Joburg, South Africa, December 7: Keenan Davidse of South Africa rose from his sick bed to shoot a superb eight-under-par 63 and seize the first round lead at the Joburg Open on Thursday. 

The 28-year-old fell ill before the event and was hospitalised for four days. He showed no signs of sickness when he fired nine birdies against one bogey at the Randpark Golf Club, par-71 Bushwillow course.

He held a one-shot lead over South Africa’s Jared Harvey, Erik van Rooyen, Ockie Strydom, England’s Matthew Baldwin, James Morrison and Sebastian Heisele of Germany, who all played at Bushwillow.

Asian Tour member Scott Barr of Australia was a further shot back in tied eighth place at the event which is the first tri-sanctioned tournament by the Asian Tour, Sunshine Tour and European Tour in South Africa.

Phachara Khongwatmai of Thailand, Shubhankar Sharma of India, Masahiro Kawamura of Japan and Jinho Choi of Korea, who played at the par-72 Firestone, were the best placed Asians in 38th place on matching 69s.

Gavin Green of Malaysia, the Order of Merit leader, returned with a 70 to lie in tied 60th place in the 240-man field.

Searching for a first career first win, Davidse turned in 32 before firing five birdies on his homeward nine to hold a slight edge over the chasing pack at the R16.5 million (approximately US$1.2 million) event.

Did you know?

• Davidse is on track to better his best result at the Joburg Open earlier this year where he finished tied seventh, albeit on a different golf course.
• He has not won on the Sunshine Tour but enjoyed a solid 2017 season where he finished inside the top-five thrice and enjoyed a runner-up result in August.
• Davidse was among the leading seven players in round one who all played at the shorter Bushwillow course.
• He took advantage of his sharp-shooting game where he missed only two greens in regulation while totalling 26 putts.
• Davidse is now in the running to become the ninth South African to win the Joburg Open.
• He can also qualify for The Open as the Joburg Open is part of the Qualifying Series which offers three spots to the leading players who are not already exempt to The Open in 2018.
• Green of Malaysia is fighting to make the cut at the Joburg Open. He is currently on the bubble and needs to make the weekend rounds to stand a chance of winning the Asian Tour Order of Merit title on Sunday.
• Barr of Australia is also on a mission this week to save his Tour card for next year. He is currently ranked 60th on the Order of Merit and will need to finish inside the top-61 on the final ranking. The Joburg Open is the penultimate event on the 2017 Asian Tour Schedule.
• Darren Fichardt of South Africa opened his title defence with a disappointing 75 at Firestone.

Player interviews:

Keenan Davidse (Rsa) – First Round 63 (-8)

I don’t know what to say (laughs). It’s not like I’m shocked. I’m obviously very happy, pleased obviously. I’ve worked very hard. I went to Mauritius last week and didn’t play too well. I was in hospital for about four days. So I’m very chuffed today.

When I played the Sunshine Tour event at Simola, my little boy was sick with a bad chest. Then my wife had flu, and then I got flu, and lost a lot of weight. I couldn’t deal with that and the heat in Mauritius so I checked myself into hospital for four days.

I didn’t really have any expectations coming into the week. I’m just out here to have fun, obviously, so I’m very blessed to be playing well.

Some people say Bushwillow is easy – and I have just shot 63 – but to be fair, it’s not easy. You can’t say any golf course is easy. You’ve still got to hit the ball. The flags were pretty good. The rough’s not as up as it is on Firethorn, but it’s a good test. You’ve still got to hit your ball in the right areas and then you have to make the putts.

I don’t have a preference for the courses. Firethorn is just another course. If you play what’s in front of you, you’re going to play well, but if you play fearing the tournament, you’re going to play badly. I’ve experienced that a few times. I’m not here to paint pictures. I’m here to write down numbers. I got a good number down today and I’m just going to take it day by day.

Sebastian Heisele (Ger) – First Round 64 (-7)

I’m very happy. I had a good day. I was in position last week as well so hopefully I make the most of today and do a better job in the next few days. It was a good way to end the day because there are a couple of holes where you can pick up some shots.

I putted really well and hit the ball fairly well. I had a terrible bogey on the 14th hole after a bad bunker shot but I got away with one bad shot. I’ll take that and move into tomorrow.

There are 240 guys here so somebody is bound to shoot a low one, especially on that side of the course. We knew that going into today and told ourselves to try and play aggressive on that side and see where we stand.

I started with an eagle on the first and that gave me some momentum boost. It got easier from there and picked up another eagle on the 12th hole. I had a good finish in the end and I’m in good position for tomorrow.

James Morrison (Eng) – First Round 64 (-7)

I’m very happy. I played very well from start to finish. I had a really good three ball and we ticked along really well. We got lucky because we didn’t get any rain until the 18th fairway. The course is softer as compared to when I played on Monday. That’s the way it is with the storms we have here. Fingers crossed the rain will stay away from us.

My game is in really good shape. My brain is in good shape which is the main thing in this game. I finished top-10 in Hong Kong a couple of weeks ago. This game is a silly game, you never know when it is going to happen so you have to keep playing well and giving your best shot the whole time.

I hit the ball an average length. This course (Bushwillow) suits me down to the ground where you got to keep it on the fairway, hit it good with the short irons and wedges. I did that today. I got it in play and hit it close when I had to. I’m a good chipper and putter so this golf course sets up well for me. The other golf course is quite similar, if you can keep it in play, you have a chance to score.

Matthew Baldwin (Eng) – First Round 64 (-7) 

I’m very pleased. It was nice playing first thing this morning. I got off to a good start with a pair of threes. We had a spell where there was quite heavy rain playing the third, but other than that, it’s been pretty good.

It was great getting two eagles. To start with an eagle is very nice and then to follow it up on 12 was a good feeling.

There wasn’t really pressure to get a good number knowing that I was playing Bushwillow first. You’ve just got to play your golf and see how you go. Now I’ve got three days on the so-called big course, and I’m looking forward to it.

The small greens on Bushwillow tested my game most. Second shots are important. Off the tees, it’s quite narrow in places. It’s more of a tactical course. It’s not driver everywhere, but I think the fact that the greens are small means if you hit a lot of greens, you’ve got a lot of birdie chances.

I’ll just keep doing what I’m doing when I take on Firethorn tomorrow. Unfortunately, I didn’t play last week in Mauritius, but hopefully this week I can make amends.

Getting a spot in The Open would be nice. But I’ll take things one day at a time.

Jared Harvey (RSA) – First Round 64 (-7)

It was a bit of luck finishing with a birdie and then the rain came! Coming down the last couple of holes, I was a little bit nervous. There was a big hold-up on 17, I think with two or three groups.

I didn’t even know until I finished, but thank goodness, I do now that I was bogey-free. I take a lot of confidence from that. I struggled a bit last week in Mauritius. But I’ve had a good season so I think it’s quite important to step it up this week and find what has had me on a good run for most of the year.

Bushwillow was really good. There was a bit of a swirling breeze the last couple of holes, but other than that, it’s there where you find it. It’s like a normal golf course. If you play nicely, you’re going to score well, and if you’re going to be off line, you’re going to struggle. Fortunately, I played quite nicely.

A lot of the holes are doglegs and the rough is quite up, so if you’re missing it at bad angles off the tee, you can be quite blocked out by trees. So I was quite pleased to be driving it nicely today, and I felt like my long game was really good today. But the thing that stood out the most was the putter. I actually changed my putter today. I was very pleased with a few putts today.

Scott Barr (Aus) – First Round 65 (-6)

It was a tricky day. The wind was swirling and we had a little bit of rain at the start. It was a difficult day just to get the direction of the wind so I’m very pleased with what happened.

I played the front nine well and didn’t get what I deserved. The wind was playing havoc and but on the back nine my confidence was up and I played solid. I was out early and the greens were in great shape, the fairways are beautiful so it is actually a very nice golf course (Bushwillow) to play on.

It is a fun course to play on. It is short but you need to hit the right yardages off the tee. Tomorrow I’m playing on the big course so I need to wrap my head around that.

About Asian Tour

As the official sanctioning body for professional golf in Asia, the Asian Tour leads the development of golf across the region, enhancing the careers of its members while maintaining a commitment to the integrity of the game. The Asian Tour, through its membership of the International Federation of PGA Tours, is the only recognised pan-Asian professional golf tour in Asia. This unique feature positions the Asian Tour at the pinnacle of professional golf in Asia; providing its events with Official World Ranking status. Tour Partners include Rolex (Official Timekeeper), Panasonic (Official Consumer Electronics), ECCO (Official Footwear Sponsor), FENIX XCell (Official Apparel Supplier), Titleist (Official Web Partner), Bloomberg TV (Official International Media Partner), Bloomberg Businessweek Chinese (Official International Media Partner), Wall Street Journal (Official International Media Partner) and Sentosa in Singapore which is the Home of the Asian Tour which also has an office in Kuala Lumpur.

Please visit us at:

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Mauritius, December 3: Dylan Frittelli of South Africa birdied the first play-off hole to defeat Arjun Atwal of India in a thrilling final day at the AfrAsia Bank Mauritius Open on Sunday. 

The 27-year-old Frittelli closed with a four-under-par 67 to finish on 16-under-par 268 which was matched by a battling Atwal, whose 25-foot eagle putt on the last hole hit the side of the cup before spinning past the hole.

Atwal birdied the hole to force extra time but was beaten by the South African’s birdie on 18 as Atwal made par to settle for second place at the €1million (approximately US$1.07 million) event sanctioned by the Asian Tour, Sunshine Tour and European Tour.

