It’s the fourth event of the 2023 DP World Tour season and the last of the calendar year as the players head out into the Indian Ocean. Keep scrolling for my Mauritius Open betting tips, but first…
AfrAsia Bank Mauritius Open betting
The details
Venue: Mont Choisy Le Golf, Grand Baie, Mauritius
Dates: December 15-18, 2022
Course stats: Par 72; 7,050 yards
Purse: €1 million
Defending champion: Rasmus Hojgaard (-19 at Heritage Golf Club)
TV times
Thursday: Sky Sports Golf and Main Event from 8:30am
Friday: Sky Sports Golf from 8:30am
Saturday: Sky Sports Golf from 8am
Sunday: Sky Sports Golf from 8am
Our expert’s top tips for the Mauritius Open
The Banker: Oliver Bekker @ 16-1 with Bet365
I will preface this pick by saying, ‘yes, I know it is somewhat on the short side, especially for Oliver Bekker’, but ultimately, he has a great shot at contending in this event, and I do believe with what we have seen this year, he can win it.
Bekker is a seven-time winner on the Sunshine Tour, all of which came between 2011 and 2017, and while he has not yet won at this level, he came closer than ever in 2022, losing in a playoff to Adri Arnaus at the Catalunya Championship. It took six extra holes to decide that event, and while he may feel hard done by, it could be a good experience in the long run.
The South African finished 4th at home last week, and he now returns to an event here he has four top-10s in five starts, and never finished worse than 18th! He’s spent a lot of time at the top of the leaderboard in the event without really threatening but this time it could be different.
Clearly at home in this part of the world, and playing the best golf of his career this year, Bekker can take the next step in this event and win, as the Mauritius Open returns from a two-year absence.
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The Each-Way Play: Tom McKibbin @33/1 with Bet365
I was high on Tom McKibbin coming in to the new season, and his efforts in the South African swing have done little to dampen my confidence in him.
Finishes of 18th, 15th, and 13th place show trending form and after closing with a 66 at Leopard Creek, he can now take on a far easier resort course in Mauritius and have a go at winning for the first time at this level.
Turning just 20 this week, McKibbin is obviously someone that is expected to be around for a long time, but given the frequency of players winning early in their careers now, he will want to get off the mark ASAP.
Caddies have been tasked with providing the data in recent weeks, so we have to proceed with caution when it comes to stats, but he appears to be hitting it pretty solidly tee to green, which makes sense given his consistent results.
The price is of course coming in on the youngster, but I think there is still enough value at 40-1 given the field, and his immense talent.
The Long Shot: Nathan Kimsey @40/1 with Bet365
There may be an argument to say we should be wary of anyone that has just had a good three-week stretch in South Africa, as playing well in that part of the world is often a unique scenario, and one that doesn’t always suggest long-term form.
With that said, we have very little else to go on, and given the fact that the last time we saw Natahn Kimsey playing outside of South Africa was in Spain, where he won the Challenge Tour Grand Final, we should give him the benefit of the doubt.
This is Kimsey’s second full-time run at making it on the DP World Tour, and he’s made a good start, finishing 13-43-11 in his first three starts, and on two occasions he’s been in a position to go even better.
Kimsey was 4th at the halfway stage at the Joburg and 2nd at the same point last week, and while he failed to convert either of those into top 5 finishes, it’s a great sign that his form is there and he’s ready to end 2022 with a strong finish. He seems to be better prepared for the DP World Tour this time around, and he will want to take these good feelings into 2023, with a strong finish at the Mauritius Open.
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