On the eve of the inaugural MCB Ladies Classic – Mauritius, Golf Today spoke to three of the 120 golfers that will be fighting it out over the next few days.
The globe-trotting Ladies European Tour (LET) have made their way from Saudi Arabia to Australia, on to America then South Africa, and at last – the paradise that is Mauritius.
As the great Mark Twain notes: “Mauritius was made first, and then heaven; and that heaven was copied after Mauritius.”
Twain’s thoughts are unquestionably shared by the golfers and innumerable officials that have made the pilgrimage to this heavenly island in the Indian Ocean.
Leading the pack
Speaking at today’s press conference, from the La Spiaggia restaurant at Constance Belle Mare Plage, the current leader of the 2026 Order of Merit exclaimed cheerfully “It’s not usually like this!”
Agathe Laisne, two-time winner on the 2026 LET, is marching into this event with sensational form behind her.
With two wins, and one T2 finish, in six events this season, the Frenchwoman is firing on all cylinders, and she was in fine spirits speaking to the media and sponsors today.
It’s her first time to Mauritius, although the MCB Ladies Classic is a tournament that she’s had her eye on for a while now…
“I’m very excited. I like to look at the ocean, I think it’s very peaceful. I’m very excited that this is my first full year on LET and we get that Mauritius event.”
“I think every week should be like that”, she added with a grin.
In reply to what she has made of her time off, the grin spread even further.
“I’ve walked on the beach, and I absolutely love the buffet, it’s been awesome. So much fruit and different sections – insane, amazing.”
Certainly a fan-favourite, and a great thinker of the game, it would hardly be surprising to see her name up the top of the leaderboard come the end of Sunday.
The local hero
One player who is yet to experience the highs and lows of LET golf is a Mauritian local, Ginger Delacretaz.
As the only Mauritian woman with a PGA qualification, Delacretaz took up the game surprisingly late in comparison to other golfers, at 17 years old.
Earning her PGA qualification in South Africa, Delacretaz taught golf in Mauritius before moving to Dubai to spend four years at the Tommy Fleetwood Academy.
Making her debut this week, the 35-year-old will become the first Mauritian to play in an LET event, and her pride not only for herself, but for her country, is palpable…
“I am immensely proud of Mauritius, and of how they managed to have such champions here on (such) a small island”.
“I think my pride started way earlier than my tee time. Honestly, I’m going to take it one minute at a time, really enjoying it, and I think the best is yet to come.”
Speaking of her hopes for the week ahead, the local hero looks away from the course itself – “Beyond the scorecard, I really hope my presence there will be an inspiration to the youngsters here (in Mauritius)”.
Along with coaching on the island, and following her vocality about wanting to encourage young Mauritians to take up golf, Delacretaz appeared at this afternoon’s junior pro-am to watch some of her students warm up.
“It’s just so good to see them in this environment and seeing them wanting to do more. I think it’s going to be great for them”, she told the room.
One of Delacretaz’s aspirations for the week is to learn from the wealth of talent on show.
Grouped with Luna Sobron Galmes and Maha Haddioui, who boast 330 LET appearances between them, there is no doubt at all that she will see that wish come true.
Whatever happens over the next few days, we can be sure that Delacretaz has fulfilled her hopes to inspire the next generation of Mauritian golfers.
(Credit: Constance Belle Mare Plage)
‘Why not me?’
Along with Laisne, England’s Esme Hamilton is the only other player at the MCB Ladies Classic to have won on the LET this season.
In fact, the 26-year-old’s maiden LET title came just a few days ago, when she beat her compatriot Cara Gainer by two shots to win the Investec SA Women’s Open.
Making the jump from Cape Town to Mauritius, Hamilton has set her eyes on ‘doing the double’…
“I’ve got that ambition to keep winning on the LET and it would be amazing to go back-to-back”
“Someone’s got to win. Why not me? We’ll see what the week brings. One shot at a time, but that would be amazing.”
A notable factor this week is the extreme heat out on the golf course. With temperatures threatening the low 30s (degrees celsius), and recent rain resulting in some unwelcome humidity, it is evidently going to be essential for the golfers to stay hydrated.
Hamilton acknowledges this potential roadblock: “Managing yourself is really important, making sure you’re getting electrolytes and hydrating very well.
“And then not pushing too hard in practice and also when it comes to playing. Also, making sure that you’re taking sufficient rest because the heat does take it out of you”.
With last week’s win catapulting her up to fourth in the Order of Merit, just over 100 points adrift of Kelsey Bennet in third, Hamilton is well aware of the challenge that she, and all the golfers, will face over the next few days – “I think every single element of our games will be tested on this course.”
Because while the island itself is a slice of paradise (apologies for the cliche), the Legend Course at Constance Belle Mare Plage is a fiddly course to tame.
Water encompasses 14 of the holes, and with meticulous precision required off the tee – it’s certainly going to be a fun week.
And you can catch up on all the action at the end of each round, here at Golf Today.