Popular Frenchman Romain Langasque posted a 67 to finish in third place on 270 while co-overnight leader Louis De Jager of South Africa ended his campaign in fourth place following a 71.

Miguel Tabuena of the Philippines, a winner on the Asian Tour, posted a 71 to claim a share of fifth place after playing through a wrist injury at the Heritage Golf Club.

The dashing Frittelli continued his fine form in a highly a successful 2017 where he won his first European Tour title in Austria in June and finished runner-up thrice. His victory at the AfrAsia Bank Mauritius Open was his second on the European Tour and first in the new 2018 season.

The 44-year-old Atwal, who will captain Team Asia in the EurAsia Cup presented by DRB-HICOM next year, was disappointed to lose in the play-off after holding at least a share of the lead since the opening day where he set a course record 62.

Did you know?

• It was an eventful day for Frittelli when he broke a four-iron on the par-four sixth hole. His club snapped after hitting it against a tree but the South African recovered nicely by chipping in for par from the edge of the green.
• Frittelli made one bogey in the final round. After 72 holes he only made six bogeys against 18 birdies and two eagles in the tournament.
• This was Frittelli’s first victory in a play-off after two losses on the European Tour and one on the Sunshine Tour.
• His previous best finish in the AfrAsia Bank Mauritius Open was 54th in 2016.
• Frittelli will now head to the Joburg Open next week in hopes of securing back-to-back victories.
• This was Atwal’s best finish since he won the 2014 Dubai Open.
• The AfrAsia Bank Mauritius Open will be Atwal’s final event in the 2017 season. In his next tournament, he will captain Team Asia against Team Europe in the 2018 EurAsia Cup in Malaysia.
• He moved to 23rd place on the Order of Merit and will safely secure a full Asian Tour card for 2018.
• The AfrAsia Bank Mauritius Open might also be Tabuena’s final event in 2017. He will return to the Philippines to nurse a wrist injury after playing through the pain barrier today.

Player Interviews:

Dylan Frittelli (Rsa) – Final Round 67 (-4), Total 268 (-16)

It is good for me to finally win a play-off. It has been three on the European Tour and one on the Sunshine Tour which I’ve lost. I’m proud of the way I played the 18th hole. I hit a good drive there which pretty much sums up the week. Just great ball striking and putting pressure on the rest of the field. Putting held on at the end.

The conditions were tricky. It was similar to yesterday. We had a bit of knowledge of how it was going to play like coming off Saturday. I felt comfortable so Saturday definitely prepared me.

I made a few crucial decisions. Hitting driver on 10 was big and hitting the green on 14 was huge. Those two were probably the biggest positives for me.

This is my fifth week and I’ve been to Turkey, Dubai and Hong Kong. I have my fitness trainer with me and he has kept me fit and strong. I’m feeling good. I’m playing the Joburg Open next week and I’m looking forward to that. Hopefully be strong and be in contention on the weekend again.

This is validation of all the hard work I’ve put in. It means a lot to win today. Some guys might say, ‘oh you won against an easy field in Austria’. Well I’ve won a tri-sanctioned event against a very strong field today.

Arjun Atwal (Ind) – Final Round 68 (-3), Total 268 (-16)

I didn’t know read the line in my second shot (play-off), didn’t hit a good shot and didn’t hit a great putt. Dylan obviously did the right thing and deserves to win. I’m happy with the way played this week but right now I’m just disappointed to lose the tournament.

You don’t get many chances especially at my age. I’ll take a lot of positives out of this week but right now I’m really mad.

To be honest, I haven’t been in that situation in a while. To be fair, I think I handled myself quite well. The tee shot (play-off) was okay. I still put myself in position to make birdie but I didn’t pull through.

Miguel Tabuena (Phi) – Final Round 71 (E), Total 272 (-12)

I can’t complain with the round. I had no pars in the first five holes. It was a really colourful scorecard but I’m proud with myself with how I grinded it out there. I didn’t give up and I believe I’ve been rewarded with a good result.

The fans were great. Playing with Dylan, I learnt so much from him especially a player with his calibre.  It was nice to end this week on a high note. I wish I won but overall it was a good week and I take back a lot of experience.

Leading final round scores:

268 – Dylan FRITTELLI (RSA) 67 66 68 67, Arjun ATWAL (IND) 62 70 68 68

*Frittelli wins on first play-off hole with a birdie

270 – Romain LANGASQUE (FRA) 67 69 67 67

271 – Louis DE JAGER (RSA) 66 67 67 71

272 – Matthieu PAVON (FRA) 69 68 69 66, Miguel TABUENA (PHI) 66 68 67 71

273 – Louis OOSTHUIZEN (RSA) 67 68 71 67, Jose-Filipe LIMA (POR) 68 66 69 70

274 – Ockie STRYDOM (RSA) 66 68 73 67, George COETZEE (RSA) 67 71 68 68, Jean-Paul STRYDOM (RSA) 71 69 66 68, Oliver BEKKER (RSA) 67 67 71 69, Joel STALTER (FRA) 67 68 70 69

275 – Jeff WINTHER (DEN) 71 68 72 64, Justin WALTERS (RSA) 68 66 69 72

276 – Darren FICHARDT (RSA) 70 66 70 70, Shiv KAPUR (IND) 69 69 68 70, Laurie CANTER (ENG) 67 66 72 71, Ricardo GOUVEIA (POR) 68 68 68 72

277 – WU Ashun (CHN) 72 68 70 67, Jinho CHOI (KOR) 71 66 70 70

278 – Paul PETERSON (USA) 70 69 70 69, Sam HORSFIELD (ENG) 68 72 69 69, Scott VINCENT (ZIM) 70 70 68 70, Neil SCHIETEKAT (RSA) 70 70 68 70, Masahiro KAWAMURA (JPN) 68 70 69 71

279 – Shubhankar SHARMA (IND) 68 72 71 68, Andrea PAVAN (ITA) 68 69 73 69, Nico GEYGER (CHI) 71 69 70 69, S.S.P CHAWRASIA (IND) 69 67 73 70, Dean BURMESTER (RSA) 71 70 68 70

About Asian Tour

As the official sanctioning body for professional golf in Asia, the Asian Tour leads the development of golf across the region, enhancing the careers of its members while maintaining a commitment to the integrity of the game. The Asian Tour, through its membership of the International Federation of PGA Tours, is the only recognised pan-Asian professional golf tour in Asia. This unique feature positions the Asian Tour at the pinnacle of professional golf in Asia; providing its events with Official World Ranking status. Tour Partners include Rolex (Official Timekeeper), Panasonic (Official Consumer Electronics), ECCO (Official Footwear Sponsor), FENIX XCell (Official Apparel Supplier), Titleist (Official Web Partner), Bloomberg TV (Official International Media Partner), Bloomberg Businessweek Chinese (Official International Media Partner), Wall Street Journal (Official International Media Partner) and Sentosa in Singapore which is the Home of the Asian Tour which also has an office in Kuala Lumpur.

Please visit us at:

www.wp-asiantour.ocs-sport.com

www.facebook.com/asiantourgolf

www.twitter.com/asiantourgolf

www.youtube.com/theasiantour

www.weibo.com/asiantourgolf

Mauritius, December 3: Dylan Frittelli of South Africa birdied the first play-off hole to defeat Arjun Atwal of India in a thrilling final day at the AfrAsia Bank Mauritius Open on Sunday. 

The 27-year-old Frittelli closed with a four-under-par 67 to finish on 16-under-par 268 which was matched by a battling Atwal, whose 25-foot eagle putt on the last hole hit the side of the cup before spinning past the hole.

Atwal birdied the hole to force extra time but was beaten by the South African’s birdie on 18 as Atwal made par to settle for second place at the €1million (approximately US$1.07 million) event sanctioned by the Asian Tour, Sunshine Tour and European Tour.

Popular Frenchman Romain Langasque posted a 67 to finish in third place on 270 while co-overnight leader Louis De Jager of South Africa ended his campaign in fourth place following a 71.

Miguel Tabuena of the Philippines, a winner on the Asian Tour, posted a 71 to claim a share of fifth place after playing through a wrist injury at the Heritage Golf Club.

The dashing Frittelli continued his fine form in a highly a successful 2017 where he won his first European Tour title in Austria in June and finished runner-up thrice. His victory at the AfrAsia Bank Mauritius Open was his second on the European Tour and first in the new 2018 season.

The 44-year-old Atwal, who will captain Team Asia in the EurAsia Cup presented by DRB-HICOM next year, was disappointed to lose in the play-off after holding at least a share of the lead since the opening day where he set a course record 62.

Did you know?

• It was an eventful day for Frittelli when he broke a four-iron on the par-four sixth hole. His club snapped after hitting it against a tree but the South African recovered nicely by chipping in for par from the edge of the green.
• Frittelli made one bogey in the final round. After 72 holes he only made six bogeys against 18 birdies and two eagles in the tournament.
• This was Frittelli’s first victory in a play-off after two losses on the European Tour and one on the Sunshine Tour.
• His previous best finish in the AfrAsia Bank Mauritius Open was 54th in 2016.
• Frittelli will now head to the Joburg Open next week in hopes of securing back-to-back victories.
• This was Atwal’s best finish since he won the 2014 Dubai Open.
• The AfrAsia Bank Mauritius Open will be Atwal’s final event in the 2017 season. In his next tournament, he will captain Team Asia against Team Europe in the 2018 EurAsia Cup in Malaysia.
• He moved to 23rd place on the Order of Merit and will safely secure a full Asian Tour card for 2018.
• The AfrAsia Bank Mauritius Open might also be Tabuena’s final event in 2017. He will return to the Philippines to nurse a wrist injury after playing through the pain barrier today.

