Wednesday 6 May 2015 15:03, UK
Former European Ryder Cup star Thomas Bjorn is looking to continue his return to fitness when he features at this week’s inaugural Mauritius Open.
The Dane has struggled with an ongoing back injury that forced him to withdraw eight holes in to the WGC-Cadillac Championship, one of only six tournaments he has featured in this season.
Bjorn showed signs of improvement with a fourth-place finish at the Indonesian Masters a fortnight ago, but the 15-time European Tour winner admits he’s heading to Mauritius still not 100%.
"I’m taking baby steps in the right direction, and that’s important," Bjorn said. "I’m happy with the way my game is shaping up and I’m able to practice more after the injuries, so I’m feeling better.
“It’s a long year ahead but I’ll take it one step at a time. I went to Indonesia and did well a couple of weeks ago, so it’s small steps.
“I still have to manage my injuries and keep myself fit to play, but I can put in more hours now which is important.”
Compatriot Thorbjorn Olesen also tees off in the tri-sanctioned event, making his first appearance since February due to a hand injury he picked up in the early-season Desert Swing.
"It's been a long time out," said the 25-year-old, who won his second European Tour title in the Perth International last October. "The injury started right after the new year but I kept on playing and it got worse and worse during those first four events."
European Tour winners Andrew Dodt and Kiradech Aphibarnrat both head to Heritage GC looking for a second victory of the season, while Sky Academy Ambassador Nick Dougherty makes his first of the year at the €1,000,000 event.
Aphibarnrat and Bjorn tee off in the first two rounds alongside George Coetzee, who suffered a first-round exit at last week's WGC-Cadillac Match Play Championship but has made top three finishes in his past two European Tour starts.
“Winning the Tshwane Open has been great; it’s taken a lot of pressure off the rest of the season," Coetzee said. “It’s hard to play for your card every year, but luckily the Tshwane Open was big enough to give me a two-year exemption. It means I can work on some stuff, take it slow and just enjoy my golf while I’m playing it.”
Watch the AfrAsia Bank Mauritius Open live from Thursday May 7 - Sunday May 10 live on Sky Sports 4 - your home of golf.
