a celebration of golf in Mauritius, and that’s the goal for us,” says Heritage Golf ambassador and PGA Professional Lewis Wallace.
 
The AfrAsia Bank Mauritius Open is proudly supported by leading brands such as AfrAsia Bank, Heritage Resorts, ER Group, Beachcomber Resorts & Hotels, Heritage Villas Valriche, Mont Choisy Group, Mauritius Tourism Promotion Authority (MTPA), Range Rover, Emtel, Poncini, Mauritius Golf Federation, Phoenix Beverages, ticketbox.mu, DStv, C-Care, Mautourco, Ernie Els Wines, CBE, Miko Coffee, MobiMEA, Mastercard, SMAG and iconic. – Michael Vlismas

BEL OMBRE, Mauritius – Ryan Gerard almost went undetected.

The winner on the PGA TOUR this year who is currently 57^th on the Official World Golf Ranking (OWGR) made a low-key entrance onto the Indian Ocean island for this week’s AfrAsia Bank Mauritius Open on the Sunshine Tour and DP World Tour.

It remained that way through the wind and rain and late finish and incomplete first round of this popular tournament.

Until he hit the weekend just five shots off the lead.

So what exactly is the man who finished tied eighth in this year’s PGA Championship and won the Barracuda Championship on the PGA TOUR doing in Mauritius?

“The kind people at the OWGR sent me some end-of-year projections. I’m just outside the top 50. I figured I’d have one more crack at that and give it my best shot. Then I could hang my hat on giving it my all for the season, and the top 50 by the end of the year to get into The Masters. So that’s kind of a kick in the pants to come 10 000 miles from Florida and tee it up,” he said.

“It wasn’t on the Bingo card at the start of the season for sure, but I’m excited to be here. It’s a really cool place, and hopefully two more solid rounds will make it a nice trip that was worth it.”

He’d most likely need a win to carry him into the top 50. Should it not happen this week, then there is the opportunity of the 2026 Investec South African Open which for the first time in South African golf history is offering an exemption to The Masters for the champion.

“Potentially, it’s something I might consider. I’ve heard good things about the Nedbank Golf Challenge in honour of Gary Player, the Alfred Dunhill Championship, and all those events. I have a couple of friends from South Africa who’ve been urging me to get down there. It just depends on the schedule. My focus is playing well on the PGA TOUR and fitting in other cool things along the way if possible. Aldrich Potgieter is a pretty good buddy of mine. I’ve played a few rounds with him this year alone. He’s been telling me I’ve got to come and play in South Africa. Nick Price told me a couple of years ago that Leopard Creek is one of his favourite golf courses. So when you hear them say things like that, it makes you want to at least look at going there. It’s a long trip from where I live and it has to fit in the schedule properly. But if it does, it’s something that I’d love to do at some point. This one just fitted in the schedule.”

The AfrAsia Bank Mauritius Open is proudly supported by leading brands such as AfrAsia Bank, Heritage Resorts, ER Group, Beachcomber Resorts & Hotels, Heritage Villas Valriche, Mont Choisy Group, Mauritius Tourism Promotion Authority (MTPA), Range Rover, Emtel, Poncini, Mauritius Golf Federation, Phoenix Beverages, ticketbox.mu, DStv, C-Care, Mautourco, Ernie Els Wines, CBE, Miko Coffee, MobiMEA, Mastercard, SMAG and iconic. – Michael Vlismas

BEL OMBRE, Mauritius – Just before the storm rolled in, Casey Jarvis caught his own bit of lightning in a bottle and signed for a 65 to lead the AfrAsia Bank Mauritius Open on 12 under par heading into the weekend at La Réserve Golf Links.

The young South African has given himself another shot at a maiden DP World Tour title in a career that of late is producing more consistent opportunities at this level, and on the back of his two victories in three tournaments on the Sunshine Tour in November.

His nearest challenger is France’s Alex Levy on 10 under par, while PGA TOUR winner and world number 57 Ryan Gerard of America is well placed just five shots off the lead. Gerard has come to Mauritius in the hope of a win that will shift him into the top 50 on the Official Golf World Ranking before the end of the year, and which would in turn secure him a place in The Masters next year.

But for now, it’s Jarvis who’s in control of this Sunshine Tour and DP World Tour event.

“I always love coming to Mauritius so to have started well in the first round and then to back it up with a good round today is positive,” said Jarvis, who shared the lead with Scott Jamieson after the first day.

Jarvis had the best of the early morning conditions and took advantage.

