Jarvis, the new star in the making, leads AfrAsia Bank Mauritius Open while Levy makes good use of sponsor’s invite
Casey Jarvis of South Africa is the latest rising star in these parts, and he is at the top of the leaderboard at the halfway stage of the 2025 AfrAsia Bank Mauritius Open. Chasing him hard is the pedigreed Frenchman Alexander Levy, who is trying to turn back the clock.
On a day when the sun broke through the clouds more often than on the first day, scoring improved despite some heavy afternoon rain at the challenging and resplendent La Réserve Golf Links.
Early starter Jarvis led the field with rounds of 67-65 to reach 12-under, while Levy, who finished late in the afternoon, added a 66 to his first-round 68 to reach 10-under, placing him in sole second.
Jarvis is just 22, but the quality of his golf and the patient demeanor he displays on the course suggest he has all it takes to become a major star. The young South African, who has won twice on the Sunshine Tour, posted a classy 7-under 65 with nine birdies against two bogeys to take pole position at the halfway stage. He birdied all four Par-5s.
Levy, with three birdies on either side of La Réserve Golf Links, was flawless in his 66, with three of his birdies coming on Par-5s.
Spaniard Manuel Elvira (68-67) was third, while South African Brandon Stone (68-68) was fourth.
There wasn’t much wind until the last couple of holes.
The man of the moment on the second day was Jarvis. In 2023, three months before he turned 20, Jarvis shot a round of 59 on the Sunshine Tour during a season in which he won once and finished tied for second on five other occasions.
This year he won twice last month and is now on his fourth trip to the AfrAsia Bank Mauritius Open. This week, he could well be on his way to a maiden DP World Tour victory, which would open a whole new world for him.
Levy, who has been in Mauritius for the past two years, needed a sponsor’s invite to enter the field this week. The 35-year-old, a five-time DP World Tour winner between 2014 and 2018, lost his Tour card last season and narrowly missed out on one of the 20 spots at the Qualifying School Final Stage, finishing 22nd.
So far, Levy has made good use of the invitation. After a solid first-round 4-under 68, he carded a bogey-free 7-under 65 to reach 10-under, two shots behind Jarvis. Levy’s last DP World Tour victory was also in Africa, at the Trophee Hassan II in Morocco in 2018.
Jarvis made no secret of his love for Mauritius. He has played here the past three years, finishing T-40 in 2022, T-25 in 2023, and T-36 last year. After two eagles in his first-round 67, he maintained his sizzling form with nine birdies against two bogeys in the second round.
The South African, who had a glittering amateur career including being part of the 2019 Junior World Cup-winning team, said, “I love coming to Mauritius. I played nicely to start and to back it up today was great. Today, the course was easier compared to the first day. There wasn’t much wind until the last couple of holes.”
Speaking about his round, he added, “Last week at the Alfred Dunhill Championship I was frustrated. I decided to have fun this week and it seems to be working. Links golf is different from what I’m used to. I just plan to stay patient over the weekend and see how it goes.”
2017 champion Dylan Frittelli added 69, which included five birdies and a double bogey, to his first-round 68. At 7-under, he was tied fifth with Herman Loubser (68-69), who dropped two shots over the last five holes, and American Ryan Gerard (68-69).
Defending champion John Parry began with a flourish, going four-under in his first four holes. With rounds of 70-68, he reached 6-under and was tied eighth alongside last week’s winner Jayden Schaper (69-69).
Parry, who started from the tenth tee, went birdie-par-eagle-birdie to reach 4-under through four holes before cooling off. He added another birdie on the 18th but also dropped shots later.
Also tied at eighth were Italian Francesco Laporta (71-67), South African Michael Hollick (73-65), and Spaniard Adri Arnaus, who had yet to complete his second round.
The contest has just warmed up, and the weekend promises to serve all fans a golfing treat, just as the tournament promises to be “Golf’s Most Beautiful Week.”
By V Krishnaswamy
