KENT golfer Benn Barham took advantage of a break in the European Tour schedule to claim sixth place in the ninth Mauritius Open at the Belle Mare Plage course.

Barham shot a three-under-par 213 for the 54-hole tournament to finish 10 shots behind runaway winner Mark Mouland.

It was Barham's first invitation to the tournament and it took him time to adjust to the tight fairways and tricky greens. After two level-par rounds he produced his best golf on the last day to get among the prize money.

"I had begun to get the feel of the course by the third round," he said, "and it's a pity there wasn't another 18 holes because I think I could have moved further up the leaderboard.

"I would have been satisfied to have made the top 10 in such a good field, so to finish sixth is particularly pleasing."