“The conditions were pretty easy. There wasn’t much wind until the last couple of holes. I’m just trying to have fun out here this week. I thought I’m in Mauritius so I might as well have fun, and it seems to be working. This is a different course that I’m used to but I like the few driveable holes out here. I just need to stay patient and stick to the same gameplan for the next two rounds.”

Levy’s 66 was equally impressive considering he didn’t drop a single shot despite playing in some of the worst weather as a heavy downpour combined with the wind to make this golf course an even tougher prospect.

“I played really solid and am very proud because the conditions were tough. I managed myself very well and am pleased with that. I’ve been working really hard the last few months and just getting back to what I used to do in the past with my swing, and it’s paying off already which is good,” he said.

Spain’s Manuel Elvira heads into the weekend on nine under par following a 67, with South Africa’s Brandon Stone on eight under.

The AfrAsia Bank Mauritius Open is proudly supported by leading brands such as AfrAsia Bank, Heritage Resorts, ER Group, Beachcomber Resorts & Hotels, Heritage Villas Valriche, Mont Choisy Group, Mauritius Tourism Promotion Authority (MTPA), Range Rover, Emtel, Poncini, Mauritius Golf Federation, Phoenix Beverages, ticketbox.mu, DStv, C-Care, Mautourco, Ernie Els Wines, CBE, Miko Coffee, MobiMEA, Mastercard, SMAG and iconic. – Michael Vlismas

BEL OMBRE, Mauritius – On a tough opening day of wind and rain, the AfrAsia Bank Mauritius Open leaderboard was packed tighter than a pod of dolphins at La Réserve Golf Links on Thursday.

Battered by a constant wind from dawn to dusk, and with intermittent squalls of rain, South Africa’s Casey Jarvis and Scotland’s Scott Jamieson rose to the top of the leaderboard for the shared clubhouse lead with rounds of five-under-par 67. The round was unable to be completed because of darkness and will restart on Friday morning.

They are one stroke clear of six players, including 2017 AfrAsia Bank Mauritius Open champion Dylan Frittelli, Herman Loubser – currently second on the Sunshine Tour Courier Guy Order of Merit –, and Brandon Stone.

The challenge of the conditions on day one is reflected in the fact that of the 155 golfers in the field, only 33 were under par.

Even the two leaders had double bogeys on their cards.

Jayden Schaper made another good with his round of three-under 69 as he seeks back-to-back victories following his win in last week’s Alfred Dunhill Championship.

And he summed up just how difficult a first day it was.

“It’s a tough course out there and we were out there for quite some time. I managed to stay calm and not focus too much on the wind around me. I did well to block it out. But it’s definitely a challenge out there. It’s very windy and the course is quite tight, and there are a lot of crosswinds.”

Frittelli agreed.

“The wind was howling and we had three rain squalls come through. I was really happy to be under par today. But I’m also starting to learn this course.”

And Levy was equally pleased to have come through the opening round in contention.

“It was tough and I played really well. There was wind and rain and it was really tricky. You have to keep the ball on the fairway because this is a very tricky golf course.”

The AfrAsia Bank Mauritius Open is proudly supported by leading brands such as AfrAsia Bank, Heritage Resorts, ER Group, Beachcomber Resorts & Hotels, Heritage Villas Valriche, Mont Choisy Group, Mauritius Tourism Promotion Authority (MTPA), Range Rover, Emtel, Poncini, Mauritius Golf Federation, Phoenix Beverages, ticketbox.mu, DStv, C-Care, Mautourco, Ernie Els Wines, CBE, Miko Coffee, MobiMEA, Mastercard, SMAG and iconic. – Michael Vlismas

• Features 28 tournaments in 19 different countries
• Estonia to become the 52nd country to host a HotelPlanner Tour event
• A return to England for the first time since 2023
• Total prize fund of €9m for the second successive year
• To view the full schedule, click here

The HotelPlanner Tour has today announced its global schedule for the 2026 Road to Mallorca, which will see Estonia make its debut as a host nation and mark a return to England for the first time in three years.

The 2026 Road to Mallorca will visit 19 countries across three continents, and will boast a prize fund of €9 million for the second successive year. It will also mark the second of a multi-year partnership with technology company HotelPlanner as Title Partner.

The 28-tournament HotelPlanner Tour schedule returns to England for the first time since 2023, with the England Golf Challenge supported by HotelPlanner taking place at The Vale Golf Club in June, before The Caversham plays host to the English Challenge in September.

