On the day of his wedding anniversary, England’s John Parry claimed a fairytale victory in the AfrAsia Bank Mauritius Open at Mont Choisy Le Golf on Sunday.
Related: Dylan Naidoo on cusp of career-changing win in Mauritius
Starting the final round five shots off the lead, Parry produced a masterful back nine of four birdies and an eagle over his final seven holes to close with a 64 and win by two strokes on 14 under par.
South Africa’s Christo Lamprecht and Dylan Naidoo shared second place on 12 under par with their respective final rounds of 65 and 71.
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Parry’s victory in this Sunshine Tour and DP World Tour event signals a remarkable comeback for a golfer who won on the Tour in 2010 but then struggled thereafter and considered giving up the game at one point.
“At one stage I was back on the Euro Pro Tour and close to giving up golf after first winning on the DP World Tour when I was 23. It’s been a long battle back, but worth every moment for this win,” said Parry.
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The victory caps a remarkable year for Parry. He won three times on the European Challenge Tour this year and also challenged for the Alfred Dunhill Championship at Leopard Creek and finished second there the week before his Mauritius triumph.
“It’s unbelievable. At the start of this year I didn’t think this would happen. After last week, my mindset this week was more focused on trying to win and not just hoping you’ll win.”
It’s a mindset he certainly displayed with that back nine performance, the spark for which came with his chip-in for eagle on the par-five 12th hole.
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“That chip-in on 12 gave me a bit of momentum for the rest of the round. That was a key moment. I had a quick look at the leaderboard and to be honest I thought I was further back. I knew I had to get at it a bit today. I didn’t expect to chip in from that distance, and then I didn’t miss a shot coming in,” said Parry.
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With his victory Parry was also crowned the winner of the DP World Tour’s Opening Swing, earning himself a $200 000 bonus.
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“I think the big thing for me is knowing that you can do it at this level. This has made me very confident for 2025,” he said.
