Parry back in Mauritius to defend title and complete a remarkable comeback arc

Mauritius has become the emotional and professional anchor of John Parry’s late-career surge. His 2024 AfrAsia Bank Mauritius Open victory on the island ended a 14-year title drought on the DP World Tour and set him on a path that will take him to the PGA Tour in 2026.

Back this week with his wife, Parry will defend a title for the first time in his career and chase history as the first multiple winner of the AfrAsia Bank Mauritius Open. “I’m really excited. Defending a title is not something I’ve had the opportunity to do before so it’s a new experience which I’m really looking forward to. I absolutely love it in Mauritius. I have my wife with me as well,” he said.

Parry likes what he sees at La Réserve Golf Links. “The La Reserve golf course looks fantastic. I can see the rough is heavy and I’m guessing it blows a lot here. It looks like a very second-shot golf course and it’s all about hitting it in the right areas and the right levels on the greens,” he said, adding that his English links background should help if the wind gets up.

Only 21 months ago, Parry was grinding on the second-tier circuit and arrived in India for what became a life-changing three-week stretch. He won the Delhi Challenge, then played in Kolkata and qualified for the Hero Indian Open, where he made the cut. Two more Challenge Tour wins in France and Italy earned him a battlefield promotion back to the main DP World Tour.

He made that step up count quickly, logging a top-10 at the Australian Open, finishing runner-up at the Alfred Dunhill Championship in South Africa and then winning the AfrAsia Bank Mauritius Open for his first DP World Tour title since 2010. Over 2024 he stacked up five top-7 finishes, four of them inside the top four, climbed into the top 10 of the Race to Dubai and secured his PGA Tour card.

“It was amazing. When I came to India early last year, I was working on some things in my golf and then it began clicking,” said Parry, who turned 39 last month. “It is great to be defending a title and my wife is loving it. It should be a great week.”

Parry has also become a touchstone for others on the same pathway, including Marco Penge, who finished second to Rory McIlroy in the Race to Dubai, and Rasmus Neergard-Petersen, who won the Challenge Tour event in India the week after Parry. “I am glad they feel that way. They are very good players and I am sure they will do well,” he said. All three will be on the PGA Tour next year, but for now Parry’s focus is firmly on retaining his crown at La Réserve.

No player has yet won the AfrAsia Bank Mauritius Open more than once, giving Parry the chance to write a new chapter in the event’s history. The last time the tournament was played at La Réserve, in 2023, Louis Oosthuizen – who co-designed the course with Peter Matkovich – lifted the trophy. Another in-form threat this week is Jayden Schaper, fresh from his Alfred Dunhill Championship win in South Africa, achieved with an eagle on the first play-off hole on another Matkovich design.

Photo – DP World Tour