Eight of Morocco’s finest local professional and amateur golfers have earned the chance to tee it up against some of the biggest names in world golf, by qualifying for the Asian Tour’s US$1.5 million International Series Morocco at the historic Royal Golf Dar Es Salam in Rabat from November 3-6.

Moroccan professional Ayoub Lguirati (main picture) earned his spot as winner of the National Professional Championship, while Yassine Touhami, Othmane Raouzi and Karim El Hali all secured a place in the field by finishing in the top three of the International Series Morocco qualifying events.

The four pros will be joined by a quartet of highly rated amateurs, eager for the chance to battle it out alongside eight of the top-10 in the International Series Order of Merit standings.

Eli Mehdi Fakori, winner of the National Amateur Championship and runner-up in the Africa Amateur Individual Championship, qualified as leading Moroccan on the World Amateur Golf Ranking while Hugo Mazen Trommetter joins him as National Amateur Championship runner-up.

Mohammed Nizar Bourehim secured his spot by finishing fourth in the International Series Morocco qualifying events while Adam Bresnu claimed a wild card from the Sport Commission. Fakori, Bourehim and Bresnu were also rewarded for being part of the triumphant Moroccan team in the African Amateur Team Championship (AACT).

Yassine Touhami made it through the International Series Morocco qualifying events. Picture by Warren Little/Getty Images.

Lguirati said: “As a professional golfer for the Moroccan national team, it is a privilege to play the first International Series Morocco – especially on the Red course at Royal Golf Dar Es Salam which is extremely challenging.

“I’m honored to represent my country for this event. It’s an opportunity for me to challenge myself against some of the best players in the world and I hope to achieve my goal to get in a category to play other international series.”

Budding amateur Fakori, a national team member ranked 259 in the WAGR, added: “I am ecstatic to participate this week on the Asian Tour. I am looking forward to learning and gaining experience from other players.”

The International Series Morocco offers free admission for spectators across all four days. The series was launched earlier this year thanks to a landmark partnership between the Asian Tour and LIV Golf to invigorate the game in Asia and the Middle East, and events have been staged in Thailand, England, Singapore and Korea already this season.

Abderrahim Bouftas, President of the Royal Golf Dar Es Salam, said: “The new International Series offers a chance for the world to see the very best from the Asian Tour and Moroccan golf. We are proud of our golfing tradition and this is a wonderful opportunity for Moroccan sports fans to see world class golf at the prestigious Royal Golf Dar Es Salam Red Course.”

Following the tournament, the Asian Tour swings into Egypt for the first time for the International Series Egypt at Madinaty Golf Club, Cairo, from November 10-13.

The Bangabandhu Cup Golf Bangladesh Open, one of the Asian Tour’s emerging tournaments with huge growth potential, will make a welcomed return to the schedule this season.

The event, which was last staged in 2019, will be played at its regular home Kurmitola Golf Club, in Bangladesh’s capital city Dhaka, from November 24-27 and will offer a purse of US$400,000.

It had to be postponed in 2020 and 2021 because of the COVID-19 pandemic but makes a popular return as the penultimate event of the season and will play a role in helping to determine the winner of the Asian Tour Order of Merit title.

The tournament has the reputation of providing breakthrough wins for the next generation of Asian Tour stars such as Thailand’s Sadom Kaewkanjana, who triumphed in the tournament three years ago, for his maiden success on the Asian Tour.

Sadom Kaewkanjana celebrates after holing the winning putt at the Bangladesh Open in 2019.

In 2017 his compatriot Jazz Janewattananond also lifted his first Asian Tour trophy there which kick started a monumental run which included another five wins and the Asian Tour Order of Merit title in 2019.

Singaporean Mardan Mamat was victorious in 2015 which was the first year the event was played on the Asian Tour; while India’s Gaganjeet Bhullar and Bangladesh’s most famous golfing son Siddikur Rahman triumphed in 2011 and 2010, respectively.

