OTHER NEWS FROM THE TOURNAMENT
Rahil Gangjee (Ind) – Final Round 66 (-5), Total 277 (-7)
Brilliant. To finish with a birdie, it was even better. Had a tough two putt along the ridge but luckily I made the second putt from 10 feet. Conditions were there for the taking and I took a lot from it. You can’t rethink about yesterday. I didn’t want to get stuck there.
I’ve got a lot to take from this week. It’s my first cut on the Asian Tour this year and it’s just very positive. There’s nothing else I can take away from this but positivity. I hit my driver and irons well, that’s the main thing. In my game, I need to hit the irons well. If I putt well, I will finish top-10 or win. Hitting my irons well is relevant to my game.
I’ll have a lesson with my coach when I get back before the Bashundhara Bangladesh Open. I’ll spend a few more days in Mauritius, spend time with my wife and family here and celebrate my wife’s birthday on May 16.
This is a brilliant tournament at a brilliant setting. It was a challenge with the weather initially but it’s turned out perfect. What a beautiful day it is for the spectators. It was nice to have my aunt and wife around this week. We’ll have a bit of a break before going home.
George Coetzee (Rsa) – Final Round 69 (-2), Total 271 (-13)
“I felt nervous during the day but I’m happy to have pulled through it and posted a good number. Thorbjørn did unbelievable well to put pressure on me the whole day and I had to work hard to catch him. I’m just happy the job is done, it doesn’t matter how many holes it takes, you just get it done.
“I would have love to have won it on the first play-off hole with an eagle and do it in style, but I’m obviously happy just to have won.
“They’ve done a fantastic job with the tri-sanctioning of this event and bring us to a fantastic place like Mauritius. It is great to get another victory on the European Tour and obviously it counts towards my Sunshine Tour ranking as well so I’m pleased with that too. I actually played on the Asian Tour in 2009 and I couldn’t make a cut – I was living on scraps – so it is nice to finally get an Asian Tour win as well.
“I definitely thought about the fact I had two play-offs at the Match Play last week. I definitely felt more comfortable because of that and I thought about it in the play-off here. I thought I was ready for it and just wanted to play my game.”
Thorbjorn Olesen (Den) – Final Round 68 (-3), Total 271 (-13)
It’s disappointing, of course, when you are in a play-off and you don’t win. There were a couple of key moments out there where I hit a bad tee shot on the tenth and the 14th, and those two holes cost me today. It’s difficult to play that 18th with a three wood, but I’ve been hitting my driver pretty bad so I had to. George hit some great shots there in the play-off to get two birdies, as it’s not an easy hole. So big congratulations to him and he’s played really well.
I hit a great five iron on 17 and walked it up there. I knew it was going to be good and hit a nice putt. A birdie on that hole is one of the good birdies. I had the chance on 18 also but hit it right, and it was a difficult bunker shot. I’m pretty pleased with the way I hadnled things today though. I had a bad start again and fought my way back. It was a lot of fighting out there and George just played a little better.
I didn’t expect this before the tournament so to be in a play-off is unbelievable when I haven’t been in a tournament for three months. I’m very pleased with that and I can take it with me. It’s a good start.
Mardan Mamat (Sin) – Final round 67 (-4), Total 272 (-12)
I’m happy. I needed a good start which I didn’t get but I had a good finish which was good. After the bogey on four, I birdied five, six and seven. That was a little confidence going into the back nine.
The first four holes are tough holes. If I could play par on those, I could get some birdies at the rest. But I bogeyed the fourth. I tried to push it on the back nine but couldn’t get it until the last three holes.
I got unlucky on the par three. I managed to get my par that.
I’m very pleased this week. When I came here, I was practising at home and was striking it well and was hoping for a good result this week and I did it.
This is the first tri-sanctioned and to finish in the top-five (he finished third), I’m happy with it.
I have my wife Naz here, we had a holiday here, and at the same time I can make money and play golf. Early in the morning, the first thing I wished her Happy Mother’s Day and I want to wish all mothers a Happy Mother’s day. She said thanks and I got a kiss!
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