Niall Lyons has six outright tips and one first round leader tip for the Mauritius Open.
Mauritius Open
This shall be my final preview of the year and for everyone who has read and interacted with me throughout I hold out my hand with gratitude. We have one final chance to make Christmas that bit more comfortable as the DP World Tour heads to Mauritius for the 2023 curtain closer.
Mauritius Open Tips
- 2pts E/W D.Frittelli @ 66/1 (1/5 6 Places) Unibet
- 2pts E/W C.Jarvis @ 40/1 (1/5 8) bet365 8 place market
- 1.5pts E/W B.Stone @ 80/1 (1/5 6 Places) Sky Bet
- 1pt E/W T.Vaillant @ 150/1 (1/5 6 Places) Unibet
- 1pt E/W F.Kennedy @ 400/1 (1/5 7 Places) Paddy Power
- 0.5pt E/W F.Kennedy First Round Leader @ 200/1 (1/4 5 Places) bet365
- 1pt E/W S.Bairstow 125/1 (1/5 6 Places) Unibet
La Reserve Golf Links is the venue for an event that has often chopped and changed it's destination in Mauritius, however the trip to a links course in this part of the world certainly makes for interesting reading. Louis Oosthuizen has had a hand in this design along with Peter Matkovich who designed two other host courses for this event that have held four of the last eight renewals here.
That suggests previous form here is welcome and although the weather looks fairly calm throughout the week you have to think that any form on links is a positive.
Niall Lyons Golf Tips
Dylan Frittelli at 66/1 (Six Places)
Dylan Frittelli had a miserable old time on the PGA Tour last season but I can't help but feel that the 40/1 among this company is a little too big regardless. We are only a couple of years removed from Dylan posting top five finishes at the Open and the Masters and he has already hit a ceiling that many above him in the market may never reach.
12th in Joburg and 20th at Leopard Creek bookended a missed cut at Blair Atholl and having won here before back in 2018 at the same designer's course the Heritage he is a huge danger to everyone above and below him. A shade more freedom off the tee should suit this week and we know how sparkling his short game can be on its day. The South African has another top five here in Mauritius and looks much the better option at twice the price of Siem and Schaper.
2pts each-way D.Frittelli 66/1 (1/5 6) Unibet
Casey Jarvis at 40/1 (Eight Places)
My second bet of the week goes in favour of another South African, Casey Jarvis. An impressive amateur career was left behind this year as he had his first go on the Challenge Tour circuit and it was a huge success winning the Euram Bank Open and with three other runner up finishes he ended the year 2nd in the rankings. Arguably his best effort came in the Grand Final where the wind blew a lot in Mallorca.
After a first round of 80 he fought back extremely well to finish 7th. Marco Penge was the six shot runaway victor that week and Jarvis matched him over the final three rounds. This was a really plucky effort following the disaster in round one and he has picked up where he left off on the main stage.
His halfway positions in his three events on tour since have been 17th, 2nd and 1st. Poor weekends in Joburg and Blair Atholl were a disappointment but he stayed on rightly among esteemed company last week to finish 7th. This course represents a good chance for him to further display his talents and 40/1 looks fair.
2pts each-way C.Jarvis 40/1 (1/5 8) Bet365 8 place market
Brandon Stone at 80/1 (Six Places)
At 80/1 and with South African's often playing well here down the years I'm prepared to give Brandon Stone a go after a somewhat dismal return to the DPWT these last few weeks. His second round last week of 70 at leopard Creek was his best of the 6th so far and may indicate a slight return to form.
That form was very fair all season on the Challenge Tour and given what he had achieved on tour prior to his relegation hopes must be high of a return to former glory. One of those glory days was at Gullane where he won the Scottish Open by four shots and it's also worth noting he has a 6th place and two further top 15 finishes here in Mauritius.
He has drifted to backable odds and this course should provide him a little more room than what Leopard Creek did last week.
1.5pts each-way B.Stone 80/1 (1/5 6) Sky Bet
Tom Vaillant at 150/1 (Six Places)
Antoine Rozner and Mathieu Pavon have played well in these parts down the years but I'll opt for another Frenchman in the shape of Tom Vaillant to get into the mix here. The two time Alps Tour winner finished off his amateur career in fine style in October last year by winning the European Mens Club Trophy and on first ask then finished 12th on the Challenge Tour rankings to graduate to the big stage.
His runner up finish in Mallorca was an impressive feat having been outside the qualifying criteria prior to that effort. He finished second to Penge there who has since went on to finish 4th in the Alfred Dunhill Championship. It was a missed cut for Vaillant at Leopard Creek but it's a difficult place to go and he should be much more suited to the course and conditions this week.
He dealt well with a lot of wind in Mallorca and you only need to look back to the French Professional Championship back in April to see what he can do. He won there fighting off Ravetto and Pavon with the likes of Langasque and Rozner in behind. Vaillant is a very capable golfer and I'll try to capitalise on any big prices before the penny drops with the bookmakers.
1pt each-way T.Vaillant 150/1 (1/5 6) Unibet
Frank Kennedy at 400/1 (Seven Places) & FRL 200/1 (Five Places)
One impossible to turn down at huge odds this week is Englishman Frank Kennedy. The 18 year old has an eye catching profile and he's shown what he is capable of in Australia a few weeks ago. Rounds of 71-66-69-67 saw the Englishman record his first top 10 on tour in a field a fair bit more dangerous than the one that assembles this week.
42nd in the Australian Open the following was a fair back up and now we see him this week in much more suitable conditions. The Florida based Englishman turned pro early and with his father being Nick Faldo's agent he got Fanny Suneson on the bag and together they rode to glory winning the Lytham Trophy back in April. 8th at the St Andrews Links trophy and 3rd in the Amateur Championship at Hillside suggests this test at the Reserve Golf Links should be right up his street.
He made his tour debut when he was 15 in the Hero Open and has since also landed the Portuguese Amateur Championship. Both his pedigree and exploits in Australia have been largely overlooked by the bookmakers here and you can get upwards of 500/1 this week.
Someone with a similar profile and the 2023 winner of the Portuguese Amateur Championship, Angel Ayora, is priced up around the 125/1 mark following a fine effort in Australia however at the odds the Englishman is much preferred. Whether Kennedy will have the stamina to see out a win is another question but I'm happy to get involved with first round leader also.
1pt each-way F.Kennedy 400/1 (1/5 7) Paddy Power
0.5pt each-way F.Kennedy First Round Leader 200/1 (1/4 5) Bet365
Sam Bairstow at 125/1 (Six Places)
Following an opening 69 last week Andrew Johnston went a little downhill but these conditions should suit better and although I believe he could fare well this week I was surprised by how short his odds were. Instead I'll opt for the potential of Sam Bairstow who is his short career to date has shown enough to suggest a links test such as this will suit.
It won't be overly windy but the breeze will play its part this week by the coast and having won in Scotland in his first year as a pro in August and with his 4th placed finish in a windy Mallorca I'm happy to take the chance on him this week.
A second round 64 in Joburg saw him inside the top 20 at halfway whilst a second round of 66 at Leopard Creek put him in 7th after a couple of rounds so there is plenty of quality about his play thus far and the course here should play much more into his hands.
1pt each-way S.Bairstow 125/1 (1/5 6) Unibet