Said Cho Minn Thant, Commissioner and CEO, Asian Tour: “The Bangabandhu Cup Golf Bangladesh Open is an essential part of the Asian Tour schedule and so we are absolutely delighted it will return this year.

“The tournament presents everything that the Asian Tour is trying to achieve in terms of staging tournaments in new, untapped markets and helping to encourage golf at grass roots level. It’s a relatively new event with a very bright future.”

It was first played in 2009, as part of the Professional Golf Tour of India, before joining the Asian Tour later.

General S. M. Shafiuddin Ahmed, Chief of Army Staff, Bangladesh Army and President, Bangladesh Golf Federation, said: “We are proud to organise the Bangabandhu Cup Golf Bangladesh Open at Kurmitola Golf Club in the name of ‘The Father of the Nation’ who was a sports loving person.

“After two difficult years when we were unable to stage our National Open, we are overjoyed to see the tournament return during the current calendar year. Bangladesh being a promising golf country is honoured to be able to host such international sporting events on this scale. This Asian Tour event will be a tremendous boost for the game of golf in Bangladesh.”

Siddikur, a two-time winner on the Asian Tour, will once again lead to the local challenge.

Siddikur Rahman in action at Kurmitola in 2019.

While his victory in the event happened when it was not part of the Asian Tour, he did come close to winning in 2017, when he was runner up.

Remarkably, the Bangladesh star learned the game as a caddie at Kurmitola Golf Club and has an incredible track record in tournaments there.

He has claimed two Asian Development Tour events at Kurmitola: the Grameenphone Bangladesh Masters in 2011, and the 2018 City Bank American Express Dhaka Open.

And he was also second there in the Bangladesh Open in 2011 and 2012.

MIAMI – Dustin Johnson and his 4 Aces GC swept all four LIV Golf Invitational events in the United States during the regular season. The all-American foursome wasn’t about to tarnish that success at the biggest event of the inaugural year, despite the best efforts of Punch GC captain Cameron Smith.
 


Relying again on its ability to produce in the big moments, the 4 Aces won the Team Championship by one stroke over Punch on Sunday, claiming the $16 million first prize of the historic $50 million purse at Trump National Doral. Smash GC was third, with Stinger GC finishing fourth.
 


With their four previous wins and other team earnings during the regular season, the foursome of Johnson, Patrick Reed, Talor Gooch and Pat Perez will evenly split a total of $28,250,000 for the season-long team earnings.
 


“My team played unbelievable this year,” said Perez, who had his most productive weekend of the season. “… To have these guys and their caddies and families and coaches and everybody, it’s just one big family now. I just couldn’t be any happier. It’s unbelievable.”
 


“To come out and play the way we did through the season is unbelievable,” added Reed. “Can’t wait for next year to keep it going.”
 


Depth was a huge factor in the 4 Aces’ success on Sunday. Unlike the previous two days of match play, the final round was stroke play, with every score counting for each of the final four teams for the first time this season.

Johnson, Reed and Perez each shot 2-under 70s on the difficult Blue Monster course, with Gooch adding a 1-under 71 for a team total of 7 under. The 4 Aces were the only team on Sunday shooting all four scores under par.
 
“It shows how just deep and good this team is,”

Gooch said.  “… Everybody pitched in. It was a true team effort, and it was just super cool.”
 
Still, the outcome was in doubt, thanks to Smith.

DORAL, FLORIDA – OCTOBER 30: Team Captain Cameron Smith of Punch GC plays an approach shot as fans look on during the team championship stroke-play round of the LIV Golf Invitational – Miami at Trump National Doral Miami on October 30, 2022 in Doral, Florida. (Photo by Charles Laberge/LIV Golf via Getty Images)

The reigning Open Champion, playing in the final twosome with Johnson, had the lowest individual score of the day, a 7-under 65 that was three strokes better than any other player.
 


Smith birdied five of his last eight holes to put the pressure on. But the 4 Aces delivered when necessary. Perez birdied two of his last three holes, and Reed was 2 under on his last five holes.