Player Interviews:

Dylan Frittelli (Rsa) – Final Round 67 (-4), Total 268 (-16)

It is good for me to finally win a play-off. It has been three on the European Tour and one on the Sunshine Tour which I’ve lost. I’m proud of the way I played the 18th hole. I hit a good drive there which pretty much sums up the week. Just great ball striking and putting pressure on the rest of the field. Putting held on at the end.

The conditions were tricky. It was similar to yesterday. We had a bit of knowledge of how it was going to play like coming off Saturday. I felt comfortable so Saturday definitely prepared me.

I made a few crucial decisions. Hitting driver on 10 was big and hitting the green on 14 was huge. Those two were probably the biggest positives for me.

This is my fifth week and I’ve been to Turkey, Dubai and Hong Kong. I have my fitness trainer with me and he has kept me fit and strong. I’m feeling good. I’m playing the Joburg Open next week and I’m looking forward to that. Hopefully be strong and be in contention on the weekend again.

This is validation of all the hard work I’ve put in. It means a lot to win today. Some guys might say, ‘oh you won against an easy field in Austria’. Well I’ve won a tri-sanctioned event against a very strong field today.

Arjun Atwal (Ind) – Final Round 68 (-3), Total 268 (-16)

I didn’t know read the line in my second shot (play-off), didn’t hit a good shot and didn’t hit a great putt. Dylan obviously did the right thing and deserves to win. I’m happy with the way played this week but right now I’m just disappointed to lose the tournament.

You don’t get many chances especially at my age. I’ll take a lot of positives out of this week but right now I’m really mad.

To be honest, I haven’t been in that situation in a while. To be fair, I think I handled myself quite well. The tee shot (play-off) was okay. I still put myself in position to make birdie but I didn’t pull through.

Miguel Tabuena (Phi) – Final Round 71 (E), Total 272 (-12)

I can’t complain with the round. I had no pars in the first five holes. It was a really colourful scorecard but I’m proud with myself with how I grinded it out there. I didn’t give up and I believe I’ve been rewarded with a good result.

The fans were great. Playing with Dylan, I learnt so much from him especially a player with his calibre.  It was nice to end this week on a high note. I wish I won but overall it was a good week and I take back a lot of experience.

Leading final round scores:

268 – Dylan FRITTELLI (RSA) 67 66 68 67, Arjun ATWAL (IND) 62 70 68 68

*Frittelli wins on first play-off hole with a birdie

270 – Romain LANGASQUE (FRA) 67 69 67 67

271 – Louis DE JAGER (RSA) 66 67 67 71

272 – Matthieu PAVON (FRA) 69 68 69 66, Miguel TABUENA (PHI) 66 68 67 71

273 – Louis OOSTHUIZEN (RSA) 67 68 71 67, Jose-Filipe LIMA (POR) 68 66 69 70

274 – Ockie STRYDOM (RSA) 66 68 73 67, George COETZEE (RSA) 67 71 68 68, Jean-Paul STRYDOM (RSA) 71 69 66 68, Oliver BEKKER (RSA) 67 67 71 69, Joel STALTER (FRA) 67 68 70 69

275 – Jeff WINTHER (DEN) 71 68 72 64, Justin WALTERS (RSA) 68 66 69 72

276 – Darren FICHARDT (RSA) 70 66 70 70, Shiv KAPUR (IND) 69 69 68 70, Laurie CANTER (ENG) 67 66 72 71, Ricardo GOUVEIA (POR) 68 68 68 72

277 – WU Ashun (CHN) 72 68 70 67, Jinho CHOI (KOR) 71 66 70 70

278 – Paul PETERSON (USA) 70 69 70 69, Sam HORSFIELD (ENG) 68 72 69 69, Scott VINCENT (ZIM) 70 70 68 70, Neil SCHIETEKAT (RSA) 70 70 68 70, Masahiro KAWAMURA (JPN) 68 70 69 71

279 – Shubhankar SHARMA (IND) 68 72 71 68, Andrea PAVAN (ITA) 68 69 73 69, Nico GEYGER (CHI) 71 69 70 69, S.S.P CHAWRASIA (IND) 69 67 73 70, Dean BURMESTER (RSA) 71 70 68 70

About Asian Tour

As the official sanctioning body for professional golf in Asia, the Asian Tour leads the development of golf across the region, enhancing the careers of its members while maintaining a commitment to the integrity of the game. The Asian Tour, through its membership of the International Federation of PGA Tours, is the only recognised pan-Asian professional golf tour in Asia. This unique feature positions the Asian Tour at the pinnacle of professional golf in Asia; providing its events with Official World Ranking status. Tour Partners include Rolex (Official Timekeeper), Panasonic (Official Consumer Electronics), ECCO (Official Footwear Sponsor), FENIX XCell (Official Apparel Supplier), Titleist (Official Web Partner), Bloomberg TV (Official International Media Partner), Bloomberg Businessweek Chinese (Official International Media Partner), Wall Street Journal (Official International Media Partner) and Sentosa in Singapore which is the Home of the Asian Tour which also has an office in Kuala Lumpur.

Please visit us at:

www.wp-asiantour.ocs-sport.com

www.facebook.com/asiantourgolf

www.twitter.com/asiantourgolf

www.youtube.com/theasiantour

www.weibo.com/asiantourgolf

Beijing, April 16: India’s Khalin Joshi is eagerly looking forward to contend at the prestigious Volvo China Open next week, after seeing how his good friend Shubhankar Sharma propel into stardom over the last few months.

Joshi, placed 10th on the Asian Tour’s Habitat for Humanity Standings, has received a sponsor’s invitation to play at the CNY 20 million (approximately US$3,178,000) event, tri-sanctioned by the China Golf Association, Asian Tour and the European Tour.

He will challenge for honours alongside Sharma, Thai star Kiradech Aphibarnrat, Australian Scott Hend and reigning Order of Merit champion Gavin Green of Malaysia at the highly-rated Beijing Topwin Golf and Country Club from April 26 to 29.

“I am very happy for Shubhankar. Watching him play in the Masters on television was surreal. We are very good friends and he motivates me the most. He just reminds me that one good week can take you to the next level it’s just a matter of time before things will fall into place for me,” said Joshi.

The 25-year-old Joshi, who hails from Bengarulu, kept his Asian Tour card for the first time in his career after finishing inside the top-60 on the 2017 Order of Merit. He eased the pressure of retaining his card for 2019 following a solid tied-fifth finish in Malaysia in February.

“I was really proud of how I kept my emotions together that week when I finished tied-fifth in Malaysia. I showed everyone that I can compete at that level and I proved it to myself as well.

“Things have changed so much for me this season. I was struggling to keep my card all through last year but now that the pressure is off, I play to win and not just to secure my card,” added Joshi.

Since turning professional in 2013, Joshi has won four times on his local circuit. He will be returning to China for the first time in eight years for the Volvo China Open.

“The last time I was in China was in 2010 when I played as a junior in the Faldo Series Asia and came in second in my division. I am excited to be back in China and competing against such a strong field. I know my game is there so I am hoping to put a good showing that week,” Joshi said.

Defending champion Alexander Levy of France, China’s highest-ranked player Haotong Li, Yuta Ikeda of Japan, as well as young Thai stars Phachara Khongwatmai and Poom Saksansin, will all be part of the elite field expected to gather at the Volvo China Open, which is celebrating its 24th edition this season.

Ends.

About Asian Tour

As the official sanctioning body for professional golf in Asia, the Asian Tour leads the development of golf across the region, enhancing the careers of its members while maintaining a commitment to the integrity of the game. The Asian Tour, through its membership of the International Federation of PGA Tours, is the only recognised pan-Asian professional golf tour in Asia. This unique feature positions the Asian Tour at the pinnacle of professional golf in Asia; providing its events with Official World Ranking status. Tour Partners include Rolex (Official Timekeeper), Panasonic (Official Consumer Electronics), Habitat for Humanity (Official Sustainable Development Partner), ECCO (Official Footwear Sponsor), Titleist and FootJoy (Official Web Partner), Bloomberg TV (Official International Media Partner), Bloomberg Businessweek Chinese (Official International Media Partner), Wall Street Journal (Official International Media Partner) and Sentosa in Singapore which is the Home of the Asian Tour which also has an office in Kuala Lumpur.

Mauritius, December 2: Arjun Atwal of India battled to a three-under-par 68 in swirling wind to tie for the third round lead with Louis De Jager of South Africa at the AfrAsia Bank Mauritius Open on Saturday.

Atwal, a former Asian Tour number one, enjoyed a solid front nine 32 before adding his fifth birdie on hole 14. He was ahead by one-shot heading into 18 but missed a four-foot par putt to finish on 13-under-par 200 at the Heritage Golf Club.

The 30-year-old De Jager produced a flawless 67, highlighted by two birdies in each half, to charge into contention at the €1million (approximately US$1.07 million) event sanctioned by the Asian Tour, European Tour and Sunshine Tour.

Talented Filipino Miguel Tabuena birdied the closing two holes to stay one-shot back of the leaders following a round of 67. He shared third place with Dylan Frittelli of South Africa who also birdied the last hole for a 68.

