BEL OMBRE, Mauritius — Dylan Frittelli beat Arjun Atwal with a birdie on the first playoff hole to clinch the Mauritius Open title on Sunday.
The 27-year-old South African secured a second European Tour title in his first year on the tour. He was named the tour’s best newcomer at the start of the week following a 19th place finish in the 2017 Race to Dubai.
He began the new season with victory in Mauritius after India’s Atwal, who set the pace for much of the tournament at Heritage Golf Course, agonizingly missed out on an eagle on the last hole in regulation play that would have given him his first European title in nearly a decade.
Atwal saw his eagle putt lip out on No. 18, and settled for birdie to set up a playoff. He and Frittelli both finished on 16 under par after 18 holes.
Frittelli made five birdies and a bogey in his final round 4-under 67. Atwal, who set a course record with an opening-round 62, finished with six birdies but also two bogeys for his 68.
France’s Romain Langasque was alone in third place, two shots behind Frittelli and Atwal after finishing with a 67. Louis de Jager was fourth.
Louis Oosthuizen, the highest-ranked player at the tournament, made a charge up the leaderboard on the final day with two eagles and a run of three straight birdies on Nos. 10-12. However, the former Open champion’s challenge ended with a triple bogey seven on No. 16 and he finished seventh, five shots behind.
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