Scotland’s Surrey-based Staysure Tour pro Gary Orr scorched his way to six-under par in the first round of the MCB Tour Championship – Seychelles at Constance Lemuria, despite not having played for several weeks because of back problems. Picture by GETTY IMAGES

GARY Orr recorded a six-under par opening round of 64 to dominate the first day at the MCB Tour Championship – Seychelles.

The Surrey-based Scotsman stormed to the top of the leaderboard at Constance Lemuria following a bogey-free front nine which saw him pick up six shots.

The Weybridge pro then traded two more birdies with two bogeys on the back nine to lead by four strokes at the European Tour Destinations venue.

Orr, who won back-to-back Staysure Tour events at the Scottish Senior Open and Paris Legends Championship last year, displayed the type of golf that saw him clinch his first titles in 18 years.

He opened his round with five consecutive threes, including birdies at the first, third and fourth holes.

The momentum continued with further gains at the par five fifth before he reached the turn in 28 strokes after picking up shots on the eighth and ninth holes.

“I’m happy with that round,” said Orr, who is attached to his native Helensburgh GC, on Clydside. “I played well, and it puts me in a good position for the next couple of days.

“I wasn’t expecting much going out and I didn’t know what to expect because I haven’t played for a few months. So to start with five threes was a good start.

“It’s that type of course where you need to play well on the front nine as the difficult holes are from 13 to 18.

“They are tricky holes but there are a few tough holes on the front nine as well. If you can get through those difficult ones first, then you can pick up a few birdies on the others.

“The hilly holes, the last six, they are certainly a challenge. A couple of the greens are really difficult, and you need to hit it in the right spots and hope luck is on your side.

“I didn’t drive it that well, which was fortunate because there aren’t many holes where you have to use the driver. I hit my irons really well and putted nicely, which all added up to a good round.

“The view is unbelievable. It’s quite something up on top of the hill and there aren’t many views on a golf course like that anywhere,” added Orr, who echoed the comments of defending champion Roger Champion, after the practice rounds.

As one of the few competitors to play in trousers in the scorching Seychelles heat, the conditions showed no sign of troubling Orr, who was attached to Burhill Golf Club, in Surrey, duirng his 20 years on the European Tour.

And he bounced back from two dropped shots with gains on the par three 15th and 17th.

Having not played for a couple of months due to back pain, Orr was delighted to take the lead at the picturesque Constance Lemuria.

Orr holds a four-shot lead over a group of four players, including Wales’ Stephen Dodd, South Africa’s David Frost, Argentine Rafael Gomez and Sweden’s Joakim Haeggman, who all signed for rounds of 68 to sit on two-under.

The rest of the top 10 is made up of five players on one-under, including Welshman Mark Mouland, who made his 100th start on the Staysure Tour on Thursday.

•The second round of the MCB Tour Championship – Seychelles begins at 9am local time on Friday with Gary Orr teeing it up at 11.45am – the Indian Ocean island is four hours ahead of GMT.

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South Africa’s George Coetzee is aiming to add a second AfrAsia Bank Mauritius Open title at Bel Hombre, after his play-off victory in 2015. Picture by GETTY IMAGES

FOUR-time European Tour winner George Coetzee is aiming to seal a second AfrAsia Bank Mauritius Open title at Heritage Golf Club, after triumphing in a play-off to win the inaugural edition in 2015.

The South African, who finished 60th on the 2019 Race to Dubai, has appeared in all four previous editions of the tournament and is aiming to become the first player to win the title twice.

If Coetzee can achieve that feat it would also be a second European Tour event that he has won on two occasions, following his Tshwane Open triumphs in 2015 and 2018.

George Coetzee said: “Lots of good memories from the first year here. I remember playing the 18th hole a couple more times than I wanted to, but it was a good week.

“It was nice to win a tournament outside of South Africa, and it was just a special week for me.

“It’s very social, very casual but some very serious golf. It’s a nice blend of everything,” Coetzee said about playing in Mauritius.

“I might be burning out a little bit with the amount of golf I have played but I’m still feel like I’m playing pretty well,” said Coetzee, who lost an opportunity to win the French Open at Le Paris National in October.

After a relatively six months after his second place finish in Qatar, in March, Coetzee’s late collapse on the notoriously difficult course that staged the 2018 Ryder Cup, allowed Belgium’s Nicholas Colsearts to claim his first win since 2012.

“At the moment I’m just enjoying the golf and then over Christmas I’ll put my plans together,” added George Coetzee about forming a scheduling for 2020 having played 29 times in the past 12 months.

