The Englishman began the day 5 strokes behind the leader, but he finished with a spectacular 64, seven birdies, a bogey, and an eagle to set the clubhouse aim at 14 under par.
Parry had to wait anxiously with third-round co-leader Dylan Naidoo still moving down the back 9, but he was able to enjoy his return to the DP World Tour winner’s circle when the South African failed to make the eagle he needed to trigger a play-off at the last second.
Despite the fact that his most recent triumph at this level occurred at the 2010 Vivendi Cup, Parry has already won three events this year on the European Challenge Tour.
On 12 under, South Africans Naidoo and Christo Lamprecht tied for second place, one shot ahead of their compatriot Jovan Rebula and two shots behind Parry.
Parry’s final round came alive on the homeward 9 after he finished with 3 birdies and one bogey on the front side, finishing in 34. He chipped in for an eagle at the 12th hole to pull within 1 stroke of the lead.
The 38-year-old then made consecutive gains on the 13th and 14th holes before taking the lead with an eight-foot birdie on the 16th.
He produced a shot-of-the-week contender from the 17th tee before being unable to make the six-foot birdie putt but made amends at the last as he ended his round with a brilliant birdie to go two clear and give himself breathing space at the top of the leaderboard.
As a result of being first in the Opening Swing Rankings and securing a long-awaited DP World Tour victory, Parry was able to earn a US$200,000 bonus and get exemption from all ‘Back 9’ tournaments.
After winning the Delhi Challenge in March, the Blot Open de Bretagne in June, the Italian Challenge Open in September, and now the AfrAsia Bank Mauritius Open, Parry has made a significant comeback to the sport. He previously disclosed that he was on the verge of quitting golf several years ago due to a lack of form and results.
“It’s enormous. I was back on the EuroPro Tour maybe 5 or 6 years ago, and after winning out here when I was 23, I was on the verge of quitting golf. Thus, the long journey back has been worthwhile this week.” he said.
“Even though I had a difficult week overall, that chip-in on the 12th provided me a little boost of confidence for the remainder of the round. Thus, that was a truly pivotal occasion. I just got a little spark from that eagle there, and I have a few excellent opportunities coming up. Additionally, it was crucial that I didn’t miss any shots going in” he added.
