Irish singer Keith Duffy became the winner of the first Celebrity Grand Final golf tournament on Tuesday 29th March 2022, collecting £25,000 for his chosen charity.
The Celebrity Grand Final was the curtain-raiser event for the MCB Tour Championship tournament which is being held 1-3 April at Constance Belle Mare Plage. The Mauritius Tourism Promotion Authority is the main sponsor of this event.
“It is both an honour and a privilege for the Mauritius Tourism Promotion Authority to support the MCB Tour Championship-Mauritius. Indeed, our support of this world class event reflects how golf is totally integrated with the diverse offerings of Mauritius as a destination” said Arvind Bundhun, Director of the Mauritius Tourism Promotion Authority at the press conference held on Monday 28th March at Constance Belle Mare Plage.
Duffy triumphed over celebrity competitors including sporting legends Paul Lawrie, Gavin Hastings, Gordon Strachan, and Teddy Sheringham, in spite of a shaky start which saw him almost arrive late for his tee-off.
“I got my timings wrong,” he explained later. “I’d just left the gym when I got a call asking where I was. I rushed to the course and had a can of Red Bull, which I probably shouldn’t have done because I got the jitters. I promptly knocked my first shot clean off the golf course.”
Thankfully Duffy recovered to claim the trophy, aided by his professional partner Clark Dennis, the 2018 MCB Tour Championship winner.
Duffy finished his round on a total of 35 points, one point clear of former Liverpool striker Robbie Fowler closely followed by sporting legends Jim Gavin and Gordon Strachan.
TV presenter and the face of the Legends Tour Georgie Bingham finished in a tie for fifth spot with former British and Irish Lions captain Gavin Hastings on 30 points. BBC presenter Dan Walker finished in a tie for seventh spot along with former Manchester United and Tottenham Hotspur footballer Teddy Sheringham on 28 points.
“I’m absolutely delighted,” Duffy said. “It’s been an amazing event. The opportunity to play with my heroes on such a wonderful course has been overwhelming.”
Duffy won £25,000 for his chosen charity, As I am, Ireland’s National Autism Charity.
Said Duffy: “I have a beautiful daughter who is on the spectrum, and we have been working very hard since she was two, she’s now 22 and she’s doing wonderfully well and I am very, very proud of her.”
“I am going to use this platform now of winning this competition to try and get people to understand a little bit more about autism.”
The action-packed week continues today with the Constance Hotels & Resorts Pro-Am, the MCB Pro-Am on 31st March and the hotly anticipated professional final from 1-3 April where the pros will battle to become the MCB Tour Championship winner.
The MCB Tour Championship has been a crucial part of the Legends Tour schedule for 10 years ever since Tom Lehman defeated David Frost in the final round to lift the trophy. This year golfers competing for the MCB Tour Championship title include 2005 US Open Champion Michael Campbell, 1999 Open Champion Paul Lawrie and two-time Senior Major Champion Roger Chapman.
Also joining the field will be five-time Legends Tour winner Clark Dennis who previously won the MCB Tour Championship in Mauritius in 2018, along with winners from the 2021 season including Austria’s Markus Brier, Mauricio Molina of Argentina, and South Africa’s Chris Williams.
Golf in Mauritius
The game of golf has a rich history in the Indian Ocean Island of Mauritius, which has several Championship golf courses around the island in stunning locations. Mauritius is home to the fourth largest golf course in the world, which was created by the British Royal Navy in 1844. Since the international borders were fully reopened last year, golfers from all around the world have been travelling to Mauritius to experience its world-leading courses and five-star luxury hospitality.
