Jayden Schaper captured his second straight title Sunday at the Mauritius Open, defeating American Ryan Gerard in a playoff by chipping in for eagle on the second extra hole. The win comes just one week after Schaper claimed the Alfred Dunhill Championship in South Africa — also with a playoff eagle.
Schaper fired a brilliant 8-under 64 in the final round, birdieing three of his last four holes to force the playoff. It’s the second consecutive week the 24-year-old South African has ended a tournament by making eagle in extra holes.
Gerard’s runner-up finish might feel just as sweet. The American, who flew from Florida to the small island nation about 1,250 miles off Africa’s eastern coast, needed a top-four finish to secure a Masters invitation by climbing into the world’s top 50 by year’s end. He delivered with weekend rounds of 63-66, and the playoff finish was enough to punch his ticket to Augusta National in April.
What makes Schaper’s run so impressive is how quickly he’s climbed the rankings. Three weeks ago, he was 153rd in the world. After a runner-up at the Nedbank Golf Challenge followed by these back-to-back playoff victories, he’s now jumped to 63rd — giving him a significant head start in the European tour’s Race to Dubai standings.
The Masters extends invitations to the top 50 players in the final world ranking of the year, with another opportunity coming for those in the top 50 a week before the tournament begins in April.