Atwal, who will captain Team Asia in the EurAsia Cup presented by DRB-HICOM in 2018, will enter the final 18 holes with huge confidence after retaining his lead which he has held since firing a course record 62 on the opening day.

He did not play a practice round this week and is still recovering from a 16-hour journey from Kuala Lumpur. He remains relaxed on the holiday-isle of Mauritius as he searches for a ninth Asian Tour title and his first since 2014.

The 23-year-old Tabuena recovered from an opening bogey to return with five birdies and stay in the hunt for a second Asian Tour title.

Did you know?

• The last time Atwal was in a share of the lead heading into the final round was at the 2014 Dubai Open which he eventually won.
• Out of the eight Asian Tour victories, Atwal has won five when he has led or co-led heading into the final round.
• Atwal birdied the par-five seventh hole for the third straight day. He is also four-under on the par-five 14th hole where he eagled on the first day and birdied in round two and three.
• A three putt on the 18th hole led to a disappointing bogey. It was his first three putt in the tournament. He totalled 26 putts today which equalled his total putts in round one.
• In three editions of the AfrAsia Bank Mauritius Open, only George Goetzee of South Africa has led after the third round and gone on to win the tournament.
• Jager is a three-time Sunshine Tour champion. He will play in the final group for the first time in his career in a tri-sanctioned event.
• He is aiming to become the second South African player after Coetzee to win the AfrAsia Bank Mauritius Open.
• De Jager said he is inspired to win the tournament after playing in a pro-am with South African legend Gary Player last week.
• Tabuena only used driver on holes two, four, seven, 11, 14 and 17. On most holes other than the par threes, he would drive the ball with a two-iron.
• This is the first time this week where Tabuena has birdied the closing two holes. He has also birdied the par five 14th hole on all three days.

Player Interviews:

Arjun Atwal (Ind) – Third Round 68 (-3), Total 200 (-13)

I played solid all day except for a blip on the last hole which won’t bother me. It did play harder today. It was definitely blowing harder out of the three days. I played solid all day.

The driving was difficult because we had crosswinds on most holes but I drove it on most days pretty good. 18 was the only missed drive but other than that I drove it pretty much where I was looking and I’m very pleased with that.

The officials got it right with the green speeds. If it was any faster, the ball would move especially in the gusty conditions. I’m really looking forward to Sunday. With the way I’m playing, I think I have a good shot at it.

I’m really calm here but a bit tired. You mixed those two together and I think I’ll be okay on Sunday!

Louis de Jager (Rsa) – Third Round 67 (-4), Total 200 (-13)

I’m very pleased with my efforts. It was really tough out there today. The wind was very strong and there were some good pin positions, so I’m really pleased with the score.

I felt really composed. I was quite cool and calm out there. I didn’t hit the ball as well as the first two days but my short game really saved me today, and my putter really saved me inside the eight-foot range. I made a few crucial putts that really kept me in the tournament.

It’s always a goal to keep bogeys off the card. You know you can hit good shots and still make bogey, so when there are none on the card, it’s really pleasing.

It’s going to be my first time in the final group in a co-sanctioned tournament. I’m going to cherish the moment. I’m looking forward to it and I’m going to go out there and give it my all.

Miguel Tabuena (Phi) – Third Round 67 (-4), Total 201 (-12)

I can’t complain but I can’t get ahead of myself. There’re still 18 holes left. It looked easy but it really isn’t. There are holes which can bite you. I didn’t take advantage of the par fives and I’m not happy about that.

I’m really looking forward to tomorrow. I’ve been in position so many times locally and on the Asian Tour. I know what it takes to win. I’m in beautiful Mauritius and you can’t complain.

I didn’t use many drivers because of the way the course is. I’m not the shortest hitter with a two-iron. The key on this course is to find the fairways and I’ve been doing that.

I used driver on

Dylan Frittelli (Rsa) – Third Round 68 (-3), Total 201 (-12)

I’m pretty happy. Through the front nine I had a goal of two under and I beat that by one, but it could have been a whole lot better. I played well today I just couldn’t get the putts to go in. I’ll do a bit of practice now and hopefully go lower tomorrow.

I probably had eight or ten putts where I read the putts perfectly then had to adjust for the wind. I though the wind was going to hit it and most of the time it didn’t, so it was a bit tricky there. I still gave myself opportunities. I think tomorrow I’ll try to hit it a bit closer and make it easier for the putter.

The 18th is pretty tough if you can’t get the drive on the fairway. I just figured I would hit as hard as I can down the middle and today it came off nicely. I only had 186 to the flag, seven iron, middle of the green, easy two putt – although I turned it into a difficult two putt! I would have to check the stats but I would figure it was at least a shot and a half harder than the first two days. You’ve got the top 65 guys playing right now so it’s tough to see those stats, but I would figure if the whole field played, at least a shot and a half.

I gave myself a lot of chances. It’s just tough when you’re on the green, 30 feet away with the wind blowing sideways. You’re just trying to lag it up there. It’s boring to play in fact, you just have to roll it up and tap it in because you can’t really give it a go. You’re standing with an iron shot thinking, well unless I hit it inside 30 feet I’m just lagging it, so there’s lot of pressure on those iron shots. Hopefully tomorrow I can be a little more specific and hit it closer.

I’m really excited, I didn’t think I would be one shot back at the end of the day. I struggled through most of the round. I’ll sleep well tonight and won’t be in the final group tomorrow, so that will help. Hopefully I’ll post a nice low number and watch the guys come in.

Leading third round scores:

200 – Louis DE JAGER (RSA) 66 67 67, Arjun ATWAL (IND) 62 70 68

201 – Miguel TABUENA (PHI) 66 68 67, Dylan FRITTELLI (RSA) 67 66 68

203 – Romain LANGASQUE (FRA) 67 69 67, Justin WALTERS (RSA) 68 66 69, Jose-Filipe LIMA (POR) 68 66 69

204 – Ricardo GOUVEIA (POR) 68 68 68

205 – Joel STALTER (FRA) 67 68 70, Oliver BEKKER (RSA) 67 67 71, Laurie CANTER (ENG) 67 66 72

206 – Douglas MCGUIGAN (RSA) 69 71 66, Jean-Paul STRYDOM (RSA) 71 69 66, Haydn PORTEOUS (RSA) 69 71 66, George COETZEE (RSA) 67 71 68, Shiv KAPUR (IND) 69 69 68, Matthieu PAVON (FRA) 69 68 69, Darren FICHARDT (RSA) 70 66 70, Louis OOSTHUIZEN (RSA) 67 68 71, Mark WILLIAMS (ZIM) 69 66 71

207 – Masahiro KAWAMURA (JPN) 68 70 69, Jinho CHOI (KOR) 71 66 70, Ockie STRYDOM (RSA) 66 68 73

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION:

TOURNAMENT PUBLIC RELATIONS
Michael Vlismas
Tournament Media Manager
Tel: +27 (0) 21 851 9052
Mob: +27 (0) 72 242 8399
Email: [email protected]

EUROPEAN TOUR
Scott Crockett
Communications Director
The European Tour and Ryder Cup
Tel: +44 (0) 1344 840447
Mob: +44 (0) 7740 393487
Email: [email protected]

ASIAN TOUR
Doyle De Costa
Asian Tour, Communications Senior Manager
Tel: +6012 699 1976
Email: [email protected]

SUNSHINE TOUR
Mike Green
Communications Manager
Southern Africa PGA Tour
Tel: +27 (0) 21 850 6500
Mob: +27 (0) 82 830 2808
Email: [email protected]

About Asian Tour

As the official sanctioning body for professional golf in Asia, the Asian Tour leads the development of golf across the region, enhancing the careers of its members while maintaining a commitment to the integrity of the game. The Asian Tour, through its membership of the International Federation of PGA Tours, is the only recognised pan-Asian professional golf tour in Asia. This unique feature positions the Asian Tour at the pinnacle of professional golf in Asia; providing its events with Official World Ranking status. Tour Partners include Rolex (Official Timekeeper), Panasonic (Official Consumer Electronics), ECCO (Official Footwear Sponsor), FENIX XCell (Official Apparel Supplier), Titleist (Official Web Partner), Bloomberg TV (Official International Media Partner), Bloomberg Businessweek Chinese (Official International Media Partner), Wall Street Journal (Official International Media Partner) and Sentosa in Singapore which is the Home of the Asian Tour which also has an office in Kuala Lumpur.

Please visit us at:

www.wp-asiantour.ocs-sport.com
www.facebook.com/asiantourgolf
www.twitter.com/asiantourgolf
www.youtube.com/theasiantour
www.weibo.com/asiantourgolf

Photo credit: Richard Castka

Beijing, April 16: Defending champion Alexander Levy will have a unique hat-trick in sight when he tees up for his title defence at the prestigious Volvo China Open which will be held at the Beijing Topwin Golf & Country Club from April 26 to 29.

The 27-year-old Frenchman, who represented Team Europe at the 2018 EurAsia Cup presented by DRB-HICOM in January, claimed his fourth European Tour title in the event last year after defeating South Africa’s Dylan Fritelli in a play-off.

Levy will return to his winning ground looking to create a unique piece of golfing history in the CNY 20 million (approximately US$3,178,000) event, tri-sanctioned by the China Golf Association, Asian Tour and the European Tour.

