Nicolas Colsaerts is hoping to make a strong start to the new Race to Dubai campaign as he brings the curtain down on a successful year at the AfrAsia Bank Mauritius Open.
The big-hitting Belgian secured top-three finishes at two of last season's Rolex Series events - the BMW PGA Championship in May and the Turkish Airlines Open earlier this month - on his way to finishing 31st on the Race to Dubai.
And Colsaerts, who is playing in his final event of 2017 at Heritage Golf Club this week, is keen to get his 2018 season off to a flying start in Mauritius.
He said: "This is my last event of the year - obviously one of the early ones on the Race to Dubai for 2018 - but this will be when I close the curtain for the year.
"So I'll be quite happy to put a low number on the board and get the new season going."
I have come to this island for 20 years now and I've never played here -Nicolas Colsaerts
Colsaerts has been a regular visitor to Mauritius over the last 20 years but has never before teed it up at this week's host course.
The 35 year old is attached to Four Seasons Golf Club Anahita, where he finished in a tie for third at the 2016 edition of this event.
He said: "I have come to this island for 20 years now and I've never played here. People think I have the home advantage because I'm attached to the sister place, Anahita, but this is my first look at it.
"It's quite nice, there is a lot of water that comes into play. Something we don’t have at Anahita is this long grass, so it’s quite wide but you still need to manage your way around.
"There are a lot more undulations onto the greens and it's windier. I played a few holes on Monday and it was actually pretty brutal.
"If it blows like this I think we’re in for a decent test."
South Africa's Dylan Frittelli also finished the 2017 Race to Dubai season with a flourish and hopes to keep the momentum going in the final events of the calendar year.
Frittelli, who finished in a tie for second alongside Colsaerts in Turkey, said: "I'm happy with everything about my game at the moment. I had a good end to last season.
"It was a little bit up and down throughout the whole season but I ended on a high and I just thought I'd keep the ball rolling and play a few events here early in the season.
"I had a good finish in Hong Kong. I fell back a bit on Sunday, but I’m still happy with that performance."
Also in a strong field in Mauritius is Australia's Scott Hend, who made a dream start to the week when he won the Pro-Am not long after arriving in the country.
"It is a great golf course, area and the hotel is awesome," he said. "I flew in yesterday (Tuesday), played the Pro-Am and won it. That’s a good start to the week.
"The golf course is fantastic. Here if you hit it long and straight off the tees, you've got a chance at making birdies."