His birdie on his last hole, the par-4 second, was the decisive stroke, allowing Johnson to seal the victory with a 3-foot par putt on the 18th hole.
 


“It was a team effort, but … it ended up coming down to me and Cam playing the 18th hole to see who wins the Team Championship,” Johnson said. “You couldn’t have drawn it up any better, but I think that’s what LIV is. Look at all the fans. Look how much they have. I think the season went incredible, and I think next season is going to be even better.”
 


The all-Australian Punch GC had finished in the money one time this season and came into the week as the 11th seed. They posted match-play wins over higher seeds Hy Flyers GC and Torque GC in the previous two days to reach the finals, and nearly pulled off another upset on Sunday.

Along with Smith’s 65, Matt Jones added a 70, with Wade Ormsby contributing a 73 and Marc Leishman a 74 to leave Punch at 6 under and claim the second-place prize of $8 million, to be split four ways.
 


“I think we got off to a bit of a rough start there,” Smith said, referencing an early double bogey by Leishman. “We were kind of clawing back the whole time. We got close there in the end, and all the boys showed some pretty big you-know what there at the end, holing some putts. It was really cool to see, and what better way to finish out a season than that.”
 


DORAL, FL – OCTOBER 30: Jason Kokrak of Smash GC plays his shot from the third tee during the team championship stroke-play round of the LIV Golf Invitational – Miami at Trump National Doral Miami on October 30, 2022 in Doral, Florida. (Photo by Eric Espada/Getty Images)

Brooks Koepka’s Smash GC were in the hunt early but faded down the stretch, suffering three double bogeys on the final nine of their scorecards. Jason Kokrak carded six birdies in shooting a 4-under 69, with Brooks Koepka shooting 74 and Peter Uihlein and Chase Koepka each shooting 75.

That left Smash at 4 over as a team, good enough to claim third place worth $6 million.
 
Louis Oosthuizen’s Stinger GC struggled early and were forced to play catch up the rest of the way.

Branden Grace, who took second in the Individual Champion race during the regular season but was still not 100 percent due to a recent oblique muscle injury, suffered a quadruple bogey on his fourth hole en route to shooting 80. Oosthuizen and Charl Schwartzel shot 1-under 71s, while Hennie du Plessis shot a 76 for a team total of 10 over. In finishing fourth, Stinger will split $4 million.
 


DORAL, FL – OCTOBER 30: Team Captain Louis Oosthuizen of Stinger GC reacts after playing his shot from the 14th tee during the team championship stroke-play round of the LIV Golf Invitational – Miami at Trump National Doral Miami on October 30, 2022 in Doral, Florida. (Photo by Eric Espada/Getty Images)

DUSTIN JOHNSON (on his clinching par putt): “I do not like stress, so that was a little more stress than I was looking for,” Johnson said. “If that was an individual tournament, it would have been no problem, that putt. It’s straight in from 3 feet. But with it being the team aspect … I had to make that for the team to win – I didn’t like it very much. My hands were not real steady. I don’t know where I hit it on the putter face, but it went in the middle.”
 


TALOR GOOCH (on 4 Aces GC): “I got off to a good start and then I kind of slowed down and I saw that we were still rising and I was like, all right, the team is stepping up. That’s what we’ve done all season. That’s why we’ve won as much as we’ve won and we’ve been the dominant team because everybody has risen when they’ve needed to, so it’s been awesome.”
 


CAMERON SMITH (on his 65): “I feel like I really didn’t miss a shot today. I felt like I holed everything. Typically, on an easier golf course, you’re looking at somewhere around 60, but not the case out here. It’s so demanding and just keeps putting the pressure on. It’s a perfect golf course for this event.”
 


BRANDEN GRACE (on his rough start): “When you see one of your teammates being 5 over through four, it makes it pretty tough. It’s not a golf course where you can start going after stuff. But listen, it was a great year. We came here, we grew closer as friends, as a team, and very excited to see what’s going to happen next year.”