"Playing in China obviously agrees with me," said Levy. "It’s a lucky country for me and not only at the Volvo China Open as I’ve also finished seventh, third and fourth at other tournaments here so there’s no doubt that I like the place. Winning last year in China was definitely a different feeling from 2014 because your first win is always special.

"After you’ve got that first title, you always feel the same when you are under pressure – and the pressure is much easier to handle if you’ve already won a tournament. You just need to remember that feeling."

Levy shot a course record 62 on the way to his first professional victory at the 2014 Volvo China Open where he won by four shots over England’s Tommy Fleetwood at the Genzon Golf Club. He also set a course record of 63 at the Beijing Topwin Golf & Country Club when he played alongside European captain Thomas Bjorn last year.

"I’ve played well since the start of the season," he said. "I’m happy with the way I’m working, the way I’m swinging and the way I’m playing. It’s a good time for me. I think it’s the best I’ve been swinging in my career, so I just enjoy it and try to hit the best shots I can."

Levy will be targeting a coveted spot on the European Team when the Ryder Cup makes its debut in Paris at Le Golf National in September. Every French professional will want to be one of the 12 players representing Europe in Paris this year.

“I will be lying if I said the Ryder Cup isn’t a target for me," added Levy. "It would be a dream to play in the Ryder Cup in France and I will be doing all I can to make the team."

If Levy were to pick up the famous Volvo China Open Scandinavian Horizon trophy for an unprecedented third time, he would be well on course for a 2018 Ryder Cup charge.

Ends.

Mauritius, December 2: Arjun Atwal of India battled to a three-under-par 68 in swirling wind to tie for the third round lead with Louis De Jager of South Africa at the AfrAsia Bank Mauritius Open on Saturday. 

Atwal, a former Asian Tour number one, enjoyed a solid front nine 32 before adding his fifth birdie on hole 14. He was ahead by one-shot heading into 18 but missed a four-foot par putt to finish on 13-under-par 200 at the Heritage Golf Club.

The 30-year-old De Jager produced a flawless 67, highlighted by two birdies in each half, to charge into contention at the €1million (approximately US$1.07 million) event sanctioned by the Asian Tour, European Tour and Sunshine Tour.

Talented Filipino Miguel Tabuena birdied the closing two holes to stay one-shot back of the leaders following a round of 67. He shared third place with Dylan Frittelli of South Africa who also birdied the last hole for a 68.

Atwal, who will captain Team Asia in the EurAsia Cup presented by DRB-HICOM in 2018, will enter the final 18 holes with huge confidence after retaining his lead which he has held since firing a course record 62 on the opening day.

He did not play a practice round this week and is still recovering from a 16-hour journey from Kuala Lumpur. He remains relaxed on the holiday-isle of Mauritius as he searches for a ninth Asian Tour title and his first since 2014.

The 23-year-old Tabuena recovered from an opening bogey to return with five birdies and stay in the hunt for a second Asian Tour title.

Did you know?

• The last time Atwal was in a share of the lead heading into the final round was at the 2014 Dubai Open which he eventually won.
• Out of the eight Asian Tour victories, Atwal has won five when he has led or co-led heading into the final round.
• Atwal birdied the par-five seventh hole for the third straight day. He is also four-under on the par-five 14th hole where he eagled on the first day and birdied in round two and three.
• A three putt on the 18th hole led to a disappointing bogey. It was his first three putt in the tournament. He totalled 26 putts today which equalled his total putts in round one.
• In three editions of the AfrAsia Bank Mauritius Open, only George Goetzee of South Africa has led after the third round and gone on to win the tournament.
• Jager is a three-time Sunshine Tour champion. He will play in the final group for the first time in his career in a tri-sanctioned event.
• He is aiming to become the second South African player after Coetzee to win the AfrAsia Bank Mauritius Open.
• De Jager said he is inspired to win the tournament after playing in a pro-am with South African legend Gary Player last week.
• Tabuena only used driver on holes two, four, seven, 11, 14 and 17. On most holes other than the par threes, he would drive the ball with a two-iron.
• This is the first time this week where Tabuena has birdied the closing two holes. He has also birdied the par five 14th hole on all three days 

Player Interviews:

Arjun Atwal (Ind) – Third Round 68 (-3), Total 200 (-13)

I played solid all day except for a blip on the last hole which won’t bother me. It did play harder today. It was definitely blowing harder out of the three days. I played solid all day.

The driving was difficult because we had crosswinds on most holes but I drove it on most days pretty good. 18 was the only missed drive but other than that I drove it pretty much where I was looking and I’m very pleased with that.

The officials got it right with the green speeds. If it was any faster, the ball would move especially in the gusty conditions. I’m really looking forward to Sunday. With the way I’m playing, I think I have a good shot at it.

I’m really calm here but a bit tired. You mixed those two together and I think I’ll be okay on Sunday!

Louis de Jager (Rsa) – Third Round 67 (-4), Total 200 (-13)

I’m very pleased with my efforts. It was really tough out there today. The wind was very strong and there were some good pin positions, so I’m really pleased with the score.

I felt really composed. I was quite cool and calm out there. I didn’t hit the ball as well as the first two days but my short game really saved me today, and my putter really saved me inside the eight-foot range. I made a few crucial putts that really kept me in the tournament.

It’s always a goal to keep bogeys off the card. You know you can hit good shots and still make bogey, so when there are none on the card, it’s really pleasing.

It’s going to be my first time in the final group in a co-sanctioned tournament. I’m going to cherish the moment. I’m looking forward to it and I’m going to go out there and give it my all.

Miguel Tabuena (Phi) – Third Round 67 (-4), Total 201 (-12)

I can’t complain but I can’t get ahead of myself. There’re still 18 holes left. It looked easy but it really isn’t.  There are holes which can bite you. I didn’t take advantage of the par fives and I’m not happy about that.

I’m really looking forward to tomorrow. I’ve been in position so many times locally and on the Asian Tour. I know what it takes to win. I’m in beautiful Mauritius and you can’t complain.

I didn’t use many drivers because of the way the course is. I’m not the shortest hitter with a two-iron. The key on this course is to find the fairways and I’ve been doing that.

Dylan Frittelli (Rsa) – Third Round 68 (-3), Total 201 (-12)

I’m pretty happy. Through the front nine I had a goal of two under and I beat that by one, but it could have been a whole lot better. I played well today I just couldn’t get the putts to go in. I’ll do a bit of practice now and hopefully go lower tomorrow.

I probably had eight or ten putts where I read the putts perfectly then had to adjust for the wind. I though the wind was going to hit it and most of the time it didn’t, so it was a bit tricky there. I still gave myself opportunities. I think tomorrow I’ll try to hit it a bit closer and make it easier for the putter.

The 18th is pretty tough if you can’t get the drive on the fairway. I just figured I would hit as hard as I can down the middle and today it came off nicely. I only had 186 to the flag, seven iron, middle of the green, easy two putt – although I turned it into a difficult two putt!

I would have to check the stats but I would figure it was at least a shot and a half harder than the first two days. You’ve got the top 65 guys playing right now so it’s tough to see those stats, but I would figure if the whole field played, at least a shot and a half.

I gave myself a lot of chances. It’s just tough when you’re on the green, 30 feet away with the wind blowing sideways. You’re just trying to lag it up there. It’s boring to play in fact, you just have to roll it up and tap it in because you can’t really give it a go. You’re standing with an iron shot thinking, well unless I hit it inside 30 feet I’m just lagging it, so there’s lot of pressure on those iron shots. Hopefully tomorrow I can be a little more specific and hit it closer.

I’m really excited, I didn’t think I would be one shot back at the end of the day. I struggled through most of the round. I’ll sleep well tonight and won’t be in the final group tomorrow, so that will help. Hopefully I’ll post a nice low number and watch the guys come in.

Leading third round scores:

200 – Louis DE JAGER (RSA) 66 67 67, Arjun ATWAL (IND) 62 70 68

201 – Miguel TABUENA (PHI) 66 68 67, Dylan FRITTELLI (RSA) 67 66 68

203 – Romain LANGASQUE (FRA) 67 69 67, Justin WALTERS (RSA) 68 66 69, Jose-Filipe LIMA (POR) 68 66 69

204 – Ricardo GOUVEIA (POR) 68 68 68

205 – Joel STALTER (FRA) 67 68 70, Oliver BEKKER (RSA) 67 67 71, Laurie CANTER (ENG) 67 66 72

206 – Douglas MCGUIGAN (RSA) 69 71 66, Jean-Paul STRYDOM (RSA) 71 69 66, Haydn PORTEOUS (RSA) 69 71 66, George COETZEE (RSA) 67 71 68, Shiv KAPUR (IND) 69 69 68, Matthieu PAVON (FRA) 69 68 69, Darren FICHARDT (RSA) 70 66 70, Louis OOSTHUIZEN (RSA) 67 68 71, Mark WILLIAMS (ZIM) 69 66 71

207 – Masahiro KAWAMURA (JPN) 68 70 69, Jinho CHOI (KOR) 71 66 70, Ockie STRYDOM (RSA) 66 68 73

About Asian Tour

As the official sanctioning body for professional golf in Asia, the Asian Tour leads the development of golf across the region, enhancing the careers of its members while maintaining a commitment to the integrity of the game. The Asian Tour, through its membership of the International Federation of PGA Tours, is the only recognised pan-Asian professional golf tour in Asia. This unique feature positions the Asian Tour at the pinnacle of professional golf in Asia; providing its events with Official World Ranking status. Tour Partners include Rolex (Official Timekeeper), Panasonic (Official Consumer Electronics), ECCO (Official Footwear Sponsor), FENIX XCell (Official Apparel Supplier), Titleist (Official Web Partner), Bloomberg TV (Official International Media Partner), Bloomberg Businessweek Chinese (Official International Media Partner), Wall Street Journal (Official International Media Partner) and Sentosa in Singapore which is the Home of the Asian Tour which also has an office in Kuala Lumpur.