Coetzee’s victory in Bel Ombre four years ago was a special one, as it represented the first title he had won outside of his home country, after opening his European Tour account with victory at the 2014 Joburg Open.

Lawrie named 2020 Junior Ryder Cup captain

Scottish Major winner Paul Lawrie is looking forward to an altogether different Mauritius double – after making his debut in the AfrAsia Bank Mauritius Open, he will tee it up in the Staysure Tour’s season-ending MCB Tour Championship – Mauritius next week.

The 1999 Open Champion – who was announced as the 2020 European Junior Ryder Cup Captain today (Wednesday) – turned 50 in January.

And the two-time Ryder Cup player announced his arrival on the senior circuit in some style, winning the Scottish Senior Open in the summer.

Lawrie’s looking forward to competing with some of the newer faces on European, Asian and Sunshine Tours when the action in the tri-sanctioned tournament gets under way at Heritage Golf Club on Thursday.

But he will also be soaking up all that Mauritius has to offer.

Lawrie said: “It’s my first time in Mauritius, it’s beautiful, absolutely lovely.

“ I looked at the schedule and saw that European Tour was here this week and the Staysure Tour up the coast next week. I thought – it’s the perfect two weeks.

“For the players that are getting older and older like me, and playing seniors more often, it’s weird. You get on the range and you don’t know half the Tour when you come to hit balls.

“That’s a good thing, you need to get young talent in and keep the conveyor belt rolling, as it were.

“The scoring is just brilliant, the standard on the Tour is getting better and better. That’s only going to be a good thing for everyone.”

Langasque looking to go one better

THE field at the second event on the 2020 Race to Dubai also includes a host of promising young players including Romain Langasque – who finished in third place the last time the event was played at this venue two years ago.

Langasque, who won the 2015 Amateur Championship at Carnoustie said: “It’s always a pleasure to come back here, and especially to this course where I finished third two years ago.

“It’s a place where I feel great, so I’m really happy to be here. I’ve been a Heritage ambassador for one year now.

“It’s always good to come back here because of the resort, but also because of the course. It’s a very challenging course, especially with the wind like today.

“This is a place where it is windy most of the time, so we have to learn to play with it.

“But the good thing is that because of the wind there are so many options on this course – you can be offensive or less so,” added Langasque, who won the 2016 Spanish Amateur by beating Hampshire’s Scott Gregory in the final.

The Frenchman is joined on the Indian Ocean island by Final Stage Qualifying School winner Benjamin Poke, from Denmark.

Two other notable debutants are teeing it up in Mauritius – four-time European Tour winner Thomas Pieters, who made his Ryder Cup debut in the heavy defeat at Hazeltine, under Darren Clarke in 2016, and his compatriot and fellow ISPS Handa World Cup of Golf winner Thomas Detry.

•For first round tee times in the AfrAsia Bank Mauritius Open click here.

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Thomas Levet believes his win at PGA Catalunya in 2009 was the best he played in his European Tour career – he makes just his fourth start on the Staysure Tour at the same Spanish club looking for his first Seniors win. Picture by GETTY IMAGES

THOMAS Levet returns to the scene of his 2009 Open de España victory when the European Tour Destinations Senior Classic gets under way on the Staysure Tour at PGA Catalunya Resort today (Friday).

The Frenchman captured the fifth of his six European Tour titles at the acclaimed Spanish venue, holding off Paraguay’s Fabrizio Zanotti to secure a two-shot victory, and with it became the most decorated French golfer of all time on the European Tour.

A member of the winning 2004 Ryder Cup team, Levet is making only his fourth start on the Staysure Tour since celebrating his 50th birthday last September.

Levet will be looking to rekindle his love affair with PGA Catalunya Resort as he goes in search of his first win on the over-50s circuit.

“It’s always a pleasure to come back to a venue where you have won,” he said. “As soon as you step back onto the golf course it is as if you can feel your rhythm again and your game is back to the way it was when you won.

“It’s a strange feeling and hopefully it can last when I’m out competing on the course this week.

“My win in 2009 was probably my best week on tour. I played unbelievably all-week long from tee to green.

“The course has changed and improved a lot since then and the resort itself is unbelievable now so I’m excited to see what the week brings.”

Levet will need to outplay a formidable field if he is to emulate his triumph from a decade ago.

Former World No. 1 Ian Woosnam and Paul McGinley, who returns to action this week after a successful week as host of the Dubai Duty Free Irish Open, are just two of a plethora of former Ryder Cup stars set to contest the title.

Meanwhile, defending champion Magnus P Atlevi will be bidding to recapture the crown he won at Bulgaria’s Lighthouse Golf & Spa Resort, 12 months ago, with Santiago Luna, who won the inaugural contest at Linna Golf & Country Club, in Finland, in 2017, also set to tee up his title challenge.