MIAMI – The final day of the inaugural LIV Golf season will feature 4 Aces GC, Stinger GC, Smash GC and Punch GC in a stroke-play shootout to decide the LIV Golf Team Championship on Sunday at Trump National Doral.

The four remaining teams were determined on a tense Saturday, in which seven of the 12 semifinals matches went the distance, including two that required extra holes.

Brooks Koepka’s Smash GC, winners of the team title two weeks ago in Jeddah, were the only team to sweep all three matches in beating Majesticks GC. The other results included Cameron Smith’s Punch GC beating Sergio Garcia’s Fireballs GC, despite Garcia knocking off Smith in their singles match; Dustin Johnson’s 4 Aces GC getting tested before beating a gritty Cleeks GC team playing without injured captain Martin Kaymer; and Stinger GC beating Crushers GC in a three-match set that required 61 holes, including captain Louis Oosthuizen’s decisive victory over Crushers captain Bryson DeChambeau on the 23rd match hole.

The four surviving teams will now switch from match play to stroke play for Sunday’s Championship round. For the only time this season, all four individual scores will count toward the team score. The team with the lowest score will share the $16 million first prize from the historic $50 million purse.

“It’s the first LIV Team Championship,” said Johnson, who already has claimed the Individual Champion title this season. “It’s kind of the first year of this and I think it’s gone really well and it just kind of sets up for things to come. I think it would be amazing and it’s something that we all really want to win.”

Here’s a look at each semifinals result from Saturday:

4 ACES GC 2, CLEEKS GC 1

Dustin Johnson/4 Aces def. Shergo Al Kurdi/Cleeks, 5 & 3. The 4 Aces captain and LIV Golf Individual Champion won three of the first four holes and cruised to victory over Al Kurdi, the 19-year-old replacement player for injured Cleeks captain Martin Kaymer. Johnson closed out the match with a long birdie putt at the par-3 15th.

DORAL, FLORIDA – OCTOBER 29: Laurie Canter of Cleeks GC plays a shot from a bunker on the 13th hole during the semifinals of the LIV Golf Invitational – Miami at Trump National Doral Miami on October 29, 2022 in Doral, Florida. (Photo by Patrick Smith/LIV Golf via Getty Images)

Laurie Canter/Cleeks def. Patrick Reed/4 Aces, 2 & 1. The 32-year-old Englishman continued his fine play his week, knocking off the seasoned match-play performer in Reed. Canter took control by winning four consecutive holes midway in the match, but Reed bounced back with two winning holes. They then split the next two holes with birdies before Canter closed it out with a birdie on the 17th match hole (the par-4 18th).

Pat Perez-Talor Gooch/4 Aces def. Graeme McDowell-Richard Bland/Cleeks, 1 up. The 4 Aces duo rallied down the stretch to win a tight match that decided the fate of both teams. The match was tied after 14 holes, but a Cleeks bogey gave the Aces duo the lead, and they held on by matching scores on the final three holes. “We knew it was going to be a tough match,” Gooch said. “I looked at Pat and said we’ve got to put some pressure on them and get it done for the team.” Said Perez: “I probably had the most pressure of anybody today. I knew I had to show up in alternate shot. I had a blast.”

PUNCH GC 2, FIREBALLS GC 1

Sergio Garcia/Fireballs def. Cameron Smith/Punch, 2 & 1. After squaring the match with a birdie on the 10th hole of the match at the par-4 14th, the Fireballs captain took control by winning three consecutive holes – two with birdies – to knock off the reigning Open champion. Garcia had six birdies on his round. “Had a little bit of Ryder Cup vibes going,” Garcia said. “It’s nice to see that even though some people don’t think so, I can still play this game.”

Marc Leishman/Punch def. Carlos Ortiz/Fireballs, 1 up. Leishman was 3 up after eight holes before Ortiz squared the match by winning four holes in a six-hole stretch. But Leishman won the match’s 16th hole (the par-4 third) with a par and hung on from there for his second match win of the week. “It’s nice to be able to say we’re playing tomorrow and to give us a chance at that championship,” Leishman said.

