After Covid, rain plays spoil sport in golf's eventual return to Mauritius

After a delay of over two and half years, the season-finale of the EU Legends Tour, previously known as the European Senior Tour, returns to Mauritius for the MCB Tour Championship. Taking place at the Legends Course at Constance Belle Mare Plage for its 10th anniversary edition, the tournament was earlier scheduled to take place in December 2021. However, the season-ender was moved to April 2022 due to the concerns sparked by the Omicron variant.

With the Covid-19 scare slightly subsided, the weather was not in the joyous of all moods for golf’s return to the island with rain playing spoil sport. After several stoppages due to heavy rain, organisers suspended the day’s play, “due to flooded course.”

Action was underway on Friday morning, though by the time play was suspended, two-time Senior Major Champion Roger Chapman had topped the leaderboard after completing nine holes with a score of two-under. Describing the weather as little “ropey,” the 62-year-old Englishman is confident of his chances of winning the trophy eventually.

“I have been playing ok and if you drive the ball well, you have half the chance of scoring well. I have played the course quite nicely before and I’ve finished second here in 2010, so I know the course well and can perform quite well this time round,” added Chapman.

The MCB tour championship offers a prize purse of EUR 475,000 and 675 valuable points for the winner to cement their spot at the top of the Order of Merit, where there are four strong contenders. Sitting comfortably on top with 1,830 points is Stephen Dodd, courtesy of his maiden Senior Major Championship in the 2021 Senior British Open at Sunningdale where he finished with a score of 13 under.

Commenting on the win, Duffy said, “I am absolutely delighted, it has been an amazing event. The opportunity to play with my heroes on such a wonderful course has been overwhelming.”