Please visit us at:

www.wp-asiantour.ocs-sport.com

www.facebook.com/asiantourgolf

www.twitter.com/asiantourgolf

www.youtube.com/theasiantour

www.weibo.com/asiantourgolf

Osaka, Japan, April 13:  The Panasonic Swing on the Asian Tour is set for a thrilling conclusion when the Panasonic Open Championship gets underway next week.

The Panasonic Swing is based on an aggregate points ranking earned by players at the following five tournaments- 2017 Thailand Open, 2017 Panasonic Open India, 2017 Indonesian Masters, 2018 Maybank Championship (Malaysia), and 2018 Panasonic Open Championship.

India’s Shiv Kapur, who has 2870.40 points, remains in pole position heading into the final leg at the Ibaraki Country Club after a glorious 2017 season which saw him become the only golfer to win multiple titles including the 2017 Panasonic Open India on the Asian Tour.

“Being the inaugural year-long Panasonic Swing spread over five countries, it would be amazing to win the Panasonic Swing.

“There are so many good players in contention and you have to maintain your form and consistency over a long period unlike any other swing series on any of the other Tours worldwide,” said Kapur.

With second-placed Shubhankar Sharma of India opting to give the Panasonic Open Championship a miss next week, Thailand’s Rattanon Wannasrichan will have the opportunity to pip Kapur to the top prize if he can reproduce his winning form that saw him lift his National Open last year.

“I’ll always remember my wire-to-wire win at the Thailand Open last year. That was very special as it showed I have the game to compete at the highest level. I’m looking forward to winning again,” said Rattanon.

India’s Gaganjeet Bhullar, Ajeetesh Sandhu and Zimbabwean Scott Vincent also have mathematical chances of winning the Panasonic Swing should Kapur fail to make the weekend cut at the Panasonic Open Championship.

No less than 30 Asian Tour winners are expected to feature at the Panasonic Open Championship which is the third event to be sanctioned by the Asian Tour and Japan Golf Tour Organisation (JGTO) this year.

A minimum of two events are required to be played inclusive of the Panasonic Open Championship in order to qualify for the Panasonic Swing bonus pool. There will be a x1.5 multiplier for points earned at the Panasonic Open Championship.

The top-three finishers upon the conclusion of the Panasonic Open Japan 2018 will share a bonus pool of US$150,000 where they will earn US$70,000, US$50,000 and US$30,000 respectively via the reward scheme.

The winner of the Panasonic Swing will also receive an exemption into an European Tour event in 2018.

Panasonic Corporation which has supported the Olympic Games as an official worldwide partner for over 25 years, has also backed professional golf at the highest level in Asia through its title sponsorship of the Panasonic OPEN India since 2011 and the Panasonic Open Championship.

Ends.

Mauritius, December 1: Arjun Atwal of India fired a one-under-par 70 to maintain his lead on a wind-swept day at the halfway stage of the AfrAsia Bank Mauritius Open on Friday. 

The eight-time Asian Tour champion, who opened with a sizzling 62, totalled 10-under-par 132 to hold a one-shot advantage at the €1million (approximately US$1.07 million) event sanctioned by the Asian Tour, Sunshine Tour and European Tour.

Dylan Frittelli of South Africa eagled the last hole for a 66 to tie in second place alongside countryman Louis de Jager (67) and Laurie Canter (66) of England, at the Heritage Golf Club.

Miguel Tabuena of the Philippines stayed within striking distance following a 68 to share fifth place alongside Jose-Filipe Lima (66) of Portugal and South Africans Ockie Strydom (68), Justin Walters (66) and Oliver Bekker (67). They are two shots back of Atwal.

Atwal struggled to repeat his opening round magic but stayed in the hunt to end a three-year title drought after posting three birdies against two bogeys.

The Indian, who will captain Team Asia in the EurAsia Cup next year, almost chipped in for birdie on his final ninth hole before settling for par. He stayed composed on a blustery day as he heads into the weekend as the first player to reach double digits.

Frittelli drove the green on the par-four ninth hole and drained his 12-foot eagle putt to stay within a shot of Atwal. The South African enjoyed a solid 2016/2017 European Tour season where he won his first title and finished second thrice.

Tabuena made the turn in 35 and produced a stunning eagle on hole two when his two-iron from 236 yards landed three feet from the hole. He bogeyed the sixth hole but it was erased by his third birdie of the day on hole eight.

The halfway cut was set at one-under-par 141 with a total of 67 players making the weekend rounds.

Did you know?

• After 36 holes, Atwal has only dropped two shots, both bogeys coming in the second round on holes 16 and three.
• He totalled 28 putts today as compared to his 26 putts in the first round.
• When Atwal made his debut at the Heritage Golf Club in 2015, he struggled to break par and missed the cut.
• Atwal is enjoying a fine run at the AfrAsia Bank Mauritius Open considering that he did not play a practice round after arriving late Wednesday evening after travelling for 16 hours via Dubai from Kuala Lumpur.
• He holds eight Asian Tour titles but his last win came at the 2014 Dubai Open.
• Frittelli continues his fine form in the new European Tour season. Last season he won his first title while finishing second thrice. He also finished tied fourth in the season-ending DP World Tour Championship in Dubai.
• The South African is the only player to eagle the par-four ninth hole after 36 holes. He also eagled the 18th hole in the opening round.
• This is Tabuena’s second appearance at the AfrAsia Bank Mauritius Open. His two day score of eight-under-par 134 is his best result in the tournament.
• His eagle on the par-five second hole was his second in the event. He also eagled the par-five seventh hole in the opening round.
• The 23-year-old Tabuena hopes to erase the heartbreak of missing out on a second Asian Tour title at the Resorts World Manila Masters three weeks ago where he bogeyed the last hole to miss the play-off.
• Suttijet Kooratanapisan of Thailand produced the low round of the day when he returned with a 62 highlighted by two eagles. It was a huge turnaround for the Thai who opened with a 76. He ties the course record set by Atwal in the opening round.
• The Order of Merit battle is far from over. The leader Gavin Green and third ranked Scott Hend missed the cut while S.S.P. Chawrasia, ranked fourth, shot a second round 67 to lie in tied 12th place.

Player Interviews:

Arjun Atwal (Ind) – Second round 70 (-1), Total 132 (-10)

I thought it was a lot more trickier. The wind wasn’t blowing at a consistent pace and it would gust and you would look like a fool out there. I was pleased with how I played.

The putter was definitely not as hot as the first day. I was hitting the ball just as good but it is tough to follow up a 62 with another low round. I’ll take this one-under.

I almost birdied the ninth. I misjudged the wind with my second shot and it came out just short. It was right on line as well. I would usually putt from the distance I was from the hole but decided to chip and it almost went it. It was a good way to finish.

I’m always calm. People who know me know that I don’t get fired up or lose my temper. I’m pretty much the same all the time. I’m really looking forward to the weekend.

(On recovering from the long distance travel) I feel as good as I can feel for my age. I’m feeling a bit sore but I’ll be okay tomorrow.

Dylan Frittelli (South Africa), 67, 66 (-9)

I’m very happy with the score. The score was good but I didn’t play too well today. Yesterday I played really solid throughout the day and today I had a few too many birdies in my opinion but salvaged it at the end of the round.

Birdie on six was really good and then seven; I hit on the green in two and decided to three-putt for par. That was silly but I just knuckled down, just try to forget about it right away. I hit a great shot into eight, nice five-footer for birdie and then, obviously, on number nine, I hit a pearler of a drive to kick in for the eagle. Yesterday I hit it probably 14 or 12 feet away as well. So, tee shot gets up nicely drawing into the wind. I felt comfortable there.  I just decided to give it a go. I mean, it’s 296 to the flag, I think, so three-wood’s landing just short, hit a really good little fade in there and worked out. Got a good bounce, I think.

I’m feeling confident. I mean, if I was within five shots of the leader today, I would still feel confident. There’s still a lot of golf left so I’m happy to be out there and competing with the guys but 36 holes is a lot of golf to play.

It’s probably two years of hard work and a lot of good specific work the last year. Had about six months just working on the mental side and the physical side, trying to get everything into top shape and I’ve done that pretty well throughout the year.

You know, this is week five in a row for me. I’m definitely on form now, I’ve played a lot of tournament golf in the last five weeks and it’s showing in my performance.

Louis de Jager (Rsa) – Second Round 67 (-4) Total 133 (-9)

I’m very pleased. I’ve played some really good golf over the last two days. Overall, I’ve hit the ball well and my short game was good today. It was a bit windier today, so it was tougher to hit the greens. My short game really kept me there and I rolled a few nice putts in at the end and that helped.

Length-wise, the course wasn’t much different this afternoon from yesterday morning. But you just had to think a bit more and the ball shapes a bit more because the winds are mostly crosswinds here. So you have to think a bit and use your imagination a bit more, but I’m pleased with how I handled myself out there today.

I was talking to one of my playing partners, who was remarking on the wind, and I told him that we were just coming off a six or seven-week stretch of coastal tournaments on the Sunshine Tour, so I was feeling quite comfortable in the wind. That definitely helps. It teaches you to stay calm and collected out there.

