Coetzee wins the AfrAsia Mauritius Open

GEORGE COETZEE became the latest two-time winner on the European Tour when he beat Thorbjorn Olesen at the second extra hole to claim the AfrAsia Bank Mauritius Open.

Coetzee, the highest-ranked player in the field, birdied the 18th hole at Heritage Golf Club three times in succession – once in regulation and then twice in the play-off after the pair finished tied on 13 under par.

The last of those was good enough as Olesen, who had earlier overcome a four-shot deficit on the front nine with a round of 68, could only make a par.

Coetzee started the day one ahead of Thomas Aiken and Olesen, but pulled clear with birdies at the second and third holes.  a sensational start as he birdied the second and third from close range after some wonderful iron play.

Already a winner this season in the Tshwane Open, Coetzee was three ahead and maintained that advantage when he birdied the fifth.

Olesen had driven the ball horribly in the third round and remained in contention only because of a red-hot putter,  failed to get up-and-down at the first and was four behind but he birdied the fifth from 12 feet, holed an eight footer at the sixth and birdied the seventh.

Coetzee drove out of bounds on the par five seventh and bogeyed, and Olesen holed a 10-foot putt at the ninth for a share of the lead on 13 under par.

Olesen bogeyed the tenth to drop one behind, but birdied the 17th from six feet, with Coetzee missing a par putt on the 16th. Coetzee narrowly missed with his eagle attempt but tapped in for a birdie, a 69 and a share of the lead.

On the first trip back down the 18th, Coetzee’s eagle try lipped out as both players birdied, but the South African's birdie when they played the hole again proved to be good enough.

“I actually felt more nervous during the day [than the play-off] and I’m happy to have pulled through it,” said Coetzee. “Thorbjorn did unbelievably well to put pressure on me the whole day. I actually had to work to catch him in the end."

Olesen, in his first event since returning from a wrist injury, can now look forward to the rest of the season with confidence.

Image Credit - European Tour Facebook Page