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Leading trio all struggle on Sunday
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Englishman is the third off the pace winner in-a-row
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Read Dave Tindall's early look at the 2025 US Masters here
A pair of pre-event outsiders, 120.0119/1 shot, Eddie Pepperell, and 300.0299/1 chance, Dylan Naidoo, began the final round of the Mauritius Open tied for the lead and one ahead of 200.0199/1 chance, Jacob Skov Olesen, but things changed in a hurry in round four.
Naidoo started nervously, playing the first four holes in three-over-par and after a steady start, Pepperell was matched at a low of 2.6413/8 but after a run of four straight pars, the Englishman made a mess of the par five fifth, recording a double bogey seven, and he was never really in it after that.
There were ten men separated by just a stroke when the final three-ball had played the sixth hole before Naidoo and Olesen both birdied the par five seventh to edge ahead of the charging Frenchman, Clement Sordet, in solo third, who was matched at a low of 6.05/1 before a double-bogey at nine ended his challenge.
Although Naidoo had bounced back after the horror start with three straight birdies, Olesen appeared to be the man in control of his emotions, and he was matched at a low of 3.711/4 but he followed the birdie at seven with three straight bogeys to effectively end his challenge.
Naidoo led as they made the turn but with the final threeball all struggling to varying degrees, an off the pace winner couldn't be ruled out.
South Africa's Christo Lamprecht was matched at a low of 5.04/1 when he birdied five of his last six holes but having sparked his day with this brilliant chip in eagle at 12, it was pre-event 30.029/1 chance, John Parry, that emerged as the biggest danger to Naidoo.
The Englishman drew alongside Naidoo when he followed the eagle at 12 with a birdie at 13 before the South African edged in front again with a birdie at the par three 11th.
Naidoo was matched at just 2.1211/10 but moments before he missed the fairway off the tee on the par five 12th, Parry hit a magnificent approach to set up an eagle chance at the par five 14th.
Parry missed the eagle putt, but he tapped in for the birdie four and the momentum had shifted.
After a par at the tough par three 15th, Parry hit the front on his own with a birdie three at 16 and although he missed a great chance for another birdie at the 17th, with Naidoo treading water, the Englishman was firmly in command.
The 38-year-old birdied the par five finishing hole to post an eight-under-par 64 and to give himself a two-shot cushion at the top, but a par would have been enough with Naidoo paring every hole after the birdie at 11.
Having hit a high of 100.099/1 in-running before signing off round three with a pair of birdies, Parry was generally a 50.049/1 chance when trailing by five with a round to go and he was the third off the pace winner in-a-row following Shaun Norris' win at Leopard Creek last week from six back last week and Johannes Veerman's win in the Nedbank from five adrift.
Parry had contended strongly last week, and he probably should have won given he was tied for the lead after ten holes and that he played the last eight holes in one-over-par, so he wasn't on my shortlist at around 30.029/1 here.
He'd won three times on the Challenge Tour this year to regain his card on the DP World Tour but it's 14 years since his only previous victory on the DP World Tour.
It would have been very easy for him to put his feet up after regaining his playing privileges but after an eighth in the Australian PGA, a missed cut at the Australian Open, and his 2-1 finish in South Africa, Parry has not only won again on the DP World Tour, he's also edged out the Nedbank winner, Veerman, to win the Opening Swing on the DP World Tour, and deservedly so.
Veerman packed the clubs away after his victory at the Gary Player Country Club a fortnight ago, so he's only got himself to blame for not securing the first of five Global Swings.
In addition to receiving the US$200,000 bonus, Parry is now also exempt for all nine of the Back 9 Swing events towards the end of 2025, so it was a prize well worth winning.
It's a great way to end what's been a fabulous year for the journeyman Englishman and poor Veerman will have had a shock when he woke up to the news.
That's it for the year now so all that remains is to wish everyone a very merry Christmas and a peaceful new year, although I'll be back before we see out 2024.
The Sentry kicks off 2025 on January 2 so I'll have my preview up on the 29th or 30th of December.