Scott Hend is aiming for top spot while Jake Higginbottom and Scott Barr are playing for their livelihoods at this week’s co-sanctioned AfrAsia Bank Mauritius Open.

Hend currently sits third on the Asian Tour earnings table behind Malaysia’s Gavin Green and American David Lipsky while Higginbottom and Barr sit dangerously close to the cut off for automatic cards next season.

The top-60 are guaranteed a full schedule in 2018 and with Higginbottom 56^th and Barr 61^st in the standings, the week takes on extra significance.

Hend will take plenty of good memories into the week at the Heritage GC after a close call the last time the tournament was played here in 2015.

The Queenslander was well in the mix late in Sunday’s final round but stumbled with a bogey at the 71^st hole and failed to birdie the par-5 18^th on his way to finishing three shots out of a play-off.

Hend won the Asian Tour Order of Merit last year and is keen to do so again after another successful season playing both the European and Asian Tours.

Higginbottom and Barr are also familiar with this week’s venue having both teed up here in 2015 though with differing results.

Higginbottom missed the cut that year with rounds of 74-70 but Barr played some promising golf, particularly in the first and last rounds.

He opened with 69 to be inside the top 25 and despite struggling to scores of 73-71 stormed home Sunday with a 67 to jump 24 places up the leaderboard to T29.

Both players will be highly motivated this week knowing the stakes are high and both bring decent form to the course.

Higinbottom posted a T37 result at last week’s Australian Open in Sydney while Barr overcame a poor start in Hong Kong with three sub-70 scores to finish T31.