Mauritius Open 2025 First-Round Leader Tips: Dave Tindall's three to back up to 80/1

• 80/181.00 Brandon Stone has a good profile for FRL here

• 55/156.00 Christiaan Burke is flying out of the blocks

• 60/161.00 Hennie Du Plessis has returned from injury with a bang

Weather forecast for Thursday

Wind is definitely a factor on in round one with it blowing a consistent 17-18mph throughout the golfing day. 

There could be a drop of rain either side of midday but generally it's a sunny day with temperatures locked in at 80-85 degrees.

Conditions look the same for both waves so we can pick freely regardless of tee-times.

FRL Bet 1: Brandon Stone @ 80/181.00

Brandon Stone's first-round scores are feast or famine at the moment but at 80/181.00 he's worth a punt to produce some more of the good stuff.

After a run of poor openers (76, 77, 74), Stone fired a 64 in round one of last week's Alfred Dunhill Championship to end the first day in third spot. He eventually finished 21st after going 74-67 in the Joburg event which was reduced to 54 holes.

In Mauritius, he was the first-round leader in the 2019 edition of this event. Although it wasn't on this layout, Heritage La Réserve Golf Links, it came on the other golf course on the property.

This one, as the name says, has more of a links feel so that could help Stone, a former Scottish Open winner at Gullane.

He'll be able to handle the wind and the South African can hopefully make an impression from his 13:00 tee-time.

FRL Bet 2: Christiaan Burke @ 55/156.00

Christiaan Burke was tipped up at big prices last week and delivered with a fourth-place finish.

That was the young South African's fourth top five in six events and he paved the way with an opening 63.

That gave him the 18-hole lead while he was also FRL two starts earlier in the Vodacom Origins Final where he also set out with a 63.

Before that burst of form, his previous top five came in this event 12 months ago.

He didn't start fast on that occasion but the top five will give him some good memories on his return to the country and his CV includes an astonishing round of 56 so he can definitely shoot the lights out.

Burke hits off from the 10th at 07:30.

FRL Bet 3: Hennie Du Plessis @ 60/161.00

After nearly 18 months off with injuries to both wrists, Hennie Du Plessis has made a stunning return.

He won his first event back - the Sunshine Tour's Blu Label Unlimited Challenge at the Gary Player Country Club - and followed that with fourth and second in his next two starts.

In two of his comeback events, he's sat second after 18 holes and one of those (South African PGA) came on St Francis Links which obviously has relevance to the style of golf in front of him this week. Du Plessis finished runner-up there.

He's opened with a round in the 60s in all four of his recent starts and hopefully can throw in another low one.

Du Plessis is also a morning starter, teeing off at 06:30 from the 10th.

*You can follow me on Twitter @DaveTindallgolf

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