Estonia will become the 52nd country to host a HotelPlanner Tour event since the Tour’s inception in 1989. The Infortar Estonian Challenge, which will take place at Estonian Golf & Country Club just outside the capital city of Tallinn in July, will be the country’s first ever professional golf event and will make Estonia the first new nation added to the schedule since 2020.

The season begins in South Africa for the sixth consecutive year, with the SDC Open at Zebula Golf Estate & Spa the first of four co-sanctioned events with the Sunshine Tour.

The HotelPlanner Tour returns to the United Arab Emirates in April for the Abu Dhabi Challenge and the RAKBANK UAE Challenge, which take place as part of the European Tour group’s long-term partnership with the Emirates Golf Federation.

The Road the Mallorca then touches down in Europe for the first time in May, with the Italian Challenge Open kick-starting a run of 19 tournaments in a 20-week stretch, weaving through 16 countries on the continent.

The Blot Open de Bretagne will take place at Golf Bluegreen de Pléneuf Val André for the 19th time after it first appeared as a host venue on the 2007 schedule, and the Vierumäki Finnish Challenge supported by Finnish Golf Union will make its tenth appearance on the HotelPlanner Tour.

Several new venues also feature on the 2026 schedule. The 27th edition of the Challenge de España visits Isla Canela Links – a DP World Tour Qualifying School Second Stage venue – for the first time, while PGA Aroeira 1 in Lisbon will make its maiden appearance on the schedule as host of the Open de Portugal.

The Road to Mallorca returns to China for back-to-back events in October, with the Hainan Open and the Hangzhou Open offering a final opportunity for players to make sure of their place in the field for the Rolex Grand Final supported by The R&A.

The end of season showpiece will take place at Club de Golf Alcanada in Mallorca for the sixth time, from October 29 – November 1, as the leading players on the Rankings battle it out for one of 15 life-changing DP World Tour cards.

Those 15 players who benefit from the formal pathway to the DP World Tour will then be eligible for the DP World Tour’s Earnings Assurance Programme, guaranteeing them minimum earnings of $150,000 for the 2027 season if they play in 15 or more events.

The top five graduates will also benefit from the John Jacobs Bursary, designed to provide security and a strong platform for the 2027 season on Golf’s Global Tour.

Jamie Hodges, HotelPlanner Tour Director, said: “It is a proud moment to unveil our schedule for the 2026 Road to Mallorca.

“This schedule allows us to build on the fantastic momentum gained in 2025, as we continue to provide the next generation of golfing talent with the best platform. Last year’s graduate class enjoyed four wins on the Race to Dubai, with three players achieving dual membership with the PGA TOUR upon the conclusion of the DP World Tour Championship.

“It’s incredibly pleasing to see that the pathway we’re offering continues to work. Each year, it is evident that our graduates are not only ready to compete on the DP World Tour, but they are ready to win.”

Last season, four of the 2024 HotelPlanner Tour graduates – John Parry, Kristoffer Reitan, Martin Couvra and Nicolai von Dellingshausen – earned victories on the 2025 Race to Dubai, with ten players ending the season inside the top 50 on the Race to Dubai Rankings delivered by DP World.

Denmark’s Rasmus Neergaard-Petersen, who ended 2024 as the Road to Mallorca Number One, joined Reitan and Parry in earning dual membership with the PGA TOUR for 2026.

Hodges added: “I would like to thank all of our promoters, national Federations, tournament sponsors, host venues and partner Tours for their commitment to the HotelPlanner Tour. Without their support, the schedule for 2026 wouldn’t be possible.

“I would also like to thank HotelPlanner who were announced as Title Partner back in January. We have enjoyed a groundbreaking year since, with their investment giving players on our Tour the best chance of success. We’re looking forward to continuing that work into the new season.”

The full 2026 Road to Mallorca International Schedule can be viewed by clicking here.

Tickets available at https://www.ticketbox.mu/event/abmo-2025

Jayden Schaper arrived for this week’s AfrAsia Bank Mauritius Open still revelling in his first DP World Tour victory and looking to achieve something only Louis Oosthuizen has managed to do in this event and on the La Réserve Golf Links that will host it.

A win for Schaper this week will give him the same back-to-back triumph that Oosthuizen achieved in 2023, when he followed up his own Alfred Dunhill Championship victory with the AfrAsia Bank Mauritius Open trophy on a La Réserve Golf Links course he co-designed with Peter Matkovich.

