Neil and Syme facing battle to make cut

Mauritius Open: Atwal sets hot pace

Bradley Neil and Connor Syme have got a fight on their hands to make the halfway cut in the AfrAsia Bank Mauritius Open.

After dropping three shots on his front nine, Perthshire’s Neil salvaged a level par round of 71 for a share of 64th place.

Syme, of Drumoig, was one over on his first European Tour start since winning his tour card at Q School.

He was one under until a double bogey on the ninth hole, his last.

India’s Arjun Atwal shrugged off the effects of a 16-hour journey and no practice round to card a course-record 62.

Atwal fired an eagle and seven birdies at Heritage Golf Club to finish nine under par, four shots ahead of Sebastian Heisele, Louis de Jager, Miguel Tabuena and Adilson da Silva.

Pre-tournament favourite Louis Oosthuizen was part of a 13-strong group on four under which included former champion George Coetzee and England’s Laurie Canter.

“I was in Kuala Lumpur the last two days to announce the players for the EurAsia Cup and I had some media activities to do,” said Atwal, who will captain Team Asia against a European side led by Ryder Cup captain Thomas Bjorn in January.

“I found it pretty tough out there but I didn’t make any mistakes and I had a hot putter. I’m looking forward to some rest and will see what happens tomorrow.”

Oosthuizen, one of only two players in the world’s top 100 in the field, carded five birdies and a solitary bogey in his 67, while fellow former Open champion Darren Clarke struggled to a 76.