A total of 46 players finished under par in the first round of the AfrAsia Bank Mauritius Open, a DP World Tour tournament held at Mont Choisy Le Golf that will close the competitive year in the world’s major circuits. Honour and glory to all of them and their caddies because it hasn’t been easy. The day has been tricky, diabolical at times. As the forecast predicted, there was a lot of wind. But a lot, a lot. A treacherous wind, confusing and testing the nerves. It wasn’t just about hitting a good shot; you had to be very precise with the numbers to get the distances right.
Iván Cantero (-3) was one of the most inspired in the afternoon session. He placed ninth with his round of 69 strokes, three behind the sole leader Eddie Pepperell (-6) and two behind the sole second place Jacob Skov Olesen (-5). The Asturian golfer, who got married in Llanes with Laura five days ago, displayed magnificent golf, brilliant in all areas, with special mention to the short game. He started his round by holing an incredible chip for birdie on the 10th hole, the most difficult on the course. He hit a hybrid, a 6-iron, overshot the green, and holed it from outside. An excellent way to start. Later, he was very close to holing three more from outside.
Examples of the havoc caused by the wind today in Mauritius:
– Hole 15, short par 3 with the wind helping. Cantero hit barely half a 56-degree wedge. It wasn’t his best shot of the day, it stopped on the edge of the water, and he made a great par.
– Hole 4, par 3, 203 metres to the hole. Cantero hit a 9-iron. Tailwind hurricane.
– Hole 7, par 5. Iván unleashed a massive drive over 400 yards. He had a second shot with a 56-degree wedge, not full, for 140 metres. Normally for that distance, he hits a good pitch. Beastly. He overshot the green, and his approach nearly went in for eagle. It hit the flagstick. Birdie.
– Hole 13, not very long par 4 that was reachable today with the wind in favour. Cantero put it on the green with the mini driver, but he could have reached it with an iron bouncing on the fairway.
– Hole 3, par 4, also could be left very close to the green from the tee.
– Hole 18, par 5. Cantero hit driver and 8-iron for his second shot.
What you have just read explains why so many rounds were under par. It’s true that the day was very difficult, that any lapse could get you into big trouble, that bogeys were falling left and right, but it’s also true that on the holes with the wind in favour, if you hit the shot in the right place and nailed the numbers, there were many birdie opportunities.
Fortunately for Iván, he played the pro-am yesterday afternoon with the same easterly wind they had today, so both he and his caddie, Adolfo Juan Luna, were very clear on how to play the course. Then you have to play well and accurately gauge the wind’s intensity on every corner of the course. Today you had to earn your keep, and it seems the rest of the day will be similar. That’s the only good news. If, on top of all that, you added a change in wind direction in the coming days, we could be talking about a massacre.
The other added difficulty of Mont Choisy Le Golf is the greens. Due to the wind, they’ve reduced the speed to a minimum. They barely exceed nine points on the stimpmeter. They are very hairy and slow, making it very difficult to hole putts. You have to leave them very close. A real challenge. Cantero has put forward his candidacy for victory right from the start. Certainly, it wouldn’t be a bad honeymoon gift.
The reality is that the Armada has delivered a great performance overall. Sebastián García Rodríguez (-2), who has professional Emilio Cuartero as his faithful squire this week, has signed another great round in the afternoon. They have formed a great tandem, planning almost all the shots together, and he has made five birdies and three bogeys. He has been brilliant with the irons, a trademark.
A good debut also for Albert Boneta (-1), who never tires of playing under par, not even in his first official round with a card on the DP World Tour. He had a very eventful day, helped by his caddie for the occasion, the South African Ernest, with experience on the Tour. The young Catalan golfer, coming from the School, made four birdies, an eagle, and five bogeys. Anything but boring.
Great start for Joel Moscatel (-1), who played in the morning and went three under par at two different times. He started with a bogey on the dreaded 10th, but then responded with five birdies in a row. Combustion. A final double bogey on the 18th prevented him from finishing tied with Cantero. Only four pars in his round. A rollercoaster.
The rest of the Spaniards are also currently within the provisional cut set at +1: Adri Arnaus (PAR), Ángel Ayora (PAR), and Santi Tarrio (+1).
