David Frost is hoping to sign off his best season as a senior golfer by successfully defending his title in this week’s MCB Tour Championship in Mauritius.
The South African finished tied third in The Senior Open Championship Presented by Rolex at Royal Birkdale and won twice on the US Champions Tour in 2013.
He returns to the European Senior Tour for the season finale at Constance Belle Mare Plage seeking more success at a venue where he has a magnificent record.
Frost has never finished outside of the top five over the Legend Course in four appearances, winning the Mauritius Commercial Bank Open in December 2011 and then triumphing again 12 months ago in the MCB Tour Championship.
He is hoping to extend that record this week and end a superb campaign on a high note.
“I’m very happy with the year I’ve had and it would be great to finish it with another win,” he said. “It’s been by far my best year as a senior golfer. It’s hard to say why that is. You’d think you would have your best year at 50, but I guess you get to know the courses and you build up confidence. I think that is the case with this course too. It’s not a big hitter’s course.
“This is the kind of course where you can’t be too aggressive. You have to plan your round and stay patient and hit good shots. It’s not an attacking golf course, you have to hit some defensive shots.
“The course is also playing a lot longer this year as they have had some rain. On the last hole, if I compare my tee shots to last year, I’m about 25 yards behind. I don’t know if that’s because I’m older or not though.”
Frost fired an opening round 64 last year and went into the final round with a four stroke lead, but needed to birdie the last for a 74 to win by one shot from Peter Fowler and Barry Lane.
“I started really well last year then I had a hiccup in the beginning of the third round,” he said. “I had a nice lead but then had to birdie the last hole to win. It was a nice way to finish as Barry and Peter were right on my heels. It was tough. It’s very hot out here and it takes it out of you. We are playing in twosomes this year, not three-balls. That will cut out an hour out of the round, and so hopefully I will not be so tired.”
Sunday’s final round will also be a poignant one for the 54 year old as it coincides with the funeral of former South African leader Nelson Mandela.
“It’s great to have all these memories of Mandela come out again and to remind people of who he was, and what he stood for, and the changes he made,” said Frost. “He caused people to rethink things.
“It’s going to be a sad day on Sunday but we have so many great memories of him. He was a remarkable man.”
