Dylan Frittelli wins in playoff at Mauritius Open
Dylan Frittelli earns win No. 2 in 2017 on the European Tour, defeating Arjun Atwal in a playoff at the Mauritius Open.
With all due credit to hip-hop legend Puff Daddy, it was Mauritius, more money for Dylan Frittelli this week at the AfrAsia Bank Mauritius Open.
The 27-year-old South African continues what’s been one of the more underrated years of anyone in the world by winning for the second time on the European Tour in 2017, defeating Arjun Atwal in a playoff.
Frittelli, named Challenge Tour graduate of the year this week, showed why he may not be heading back down anytime soon.
“It’s been a pretty good year for me,” Frittelli said in his post-round press conference. “I’ve set some pretty lofty goals and achieved most of them so I can’t wait for 2018 – set more goals and go and chase them again.”
Frittelli won at the Lyoness Open this spring and came in with a runner-up, a T4 and a T16 in three of his last four starts. Now he wins at an event co-sanctioned by the European Tour, Sunshine Tour and Asian Tour.
His goal on Sunday was to catch the leaders Atwal and Louis De Jager, whom he trailed by one after 54 holes.
Frittelli’s short game was on display as he chipped in for par on No. 6, got up-and-down at the ninth and nearly chipped in for eagle on No. 10. His lone blemish was on the par-4 No. 4, which played as the toughest all week at Heritage GC.
Frittelli shot in the 60s all four days and closed with a four-under 67. He couldn’t match Atwal’s birdie on the par-5 18th, though, which forced the playoff. Frittelli regrouped and birdied that same hole in the first hole of the playoff to win.
The chasers
World No. 716 Louis De Jager of South Africa had a couple of hiccups, including a double-bogey on No. 17, to force him to settle for an even-par 71 and finish fourth for his best European Tour finish since 2013.
France’s Romain Langasque made three birdies in the final four holes to post a clubhouse lead of 14-under which went on to earn him third place.
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India’s Arjun Atwal, 44, had played just 14 times worldwide in 2017. His best prior finish this year was a T7 at the Mercuries Taiwan Masters on the Asian Tour.
“’m happy with the way I played this week but right now I’m just disappointed to lose the tournament,” Atwal said after his round. “You don’t get many chances, especially at my age. I’ll take a lot of positives out of this week but right now I’m really mad.”
Atwal was recently named the Asian captain for next month’s EurAsia Cup, but he showed he’s still got game as a player.
The highest-ranked player in the field, world No. 22 Louis Oosthuizen, tied for seventh place at 11-under.