Argentina’s José Coceres, who sits atop the Staysure Tour Order of Merit, will start the tournament among the favourites after capturing his first Staysure Tour title at last week’s Swiss Seniors Open at Bad Ragaz.

Levet gets his first round under way at 10:10am, with past champions Atlevi and Luna paired in the first group of the day to play off the first tee at 9am.

•The first round of the Bridgestone Senior Players Championship at Firestone CC was interrupted by a thunderstorm with US Senior Open winner Steve Stricker in first place on five-under with a hole to play.

With some players having only just started their rounds, Miguel Angel Jimenez wa in a share of third place with South African Retief Goosen in 12th alongside Colin Montgomerie.

You can follow live scoring in Ohio here

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Challenge Tour winner Daan Huizing who held off Ladies European Tour star Meghan MacLaren to claim the first-ever Jordan Mixed Open. Picture by GETTY IMAGES

DAAN Huizing made golfing history by becoming the first player to win a full-field mixed professional tournament with his triumph at the Jordan Mixed Open.

The Dutchman began the final round at Ayla Golf Club two shots behind overnight leader Meghan MacLaren, who opened the world-first tournament with consecutive rounds of 65 to get to 14-under par.

MacLaren started the final day strong, carding two birdies on her first three holes, but Huizing was able to slowly chip away at the Englishwoman’s lead, and by the time the two golfers reached the 13th tee, they were deadlocked on 14 under par.

The stage was set for a never-before-seen battle down the stretch between a male and female golfer competing for the same first prize.

In the end, it was Huizing who came out on top as he converted three crucial birdies on the closing holes and signed for a four under par 68, which gave him a two-stroke victory.

The win was an emotional one for the 28-year-old, who admitted it was a tough off-season after he narrowly missed out on a European Tour card at last year’s Challenge Tour Grand Final.

“I’m buzzing. It’s a big moment for me. I’ve had a rough time at home recently so this is a really sweet way to prove to myself that I’ve got it. The belief in myself and the people around me, my team and my family, I’m really grateful for their support. I’m honoured. I think it’s an historic event.

The Dutchman who won twice in his first season on the Challenge Tour in 2013, said: “To be the inaugural winner — it’s a special moment. I think it’s a great initiative.

“It was great fun playing in a final group with a Challenge Tour player, a senior tour player and a lady player. It was a great battle.

“It’s a different vibe and very special to be the first winner and I hope it’s something that can be continued in the future.

“I went into the day with a pretty open mind and I knew it was going to take a low round, someone was going to shoot low today. I had a pretty rough start and lipped out a couple of putts for birdie and holed a couple of good ones for par on two and three.

“It wasn’t easy and I didn’t play great. I had a few loose ones to the right yesterday and today again, but I battled really well.

“Mentally I was in really good shape and that’s what got me through. I stuck to my processes, stayed patient and Meghan was playing really, really well.

“She holed a couple of big putts on the front nine but left the door open for me on 10 and 11 and I answered with two really good birdies on 12 and 13.

“The buzz and tension down the stretch was great. It was a fight and it wasn’t pretty at times, but it was a great experience and really valuable going forwards as well.

“There are a huge amount of positives that I can take from this,” added the player who claimed the presitigious Lytham and St Andrews Links trophies in his last season as an amateur in 2012, a rare feat in itself.

MacLaren finished the Jordan Mixed Open alone in second place — two shots clear of Martin Simonsen, who matched the Ayla Golf Club course record with a final round of 64, which moved him 17 places up the leaderboard and into third place.

Forty players from each of the European Challenge Tour, the Staysure Tour and the Ladies European Tour, plus three amateurs, made up the 123-player field and will forever be remembered as a game-changing tournament.

The final grouping comprised of one player from each of the three Tours, and of the 66 players that made the cut, 20 represented the Ladies European Tour, 21 were from the Staysure Tour and 25 were from the Challenge Tour.

In addition, the back nine battle for the win between MacLaren and Huizing created tense drama all the way to the end.

Players from all three Tours were represented in the top five. The best performer from the over-50s contingent was José Coceres of Argentina who finished in a tie for fourth place alongside Challenge Tour players Jack Senior and Oliver Farr.

Thorough research was performed by tournament officials before the event began.

Data on driving distance, approach shot distance, club selection and scoring was collected after each round, and will provide crucial findings to all three tours.

The low-amateur competitor, Emilie Paltrinieri of Italy, carded rounds of 70, 74, 73 to finish the tournament on one-over.

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