Matt Jones-Wade Ormsby/Punch def. Eugenio Chacarra-Abraham Ancer/Fireballs, 1 up. The entertaining match was tied through 16 holes before the Australians took the lead with a par against the Fireballs’ double bogey. Both teams bogeyed the final hole as Punch sealed the point.

SMASH GC 3, MAJESTICKS GC 0

Brooks Koepka/Smash def. Ian Poulter/Majesticks 3 & 1. The Smash captain won the first two holes with a par and a birdie and never trailed against the match-play specialist. Koepka put five consecutive 3s on his scorecard midway in the round to go 4 up. Poulter made it interesting by winning two holes late before Koepka closed it out with a birdie. “Poults is never going to give up,” Koepka said. “He’s too competitive, too gritty and he kind of showed that in the last 5-6 holes there.”

DORAL, FL – OCTOBER 29: Team Captain Brooks Koepka of Smash GC shakes hands with Team Captain Ian Poulter of Majesticks GC after the semifinals of the LIV Golf Invitational – Miami at Trump National Doral Miami on October 29, 2022 in Doral, Florida. (Photo by Eric Espada/Getty Images)

Peter Uihlein/Smash def. Lee Westwood/Majesticks, 4 & 2. Uihlein won his second consecutive match, pulling away down the stretch by winning four of the last six holes against the veteran Westwood. Uihlein closed out the match with consecutive birdies at hole Nos. 6 and 7.

Jason Kokrak-Chase Koepka/Smash def. Henrik Stenson-Sam Horsfield/Majesticks, 1 up. The Smash duo won for the second time this week, taking control by winning four holes in a six-hole stretch midway through the match. They were 3 up with five holes to play before the Majesticks won two holes with pars to take the match to the distance.

STINGER GC 2, CRUSHERS GC 1

Louis Oosthuizen/Stinger def. Bryson DeChambeau/Crushers, 23 holes. The Stinger captain, playing with an injured left elbow, never led until winning the 23th hole of the match with a birdie that allowed the Stingers to advance past the Crushers. At one point, the Crushers captain was 3 up before Oosthuizen fought back, tying the match in the final hole of regulation. The two captains then matched birdies on the first two extra holes and pars on the next two before Oosthuizen’s winning hole in which DeChambeau yanked his tee shot on the par-5 1st into the water and could never recover. “I was struggling to follow through on my driver,” Oosthuizen said. “In the end, adrenaline just took over the last few holes. It was a great match. I thought the boys had it covered, then I saw Branden lost and I said, ‘Oh boy, gotta do something.’ Very chuffed.”

Paul Casey/Crushers def. Branden Grace/Stingers, 20 holes. Casey won with a birdie on the 20th hole that allowed the Crushers to stay alive before Oosthuizen’s win over DeChambeau. Grace led for eight consecutive holes at one point before Casey won two late holes. Grace tied it on the 17th hole of regulation to send it to extra holes.

Charl Schwartzel-Hennie du Plessis/Stinger def. Charles Howell III-Anirban Lahiri/Crushers, 2 up. The South African duo posted a couple of birdies midway through the match and never trailed in a tight match that gave the Stingers its first point of the day.

PREVIEW OF SUNDAY’S CHAMPIONSHIP ROUND

Dustin Johnson’s 4 Aces GC won four of the seven team titles during the regular season, sweeping all four tournaments played in the United States. They arrived at Trump National Doral as the top seed, and the heavy favorites. Will anything less than the Team Championship and the $16 million first prize be disappointing?

“I don’t think so,” Johnson said. “I think we’ve had a really good year and no matter what happens tomorrow, we’ll still have had a really good year.

“Tomorrow, it’s anybody’s ballgame. All four guys have to play really well if you want to win. Tomorrow is different — we haven’t had one tournament or one event where we’ve had to count all four scores, so you know, I think it’s going to be really exciting and a lot of fun.”

The depth of each four-player lineup will be tested. Perhaps the team with the hottest hands will be the decisive factor. But it could also be decided on avoiding the high scores on a course called the Blue Monster.

