'He can approach the future with fresh swagger' – Steve Palmer has five recommendations for the Mauritius Open

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Steve has nailed 14 outright winners this year at 66-1, 60-1, 40-1 (three times), 33-1, 22-1, 20-1 (twice), 12-1, 9-1, 8-1, 11-4 and 7-4.

Read on to find out his fancies for this week's tournament.

Mauritius Open date, start time & TV info 

Date Thursday, December 18 - Sunday, December 21
Course La Reserve Golf Links, Heritage Golf Club, Bel Ombre, Mauritius
Start time 2.20am on Thursday morning
TV Live on Sky Sports Main Event and Golf from 9.30am on Thursday

John Parry is the defending champion in the Mauritius Open this week, bidding to retain the title he won at a different course 12 months ago, but the Englishman has had a heavy schedule this year and appears to be running out of gas.

Parry may be set for a relaxed week on a paradise island before he heads to the PGA Tour next year. Angel Ayora, tailed off in the Alfred Dunhill last week and 33rd on his only previous start at this week's venue, looks too short in the Mauritius Open betting.

Steve Palmer's Mauritius Open predictions

Jayden Schaper
4pts 15-2 general

Casey Jarvis
2.5pts each-way 33-1 bet365, Betfair, Paddy Power

Jacob Skov Olesen
2pts each-way 35-1 Coral, Ladbrokes

Davis Bryant
1.5pts each-way 70-1 Coral, Ladbrokes

Christiaan Burke
1pt each-way 75-1 bet365

Steve Palmer's Mauritius Open previews

Top tip

Jayden Schaper 15-2

The early 9-1 has been sensibly snapped up by shrewdies, but Jayden Schaper is still available at healthy enough prices for the Mauritius Open, bidding for back-to-back glory after finally shedding his DP World Tour maiden tag.

Schaper will be contending for a third consecutive week if he gets into the mix at La Reserve Golf Links, following second place in the Nedbank Challenge with victory in the Alfred Dunhill, but last week's success was over only 54 holes after Saturday's play was abandoned, so he probably has enough left in the tank to attack his final event of the year.

Schaper, who has been threatening DPWT glory since finishing second in the Alfred Dunhill in 2020, has got the monkey off his back and can approach the future with fresh swagger. His swing is technical perfection, short, brisk and made for consistent accuracy, and ideal for staying out of trouble in this week's forecast wind.

The 24-year-old loves Mauritius, where he was the lowest scorer in the 2019 All Africa Team Championship, an event won by South Africa. He has Mauritius Open form figures of 9-6-13 and the sixth place was at this week's course. He carded three good rounds that week, but a second-day 74 cost him dear and he lost by four shots.

Schaper is a grounded, God-fearing man, with strong parents, so the chances of him having gone off the rails since his Dunhill triumph are extremely slim. He has just moved into the world's top 100 and will be keen to reach the top 50 as soon as possible, so expect full focus. He is top of the Race to Dubai Rankings and can stretch clear going into the Christmas break.

South Africans have won three of the eight Mauritius Opens, revelling in their home continent, and the two runners-up last year were South African.

Next best bet

Casey Jarvis 33-1

The Alfred Dunhill campaign of Casey Jarvis was going well until he took on an extremely ambitious second shot at the par-five 18th hole on Thursday, carding an ugly bogey six. The wind was sucked from his sails and a flat Friday followed, but he made three eagles and 12 birdies in a typically swashbuckling display over just 54 holes.

His putter was red-hot in the final round of the Dunhill and with five par-fives to devour this week, Jarvis seems likely to make a huge impact at a course where he finished 25th two years ago. He has won two of his last four tournaments, lighting up the Sunshine Tour.

Other selections

Jacob Skov Olesen 35-1
Davis Bryant 70-1
Christiaan Burke 75-1

The 2024 Amateur champion Jacob Skov Olesen is a rising star of the DPWT who could make this his breakthrough success. The Danish left-hander, who shared the first-round lead in the Open in July, has grown comfortable in the professional ranks and has posted five top-eight finishes on the DPWT this year.

The first of them came in the Joburg Open in March and his recent form is encouraging, with 11th place on his DPWT Championship debut a month ago followed by 40th place in both the Nedbank and Dunhill.

Olesen has returned this week to a tournament where he finished ninth on his debut 12 months ago. He was world number 802 going into that event, but tees off as 154th this week. Ever improving and able to handle a breeze, Olesen could follow compatriot Rasmus Hojgaard by claiming a maiden title at this event.

Complete the staking plan with Davis Bryant and Christiaan Burke. Bryant is an increasingly impressive American 25-year-old. He turned pro in 2023 and has twice come through DPWT Q School. He played well on the Challenge Tour at the end of last season, with form figures of 13-14-27 in his final three events, and started the new DPWT season well with 14th in the Aussie PGA followed by 12th in the Aussie Open.

Bryant's DPWT debut came with 42nd place in the Mauritius Open last year and this neat and tidy operator can handle the forecast wind.

Burke has hit a rich vein of form and is coming of age at 25, posting eight top-20s in a row. Seven of them were on the Sunshine Tour, including a second, a third and a fifth, and last week's fourth place in the Dunhill must have added another layer of self-belief.

Burke is in fine fettle for his third Mauritius Open start. He was 45th on debut in 2022 when his world ranking was almost double what it is now, then fifth last year. The five par-fives are rich pickings for this powerhouse.

Now read:

Mauritius Open: La Reserve Golf Links course guide, start time, odds and how to watch 

For those looking for even more extensive golf coverage don't miss Palmer's extra pointers every Wednesday in the Racing Post newspaper.

As well as his tips and insight you will also get expert spotlight comments for all players in our extensive PGA Tour and DP Tour price comparison grids which include course and recent form, plus Palmer's unique attribute icons to help identify the type of players likely to be suited to conditions each week.

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