It’s an even greater possibility given Schaper’s record in Mauritius. In the three AfrAsia Bank Mauritius Opens he’s played, Schaper hasn’t finished worse than 13^th. And he finished sixth the last time the tournament was played here at La Réserve Golf Links in 2023.

It would be another remarkable triumph for the young star, who tees off in Thursday’s first round as the leader on the Race to Dubai Rankings, the leader of the DP World Tour’s Opening Swing standings, the leader on the Sunshine Tour’s Courier Guy Order of Merit, and having climbed into the top 100 on the Official World Golf Ranking.

Most importantly, though, he’s back on island he loves and has been coming to for family holidays and golf since he was a boy.

“The last two weeks have been incredible, and being here after that is pretty cool,” Schaper said on Tuesday. “I just love Mauritius. I love the resorts, the ocean, the golf courses. What I like about this design is that it’s familiar. My home course is also a Peter Matkovich design, and his designs are focused on being smart and not just bombing it. They’re fun to play. There are always a couple of driveable par fours in his designs, which are also fun.”

Another golfer hunting his own bit of tournament history is defending champion John Parry.

The Englishman is looking to become the first golfer to successfully defend this title.

“I’m really excited. Defending a title is not something I’ve had the opportunity to do before so it’s a new experience which I’m really looking forward to. I absolutely love it in Mauritius. I have my wife with me as well. The golf course looks fantastic. I can see the rough is heavy and I’m guessing it blows a lot here. It looks like a very second-shot golf course and it’s all about hitting it in the right areas and the right levels on the greens. There’s a feeling that if you’re playing well and it’s a windy course like this it might play into your hands a little bit. And being from England I’m fairly used to a bit of wind as well. So I’m excited,” he said.

The AfrAsia Bank Mauritius Open is proudly supported by leading brands such as AfrAsia Bank, Heritage Resorts, ER Group, Beachcomber Resorts & Hotels, Heritage Villas Valriche, Mont Choisy Group, Mauritius Tourism Promotion Authority (MTPA), Range Rover, Emtel, Poncini, Mauritius Golf Federation, Phoenix Beverages, ticketbox.mu, DStv, C-Care, Mautourco, Ernie Els Wines, CBE, Miko Coffee, MobiMEA, Mastercard, SMAG and iconic.

• Julien Sale and Pierre Pellegrin lead challenge of Mascarene Islands

• Tickets available at https://www.ticketbox.mu/event/abmo-2025

French sensation Julien Sale will head back to his golf roots this week when he makes his debut in the AfrAsia Bank Mauritius Open at La Réserve Golf Links, starting this Thursday.

Sale will be joined by Mauritius’ Pierre Pellegrin as proud representatives of the Mascarene Islands in this Sunshine Tour and DP World Tour co-sanctioned tournament, and with both sharing the desire to become the first true home winners of the Indian Ocean’s premier golf tournament.

Although now playing under the French flag, Sale grew up on the nearby island of Reunion where he honed his love for the game.

This year he made history on the Asian Tour when he won in his first tournament as a member of the Tour in the Smart Infinity Philippine Open, also becoming the first French winner of this title.

He ended 40^th on the HotelPlanner Tour’s Road to Mallorca rankings this year with three top-10 finishes.

Pellegrin has been a familiar face in this tournament, having played in it since his amateur days and now as a professional. It’s been a key stepping stone in his own career as he’s now graduated to the Sunshine Tour.

The AfrAsia Bank Mauritius Open is proudly supported by leading brands such as AfrAsia Bank, Heritage Resorts, ER Group, Beachcomber Resorts & Hotels, Heritage Villas Valriche, Mont Choisy Group, Mauritius Tourism Promotion Authority (MTPA), Range Rover, Emtel, Poncini, Mauritius Golf Federation, Phoenix Beverages, ticketbox.mu, DStv, C-Care, Mautourco, Ernie Els Wines, CBE, Miko Coffee, MobiMEA, Mastercard, SMAG and iconic.

The chase to Alfred Dunhill Championship glory will resume on Sunday after the third round had to be abandoned following challenging weather at Royal Johannesburg.

The majority of the field was unable to tee off in the third round as 22.4mm of rain fell on the East Course. Since Monday the course has taken 150mm of rain.

The tournament will now be a 54-hole contest, with the third and final round resuming at 06:30 on Sunday.

Spain’s Eugenio Chacarra still leads on 15 under par and has yet to tee off his third round. He is two strokes clear of South Africa’s Jayden Schaper, with England’s John Parry and South Africa’s Branden Grace on 12 under par. All have yet to tee off their third rounds.