Dec 23,2024
Englishman John Parry said his 14-year battle back to the DP World Tour winner's circle was "worth every moment" after a closing eight-under-par 64 earned him victory at the AfrAsia Bank Mauritius Open.
Parry started Sunday's final round five shots off the lead before a chip-in eagle, seven birdies and a single bogey saw him finish on 14-under as he completed a two-shot win ahead of South Africans Dylan Naidoo and Christo Lamprecht.
Ireland's Gary Hurley finished with a level-par 72 that left him one-under overall in a tie for 42nd.
FINAL LEADERBOARD
The victory capped a stellar 2024 for Parry which featured three wins on the Challenge Tour, but this was his first trophy at this level since the Vivendi Cup in September 2010 and second overall.
It also earned him a $200,000 (around €191,000) bonus and entry into some prestigious events later in the DP World Tour season as he topped the tour's Opening Swing rankings.
The 38-year-old revealed he had been close to giving up golf a number of years ago amid a struggle for form and results but he now has plenty to look forward to.
"It's massive," he said. "I don't know how long ago - five or six years ago - I was back on the EuroPro Tour and I was close to giving up golf after winning when I was 23 out here.
"So it's been a long battle back but worth every moment for this week."
After three birdies and one bogey on the front side saw him turn in 34, Parry's final round burst into life on the homeward nine as he chipped in for an eagle at the 12th to get within one shot of the lead.
He followed that up with back-to-back birdies on the 13th and 14th before an eight-footer on the 16th handed him the outright lead.
Parry produced a shot-of-the-week contender off the 17th tee before being unable to convert the six-foot birdie putt but made amends at the last as he closed his round with a fine birdie to go two clear and give himself breathing space at the summit.
And with no-one in the final groups able to catch him, Parry secured a long-awaited DP World Tour victory.
Parry feels his excellent eagle at the 12th was a turning point on Sunday.
He added: "It was a bit of a challenging week all week but that chip-in on the 12th really just gave me a bit of momentum for the rest of the round. So that was a real key moment.
"That eagle there just got me a little spark, with a couple of good chances coming up. And I just really didn't miss a shot coming in so that was really key."
