Rozner hits 10 birdies and an eagle in 10-under 62 to open title defense at Mauritius Open

Updated Dec. 14, 2023 9:00 a.m. ET

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BEL-OMBRE, Mauritius (AP) — French golfer Antoine Rozner made a hot start to his title defense at the Mauritius Open by shooting 10-under 62 to take a one-stroke lead after the first round of the European tour event on Thursday.

Starting at No. 10, the 128th-ranked Rozner had five birdies and an eagle in shooting 29 in his first nine holes before making four birdies in his next five holes, leaving him in sight of a rare 59.

However, he bogeyed two of his last four holes in a closing stretch that still included a 10th birdie of his round, which was the lowest of his career on the European tour and a course record at La Réserve Golf Links.

“It was unbelievable — didn't miss a shot, holed everything I had, holed a bunker shot. Literally everything went my way,” said Rozner, who won by five strokes last year.

“After the birdie at No. 5, I really thought about shooting 59 but a bad tee shot at No. 6 cost me that magic number.”

Paul Waring of England shot a bogey-free 63 and was alone in second place, two strokes ahead of Jayden Schaper of South Africa (65).

The Mauritius Open completes the swing of tournaments in Africa before the European tour takes a break over Christmas before resuming in January for a string of events in the Middle East, starting with the Dubai Invitational on Jan. 11.

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AP golf: https://apnews.com/hub/golf

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Antoine Rozner

PGA Tour