Mauritius is a small island, and there aren't many golf courses on it – but somehow the Mauritius Open keeps finding somewhere new to go, with La Réserve Golf Links taking over from Mont Choisy for the final event of the year on the DP World Tour.
Designed by Peter Matkovich in partnership with former Open champion Louis Oosthuizen, La Réserve is described as a contemporary links and it looks an absolute treat, with pot bunkers and infinity greens representing a significant shift from the last three weeks spent in South Africa.
Oosthuizen is a 13/2 chance to double up after finally capturing the Alfred Dunhill Championship thanks to an almost faultless weekend, that is until he threatened to give it all away down the final two holes. Given that the event concluded on Monday and far more dramatically than was necessary, there's certainly an argument that he might not be at his best having achieved something he'd been after for a very long time.
Rozner won this title a year ago when selected on these pages and he probably should've won it in 2019 when also selected on these pages, making five at the last when a four would've landed us a 100/1 winner.
The case back then, repeated on his return to the island, called upon his only previous Mauritius Open start, which resulted in seventh place when playing on an invite. That means that across three courses, each similarly exposed but varying in difficulty, Rozner has form figures of 7-2-1 in the event.
Frittelli has managed two top-20s in three starts since an eye-catching step forward in round two of the RSM Classic, and he's a former winner next door to La Réserve, so his chance is obvious.
However, Paratore followed second place in the SA Open with 20th at Leopard Creek, despite taking seven at the final hole, and has made an excellent start to the season having regained full status at Qualifying School last month.
Pavan threatened the places at 200/1 last week, in much stronger company, and in doing so extended his run of top-20s to 10 in his last 11 starts, the other a missed cut on the number on his first start back from a break in Joburg.
It's been a comeback year for the two-time DP World Tour winner, whose driving yips had looked certain to ruin his career, and while that club will never be a strength he's managed to limit those ruinous mistakes that made for some embarrassing scores.
Last week's double-bogey towards the end of round three likely came about because of a bad drive and it's always going to be the risk, but his iron play and putting are excellent and those skills look more relevant to this week's challenge.
Paratore has been 20th and 27th in two starts in this event but what I like most is some of his form in Scotland, including a pair of top-10s in the Dunhill Links and fourth at The Renaissance. He's shot 63 at Kingsbarns, which Siem specifically referenced when describing this course.
With those two Italians on-side it's back to the French contingent next. Remember, Rozner and Julien Brun played in the final group last year and their other nine compatriots all made the cut, four of them contending for the very first time at DP World Tour level. Comfort can count for a heck of a lot in this game.
JEONG WEON KO was best of the rest in fourth and while a bit disappointing at Leopard Creek last week, I felt he showed plenty of promise in the South African Open before that.
Ko has bags of ability and is a real powerhouse, which suggests to me that calm conditions will suit him. He has bits and pieces of exposed-course form, too, not least that top-five at Mount Choisy but also 10th in the Korea Championship, played in a consistent breeze.
Levy was eighth in the Australian Open a fortnight ago and did well to finish 32nd at Leopard Creek last week, where he didn't do a whole lot wrong and is entitled to have been a little jaded by the travel.
Prior to this he'd played OK at Qualifying School following a slow start and there have been some good signs from the five-time champion throughout the year, most notably when contending on the PGA Tour in July.
Like Pavan, he has some Scottish links form and there's encouragement to be drawn from fourth at Al Mouj and fifth at Royal Greens, two particularly exposed courses in the Middle East, so I think he might have chosen the right time to come over to Mauritius and give this event a try.
Four rounds of par or better at a place like Leopard Creek should really encourage Levy and at 66/1 and upwards, his class is preferred to the potential of some young compatriots. One way or another, expect that French flag to fly high again in Mauritius.
Posted at 2000 GMT on 11/12/23
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