MCB-Staysure Tour gives local golf players chance to perform alongside world-class players

Local golf players of all ages had a fun-filled day as they rubbed shoulders with the world’s finest players of the sports.

At total of 16 teams featuring one professional golfer and one amateur competed in the Pro-Am at the recently awarded “Luxury Golf Hotel” of the Indian Ocean at the World Luxury Hotel Awards, Constance Lémuria this Thursday 13^th December.

Although the weather was not all favorable, the local golfers enjoyed a day experiencing the touch of the international professional golfer’s playing the second part of the Indian Ocean Swing that started in Mauritius earlier this month.

The various teams were playing to defend the colors of all the major sponsors of the event.

The tournament title sponsor MCB was represented by 10 teams, the Constance group and Seychelles Tourism Board (STB) respectively 7 and 6 teams, European Tours and ISPC had 2 teams each, while Staysure, Takamaka, Polo Ralph Lauren, Heineken and CATCOCO had each one team.

Local junior Players Naheem Agricole, Adrian Andrade and Hugo Eichler, from the Anse-Aux-Pins club had all the honor to defend the Constance Lemuria Colors partnering with Ian Woosnam, Philip Price and Paul Streeter.

After a day of fun and learning all players were invited to join the sponsors, partners and other invitees at an event hosted by the Constance Lémuria and Takamaka at the Takamaka Bar on the Petit Anse Kerlan beach.

The prize giving was conducted in the presence of Minister for Tourism, Civil Aviation, Ports and Marine Minister Dogley, Principal Secretary Mrs. Anne Lafortune and STB Chief Executive Mrs. Sherin Francis. Also present were David McLaren CEO of Staysure, MCB official delegation headed by Mr. Raoul Gufflet-MCB Deputy Chief Executive, Mr. Bernard Jackson- Managing Director of MCB Seychelles, General Manager of Constance Lémuria, Mr. Bruno Le Gac, and Aurélie Aupée, Group Communication Manager for Constance Hotels.

In his Speech Minister Dogley welcomed the golf celebrities to the Seychelles, he mentioned being please to have the MCB- Staysure Tournament being hosted on our beautiful Islands for the next two years. “This is just the first, we are just getting started,” said Minister Dogley.

Minister Dogley thanked the MCB and Constance for their immense implications in making the project a reality and also expressed his gratitude to all the other sponsors who united alongside the MCB, Constance Lémuria and STB.

In his address Mr. Raoul Gufflet, MCB Deputy Chief Executive mentioned his satisfaction of seeing the event materializing successfully.

“I would like to thank Minister Dogley for being present, special thanks to the government of Seychelles through Mrs. Sherin Francis and Bernadette Willemin from the STB. MCB has been hosting the event in Mauritius for close to 10 years and we haven’t had that much implication from the government from what we have seen in the Seychelles over the past few weeks. I have to say that after MCB hosting the event such a long time, Mauritius has had an increased visibility as a tourist destination and also a golf destination. I can only wish that this first event puts Seychelles on the map and for the next 2 years, we will carry on increasing the visibility for Seychelles,” Said Mr. Gufflet.

Outstanding performances for the Longest Drive, from Hole 6 were awarded to Ann-Kathrin Nahl for the ladies and to MCB Deputy Chief Executive Raoul Gufflet. While Oskar Brunnthaler was awarded for his performance on the nearest the Pin on Hole 15.

The winners at the competition was the Heineken team represented by professional golfer David and Amateur Shacklady Stuart Hull.

They were closely followed by professional Paul Eales and amateur Simon Lee competing for Polo Ralph Lauren, while STB team represented by professional Miguel Angel Martin and amateur Kevin Hermitte finished in 3^rd place.

Also invited to say a few words Staysure CEO Mr. David McLaren mentioned his satisfaction to see the interaction between the professionals and the amateurs during the Pro-Am. He also expressed his pleasure to have the tournament hosted in the Seychelles for the first time.

“We are delighted to be in one of the most beautiful places in the world for the first ever MCB Tournament Seychelles. We’ve been with your friends in Mauritius for a longtime now but for us to come from there is the most amazing climax. The Pro-Am is a very important part of that because it gives a chance to local players who have been associated with this tournament to play with some of the greatest golfers. To see that interaction between professionals and amateurs was absolutely wonderful. We all had a great day, but I think above anything else everybody overriding memory is how beautiful not just Constance Lémuria is but the Seychelles are,” said Mr. McLaren.

The first edition of the Indian Ocean Swing closing the MCB- Staysure Tournament will close on Sunday December 16, 2018.