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George Coetzee
WE ASKED A FEW QUESTIONS TO GEORGE COETZEE, WINNER OF THE
AFRASIA BANK MAURITIUS OPEN AT HERITAGE RESORTS 2015:
How did you find Heritage Golf Club’s
circuit? What are its specificities? Are there any
particular difficulties or, on the other side, easier
or more interesting spots/holes?
I think it’s just an all-round great course
that has everything. It’s in a beautiful
setting and would offer tourists a wonderful
experience but the standard is high enough
for it to be able to host a tournament of
the stature of the AfrAsia Bank Mauritius
Open. A lot of people have said how
beautiful it was on television and even
though it was a real test, I really liked the
course.
The Heritage Golf Club has 2 signature holes:
no. 4 & no. 7. Is there any one of them that has
marked you?
They are both fantastic holes but I couldn’t
find fault with the course at all. Having won
there you could say I’m a little biased but
even without that I thought it was a great
set-up. A good challenge.
We would like to have your professional point
of view of the circuit!
It’s a great design and very fair. All you
want is to have good shots and good
decisions rewarded and have every aspect of
your game tested. That is certainly the case
at the Heritage Golf Club.
Besides the golf tournament, what did you find
interesting at Heritage Resorts? Is there any
particular activity that you tried and that you
would like to recommend? Also, have you had
the opportunity to visit part of Mauritius? If yes,
what have you enjoyed most?
The beaches in Mauritius are known
throughout the world for their beauty.
You’re there to focus on an important
tournament but once you’ve finished your
work, there is so much you can do to switch
off and relax. I love surfing and it’s great
there. I even ended up in the sea with
the trophy ! It’s such a beautiful place. I
couldn’t recommend it highly enough.
What training and diet do you usually follow
before tournaments? Is there anything new
that you did for this particular circuit? Do
you generally adapt your mental and physical
preparation to the tournament?
I tend to try to keep things as routine
as possible in my preparation. By the
time Thursday comes around, through a
combination of practice or the pro-am and
my caddy Alan mapping the course, we’ve
come up with a plan. Mauritius was a great
event and I was proud to come out on top.
Have you been able to talk to some Mauritian
golfers while you were here? What advice
would you give to aspiring golfers in Mauritius
and across the world?
I spoke to a few guys around the place and
I was impressed with the passion that the
people around the tournament had for
the sport. That can only help improve the
standard of players in Mauritius. My advice
would be just to keep enjoying their golf,
work hard and see where it takes them.
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According to you, what are the most important
qualities/personality traits that a golfer must
develop in order to win a tournament like the
AfrAsia Bank Mauritius Open at Heritage
Resorts?
It’s always a challenge when a tournament
goes to a play-off so I knew my game had to
stand up under that kind of pressure. It was
strange because I actually felt more nervous
during the day than the play-off. I was really
pleased with the way I took it to extra holes
and delighted to have won.
