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Beau Champ - Justin Harding of South Africa is banking on his blistering form this season to reverse his fortunes at the €1 million Mauritius Open which tees off on Thursday.
The 32-year-old failed to make the cut at the Mauritius Open in the last three editions of the tournament, but based on how he has been faring on the Asian Tour, Harding is confident that the outcome will be different this year when the event is hosted at the Four Seasons Golf Club at Anahita.
"It's a nice week; you get hosted very nicely and it's an awesome resort. It's almost like a reward getting into the event. We always look forward to playing in Mauritius," said Harding.
"Anahita is very wind dependent. The last time I played there, the winds were blowing at 65km/h and I was nearly blown off the golf course! It's a long golf course and if the wind picks up, it will be very challenging."
The South African has been resplendent in 2018, having notched five top-10s including two victories in his last nine starts on the Asian Tour.
He is placed third on the Asian Tour Habitat for Humanity Standings and he is the highest-ranked player in the field.
"The guys on the Sunshine Tour will be gunning for my No 1 spot on the Order of Merit and it's very important that I play well here. It's an added bonus that the event is also sanctioned by the Asian Tour so I'll also improve my position on the Habitat for Humanity Standings if I do well," said Harding.
Like Harding, Brazil's Adilson Da Silva and Sweden's Malcolm Kokocinski have made their career breakthrough on the Asian Tour this year.
Da Silva had a wretched start to the season, as he did not progress to the weekend rounds in his first six tournaments. However, his season turned around in a big way when he emerged victorious in Chinese Taipei two months ago.
Kokocinski was making significant headway on the Asian Development Tour (ADT) at the start of this year. He seized his chances when he was given the opportunity to play an Asian Tour event in Bangladesh and went on to win the tournament by three shots.
The Swede has admitted that his game has not been up to scratch since his victory, but he feels that he is slowly rediscovering the form and he hopes for another breakthrough at the Mauritius Open.