I’m feeling very good going into the weekend. I’m hitting the ball so well, I’m putting well, I’m chipping well, so it’s going to be a fun weekend.

Laurie Canter (Eng) – Second Round 66 (-5), Total 133 (-9)

Yesterday evet though we went out last it felt like we had a pretty good draw. It was windy to start with kind of played the back nine in a half club, one club wind. Today it was probably the other way round, probably finished in a good two, three club wind really.

I’ve played so much golf in the wind recently, like through Q School. It just feel like I’ve played a load of links golf and that kind of stuff, so I kind of felt quite comfortable out there for a lot of it.

If you can drive the ball half decent around here you’ll have a fair few opportunities to score and get the wedge in your hand a lot. I’m delighted with the two days really.

Playing in the wind is something that I would have said, maybe a year ago, that I need to do better. Some of the wily old foxes who play in Europe, I’ve played with them and they’re really good at that. Just making a score, getting flight on the ball, hitting a few different shots.

It’s something that I’ve worked on a bit with my coach to try to give myself a few more shots going into the green. I felt like I had one swing. I’m trying to knock the ball down a bit more, play a few more half shots, take the spin off. Maybe today and yesterday was the start of me feeling a bit more comfortable and taking that into a tournament.

I’m a pretty good mid-range putter. I fancy myself from 15, 20 feet. My short putting, I’m working hard on at the moment. That can improve a little still but the mid-range stuff is really good, I would back myself a lot from 15, 20 feet. I’m trying to free that up and hole a few putts, which is obviously crucial to posting a good score.

The weekend will be fun. I’ve played a couple of years now on the Tour, but in truth I’ve probably had a lot of 30th to 50th, let’s say. I’ve put myself in good position a few times going into the weekend. I think the position I’m in coming out of Qualifying School, I’ve got nothing to lose. We have to play really well and I’m going to need some really big finishes this year, the way our order of merit is going to pan out, to keep my card. That’s what I’m going to do. Certainly I’ve got nothing to lose this weekend. I’ll go and enjoy it, play as well as I can and we’ll see what happens on Sunday.

Miguel Tabuena (Phi) – Second Round 68 (-3), Total 134 (-8)

I’m pleased with the way I played today. I thought it would be less windy but it started blowing from the first hole. I knew anything under-par would be a great score. I played great but I need to work on my putting and I’ll be ready for tomorrow.

I personally think the back nine was the harder nine. I was glad to get it out of the way in two-under. It was gusty so I was second guessing the wind a lot. That cost me a few shots. I’m playing and striking the ball really well.

The eagle on the second hole gave me a lot of confidence. I hit a terrible shot on the first. On the next hole, I had the same shot but on the fairway. I told myself to hit it as hard as I could. I hit my two iron from 236 yards out and it landed three feet from the hole. I holed that for eagle.

I didn’t expect to birdie the eighth hole. It is one of the tougher par threes. My putter saved me there (holed a 25 foot birdie).

S.S.P. Chawrasia (Ind) – Second Round 67 (-4), Total 136 (-6)

It was a bogey-free round so I’m very happy. I started with a bogey-bogey yesterday then I fought back very nicely. It was a good comeback and today I just continued from where I left off.

There was no wind on the first five holes but it started to blow. I think it was blowing stronger than yesterday. I’m playing well and I’ve been working hard on my game. I can see that my game is getting better. That’s why I think I’ve had good results in the last few weeks except the final round in Hong Kong!

After playing a bad round, I need to delete it after 10 minutes. I don’t want to carry these bad memories with me. Obviously when you play bad, you feel bad so you don’t want to take that with you.

I’m enjoying my time here. There are a lot of Indian people and they can speak Hindi. I’m enjoying the beach and my room has a sea view!

Leading second round scores:

132 – Arjun ATWAL (IND) 62 70

133 – Dylan FRITTELLI (RSA) 67 66, Laurie CANTER (ENG) 67 66, Louis DE JAGER (RSA) 66 67

134 – Miguel TABUENA (PHI) 66 68, Jose-Filipe LIMA (POR) 68 66, Ockie STRYDOM (RSA) 66 68, Justin WALTERS (RSA) 68 66, Oliver BEKKER (RSA) 67 67

135 – Mark WILLIAMS (ZIM) 69 66, Joel STALTER (FRA) 67 68, Louis OOSTHUIZEN (RSA) 67 68

136 – Anders HANSEN (DEN) 67 69, Ricardo GOUVEIA (POR) 68 68, Darren FICHARDT (RSA) 70 66, S.S.P CHAWRASIA (IND) 69 67, Romain LANGASQUE (FRA) 67 69

137 – Andrea PAVAN (ITA) 68 69, Jaco PRINSLOO (RSA) 69 68, Jarin TODD (USA) 68 69, Matthieu PAVON (FRA) 69 68, Adilson Da SILVA (BRA) 66 71, Pep ANGLES (ESP) 68 69, Jinho CHOI (KOR) 71 66

138 – Shiv KAPUR (IND) 69 69, George COETZEE (RSA) 67 71, Suttijet KOORATANAPISAN (THA) 76 62, Masahiro KAWAMURA (JPN) 68 70, Marcel SCHNEIDER (GER) 72 66

About Asian Tour

As the official sanctioning body for professional golf in Asia, the Asian Tour leads the development of golf across the region, enhancing the careers of its members while maintaining a commitment to the integrity of the game. The Asian Tour, through its membership of the International Federation of PGA Tours, is the only recognised pan-Asian professional golf tour in Asia. This unique feature positions the Asian Tour at the pinnacle of professional golf in Asia; providing its events with Official World Ranking status. Tour Partners include Rolex (Official Timekeeper), Panasonic (Official Consumer Electronics), ECCO (Official Footwear Sponsor), FENIX XCell (Official Apparel Supplier), Titleist (Official Web Partner), Bloomberg TV (Official International Media Partner), Bloomberg Businessweek Chinese (Official International Media Partner), Wall Street Journal (Official International Media Partner) and Sentosa in Singapore which is the Home of the Asian Tour which also has an office in Kuala Lumpur.

Please visit us at:

www.wp-asiantour.ocs-sport.com

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Mauritius, December 1: Arjun Atwal of India fired a one-under-par 70 to maintain his lead on a wind-swept day at the halfway stage of the AfrAsia Bank Mauritius Open on Friday. 

The eight-time Asian Tour champion, who opened with a sizzling 62, totalled 10-under-par 132 to hold a one-shot advantage at the €1million (approximately US$1.07 million) event sanctioned by the Asian Tour, Sunshine Tour and European Tour.

Dylan Frittelli of South Africa eagled the last hole for a 66 to tie in second place alongside countryman Louis de Jager (67) and Laurie Canter (66) of England, at the Heritage Golf Club.

Miguel Tabuena of the Philippines stayed within striking distance following a 68 to share fifth place alongside Jose-Filipe Lima (66) of Portugal and South Africans Ockie Strydom (68), Justin Walters (66) and Oliver Bekker (67). They are two shots back of Atwal.

Atwal struggled to repeat his opening round magic but stayed in the hunt to end a three-year title drought after posting three birdies against two bogeys.

The Indian, who will captain Team Asia in the EurAsia Cup next year, almost chipped in for birdie on his final ninth hole before settling for par. He stayed composed on a blustery day as he heads into the weekend as the first player to reach double digits.

Frittelli drove the green on the par-four ninth hole and drained his 12-foot eagle putt to stay within a shot of Atwal. The South African enjoyed a solid 2016/2017 European Tour season where he won his first title and finished second thrice.

Tabuena made the turn in 35 and produced a stunning eagle on hole two when his two-iron from 236 yards landed three feet from the hole. He bogeyed the sixth hole but it was erased by his third birdie of the day on hole eight.

The halfway cut was set at one-under-par 141 with a total of 67 players making the weekend rounds.

Did you know?

• After 36 holes, Atwal has only dropped two shots, both bogeys coming in the second round on holes 16 and three.
• He totalled 28 putts today as compared to his 26 putts in the first round.
• When Atwal made his debut at the Heritage Golf Club in 2015, he struggled to break par and missed the cut.
• Atwal is enjoying a fine run at the AfrAsia Bank Mauritius Open considering that he did not play a practice round after arriving late Wednesday evening after travelling for 16 hours via Dubai from Kuala Lumpur.
• He holds eight Asian Tour titles but his last win came at the 2014 Dubai Open.
• Frittelli continues his fine form in the new European Tour season. Last season he won his first title while finishing second thrice. He also finished tied fourth in the season-ending DP World Tour Championship in Dubai.
• The South African is the only player to eagle the par-four ninth hole after 36 holes. He also eagled the 18th hole in the opening round.
• This is Tabuena’s second appearance at the AfrAsia Bank Mauritius Open. His two day score of eight-under-par 134 is his best result in the tournament.
• His eagle on the par-five second hole was his second in the event. He also eagled the par-five seventh hole in the opening round.
• The 23-year-old Tabuena hopes to erase the heartbreak of missing out on a second Asian Tour title at the Resorts World Manila Masters three weeks ago where he bogeyed the last hole to miss the play-off.
• Suttijet Kooratanapisan of Thailand produced the low round of the day when he returned with a 62 highlighted by two eagles. It was a huge turnaround for the Thai who opened with a 76. He ties the course record set by Atwal in the opening round.
• The Order of Merit battle is far from over. The leader Gavin Green and third ranked Scott Hend missed the cut while S.S.P. Chawrasia, ranked fourth, shot a second round 67 to lie in tied 12th place.

