The winner on the PGA TOUR this year who is currently 57th on the Official World Golf Ranking (OWGR) made a low-key entrance onto the Indian Ocean island for this week’s AfrAsia Bank Mauritius Open on the Sunshine Tour and DP World Tour.
It remained that way through the wind and rain and late finish and incomplete first round of this popular tournament.
Until he hit the weekend just five shots off the lead.
So what exactly is the man who finished tied eighth in this year’s PGA Championship and won the Barracuda Championship on the PGA TOUR doing in Mauritius?
“The kind people at the OWGR sent me some end-of-year projections. I’m just outside the top 50. I figured I’d have one more crack at that and give it my best shot. Then I could hang my hat on giving it my all for the season, and the top 50 by the end of the year to get into The Masters. So that’s kind of a kick in the pants to come 10 000 miles from Florida and tee it up,” he said.
“It wasn’t on the Bingo card at the start of the season for sure, but I’m excited to be here. It’s a really cool place, and hopefully two more solid rounds will make it a nice trip that was worth it.”
He’d most likely need a win to carry him into the top 50. Should it not happen this week, then there is the opportunity of the 2026 Investec South African Open which for the first time in South African golf history is offering an exemption to The Masters for the champion.
“Potentially, it’s something I might consider. I’ve heard good things about the Nedbank Golf Challenge in honour of Gary Player, the Alfred Dunhill Championship, and all those events. I have a couple of friends from South Africa who’ve been urging me to get down there. It just depends on the schedule.
My focus is playing well on the PGA TOUR and fitting in other cool things along the way if possible. Aldrich Potgieter is a pretty good buddy of mine. I’ve played a few rounds with him this year alone. He’s been telling me I’ve got to come and play in South Africa.
Nick Price told me a couple of years ago that Leopard Creek is one of his favourite golf courses. So when you hear them say things like that, it makes you want to at least look at going there. It’s a long trip from where I live and it has to fit in the schedule properly. But if it does, it’s something that I’d love to do at some point. This one just fitted in the schedule.”