Player Interviews:

Arjun Atwal (Ind) – Second round 70 (-1), Total 132 (-10)

I thought it was a lot more trickier. The wind wasn’t blowing at a consistent pace and it would gust and you would look like a fool out there. I was pleased with how I played.

The putter was definitely not as hot as the first day. I was hitting the ball just as good but it is tough to follow up a 62 with another low round. I’ll take this one-under.

I almost birdied the ninth. I misjudged the wind with my second shot and it came out just short. It was right on line as well. I would usually putt from the distance I was from the hole but decided to chip and it almost went it. It was a good way to finish.

I’m always calm. People who know me know that I don’t get fired up or lose my temper. I’m pretty much the same all the time. I’m really looking forward to the weekend.

(On recovering from the long distance travel) I feel as good as I can feel for my age. I’m feeling a bit sore but I’ll be okay tomorrow.

Dylan Frittelli (South Africa), 67, 66 (-9)

I’m very happy with the score. The score was good but I didn’t play too well today. Yesterday I played really solid throughout the day and today I had a few too many birdies in my opinion but salvaged it at the end of the round.

Birdie on six was really good and then seven; I hit on the green in two and decided to three-putt for par. That was silly but I just knuckled down, just try to forget about it right away. I hit a great shot into eight, nice five-footer for birdie and then, obviously, on number nine, I hit a pearler of a drive to kick in for the eagle. Yesterday I hit it probably 14 or 12 feet away as well. So, tee shot gets up nicely drawing into the wind. I felt comfortable there.  I just decided to give it a go. I mean, it’s 296 to the flag, I think, so three-wood’s landing just short, hit a really good little fade in there and worked out. Got a good bounce, I think.

I’m feeling confident. I mean, if I was within five shots of the leader today, I would still feel confident. There’s still a lot of golf left so I’m happy to be out there and competing with the guys but 36 holes is a lot of golf to play.

It’s probably two years of hard work and a lot of good specific work the last year. Had about six months just working on the mental side and the physical side, trying to get everything into top shape and I’ve done that pretty well throughout the year.

You know, this is week five in a row for me. I’m definitely on form now, I’ve played a lot of tournament golf in the last five weeks and it’s showing in my performance.

Louis de Jager (Rsa) – Second Round 67 (-4) Total 133 (-9)

I’m very pleased. I’ve played some really good golf over the last two days. Overall, I’ve hit the ball well and my short game was good today. It was a bit windier today, so it was tougher to hit the greens. My short game really kept me there and I rolled a few nice putts in at the end and that helped.

Length-wise, the course wasn’t much different this afternoon from yesterday morning. But you just had to think a bit more and the ball shapes a bit more because the winds are mostly crosswinds here. So you have to think a bit and use your imagination a bit more, but I’m pleased with how I handled myself out there today.

I was talking to one of my playing partners, who was remarking on the wind, and I told him that we were just coming off a six or seven-week stretch of coastal tournaments on the Sunshine Tour, so I was feeling quite comfortable in the wind. That definitely helps. It teaches you to stay calm and collected out there.

I’m feeling very good going into the weekend. I’m hitting the ball so well, I’m putting well, I’m chipping well, so it’s going to be a fun weekend.

Laurie Canter (Eng) – Second Round 66 (-5), Total 133 (-9)

Yesterday evet though we went out last it felt like we had a pretty good draw. It was windy to start with kind of played the back nine in a half club, one club wind. Today it was probably the other way round, probably finished in a good two, three club wind really.

I’ve played so much golf in the wind recently, like through Q School. It just feel like I’ve played a load of links golf and that kind of stuff, so I kind of felt quite comfortable out there for a lot of it.

If you can drive the ball half decent around here you’ll have a fair few opportunities to score and get the wedge in your hand a lot. I’m delighted with the two days really.

Playing in the wind is something that I would have said, maybe a year ago, that I need to do better. Some of the wily old foxes who play in Europe, I’ve played with them and they’re really good at that. Just making a score, getting flight on the ball, hitting a few different shots.

It’s something that I’ve worked on a bit with my coach to try to give myself a few more shots going into the green. I felt like I had one swing. I’m trying to knock the ball down a bit more, play a few more half shots, take the spin off. Maybe today and yesterday was the start of me feeling a bit more comfortable and taking that into a tournament.

I’m a pretty good mid-range putter. I fancy myself from 15, 20 feet. My short putting, I’m working hard on at the moment. That can improve a little still but the mid-range stuff is really good, I would back myself a lot from 15, 20 feet. I’m trying to free that up and hole a few putts, which is obviously crucial to posting a good score.

The weekend will be fun. I’ve played a couple of years now on the Tour, but in truth I’ve probably had a lot of 30th to 50th, let’s say. I’ve put myself in good position a few times going into the weekend. I think the position I’m in coming out of Qualifying School, I’ve got nothing to lose. We have to play really well and I’m going to need some really big finishes this year, the way our order of merit is going to pan out, to keep my card. That’s what I’m going to do. Certainly I’ve got nothing to lose this weekend. I’ll go and enjoy it, play as well as I can and we’ll see what happens on Sunday.

Miguel Tabuena (Phi) – Second Round 68 (-3), Total 134 (-8)

I’m pleased with the way I played today. I thought it would be less windy but it started blowing from the first hole. I knew anything under-par would be a great score. I played great but I need to work on my putting and I’ll be ready for tomorrow.

I personally think the back nine was the harder nine. I was glad to get it out of the way in two-under. It was gusty so I was second guessing the wind a lot. That cost me a few shots. I’m playing and striking the ball really well.

The eagle on the second hole gave me a lot of confidence. I hit a terrible shot on the first. On the next hole, I had the same shot but on the fairway. I told myself to hit it as hard as I could. I hit my two iron from 236 yards out and it landed three feet from the hole. I holed that for eagle.

I didn’t expect to birdie the eighth hole. It is one of the tougher par threes. My putter saved me there (holed a 25 foot birdie).

S.S.P. Chawrasia (Ind) – Second Round 67 (-4), Total 136 (-6)

It was a bogey-free round so I’m very happy. I started with a bogey-bogey yesterday then I fought back very nicely. It was a good comeback and today I just continued from where I left off.

There was no wind on the first five holes but it started to blow. I think it was blowing stronger than yesterday. I’m playing well and I’ve been working hard on my game. I can see that my game is getting better. That’s why I think I’ve had good results in the last few weeks except the final round in Hong Kong!

After playing a bad round, I need to delete it after 10 minutes. I don’t want to carry these bad memories with me. Obviously when you play bad, you feel bad so you don’t want to take that with you.

I’m enjoying my time here. There are a lot of Indian people and they can speak Hindi. I’m enjoying the beach and my room has a sea view!

Leading second round scores:

132 – Arjun ATWAL (IND) 62 70

133 – Dylan FRITTELLI (RSA) 67 66, Laurie CANTER (ENG) 67 66, Louis DE JAGER (RSA) 66 67

134 – Miguel TABUENA (PHI) 66 68, Jose-Filipe LIMA (POR) 68 66, Ockie STRYDOM (RSA) 66 68, Justin WALTERS (RSA) 68 66, Oliver BEKKER (RSA) 67 67

135 – Mark WILLIAMS (ZIM) 69 66, Joel STALTER (FRA) 67 68, Louis OOSTHUIZEN (RSA) 67 68

136 – Anders HANSEN (DEN) 67 69, Ricardo GOUVEIA (POR) 68 68, Darren FICHARDT (RSA) 70 66, S.S.P CHAWRASIA (IND) 69 67, Romain LANGASQUE (FRA) 67 69

137 – Andrea PAVAN (ITA) 68 69, Jaco PRINSLOO (RSA) 69 68, Jarin TODD (USA) 68 69, Matthieu PAVON (FRA) 69 68, Adilson Da SILVA (BRA) 66 71, Pep ANGLES (ESP) 68 69, Jinho CHOI (KOR) 71 66

138 – Shiv KAPUR (IND) 69 69, George COETZEE (RSA) 67 71, Suttijet KOORATANAPISAN (THA) 76 62, Masahiro KAWAMURA (JPN) 68 70, Marcel SCHNEIDER (GER) 72 66

About Asian Tour

As the official sanctioning body for professional golf in Asia, the Asian Tour leads the development of golf across the region, enhancing the careers of its members while maintaining a commitment to the integrity of the game. The Asian Tour, through its membership of the International Federation of PGA Tours, is the only recognised pan-Asian professional golf tour in Asia. This unique feature positions the Asian Tour at the pinnacle of professional golf in Asia; providing its events with Official World Ranking status. Tour Partners include Rolex (Official Timekeeper), Panasonic (Official Consumer Electronics), ECCO (Official Footwear Sponsor), FENIX XCell (Official Apparel Supplier), Titleist (Official Web Partner), Bloomberg TV (Official International Media Partner), Bloomberg Businessweek Chinese (Official International Media Partner), Wall Street Journal (Official International Media Partner) and Sentosa in Singapore which is the Home of the Asian Tour which also has an office in Kuala Lumpur.

Please visit us at:

www.wp-asiantour.ocs-sport.com

www.facebook.com/asiantourgolf

www.twitter.com/asiantourgolf

www.youtube.com/theasiantour

www.weibo.com/asiantourgolf