Of the four remaining teams, two have played in both the quarterfinals and semifinals rounds.

The 5th-seeded Smash GC, captained by Brooks Koepka, beat Niblicks GC 2 to 1 on Friday before sweeping Majesticks GC 3-0 on Saturday. Peter Uihlein has won both of his singles matches handily, and the team of Chase Koepka and Jason Kokrak won their two foursomes matches. Brooks Koepka lost to Harold Varner III 4 & 3 on Friday but bounced back to beat match-play specialist Ian Poulter 3 & 1 on Saturday.

“I played good yesterday. Played better than I did today,” Brooks Koepka said after beating Poulter. “Just got whacked by Harold, 7 under through 10. Not much you can do. But our whole team is playing well. We’re excited to see what tomorrow brings.”

DORAL, FL – OCTOBER 29: Team Captain Cameron Smith of Punch GC lines up a putt on the 16th green during the semifinals of the LIV Golf Invitational – Miami at Trump National Doral Miami on October 29, 2022 in Doral, Florida. (Photo by Eric Espada/Getty Images)

The all-Australian Punch GC, captained by Cameron Smith, beat Hy Flyers GC 2 to 1 in the quarterfinals, then beat 3rd-seeded Fireballs GC 2 and 1 in the semifinals. Like Koepka, Smith is 1-1 in his singles matches, but Marc Leishman has won both of his singles matches to lead the team.

“It’s obviously going to be hard work,” Smith said of knocking off the 4 Aces. “I think the golf course has got better and better as the week’s gone on. I think typically Aussies like to play firm and fast golf courses and it’s starting to get a little bit like that. We’ll see what happens overnight.

“Obviously the team is playing pretty good, Leish and the other two boys dug me out of a hole today. So good to see that, and yeah, hopefully we can go out there and shoot as low as we can.”

The all-South African Stinger GC, like 4 Aces GC, had a first-day bye but had the most draining set of matches on Saturday against Crushers GC. Charl Schwartzel and Hennie du Plessis went the distance in winning the foursomes match, while Branden Grace lost his singles match in 20 holes. Captain Louis Oosthuizen provided the clinching point by beating Bryson DeChambeau on the 23rd hole. That’s 61 holes played by the South Africans on Saturday.

“We’re not that old yet,” Oosthuizen said with a laugh. “We’re OK. We’ll be fine. Yeah, it’s a few extra holes. But yeah, I’ll probably have an early one tonight and be ready for tomorrow.”

The Stingers also are battling health issues. Oosthuizen had to take up his left elbow after experiencing soreness on a drive, and Grace is still recovering from an oblique muscle that forced him to WD in Bangkok.

But the Stingers opened the inaugural year by winning in London by 14 strokes, the biggest margin of victory posted by any team this season. They’d love to end the year with the same kind of success.

“I’m just glad we made it to Sunday,” Oosthuizen said.

Sunday’s Championship round will include twosomes from different teams, with the captains paired. Johnson and Smith will be in one twosome going off the 1st hole, while Oosthuizen and Koepka will be in the other twosome going off the 10th hole. But captains’ groups will start at 12:25 p.m., 10 minutes later than the rest of the groups.

“Anything can happen tomorrow,” Koepka said. “You never know. Everybody’s got 18 holes and especially with this finish, you never know.”

With three matches going the distance, including the singles duel between captains Cameron Smith of Punch GC and Phil Mickelson of Hy Flyers GC, the opening day of the historic LIV Golf Team Championship produced plenty of drama at Trump National Doral.

Smith, the reigning Open Champion and individual winner of the LIV Golf Invitational Chicago last month, beat the six-time major winner Mickelson 1 up with a seven-foot birdie putt on their final match hole. The outcome gave 11th-seeded Punch its second win against the 8th-seeded Hy Flyers in their three quarterfinal matches, allowing the all-Australian team to advance to Saturday’s semifinals.

In addition to Punch GC’s win, the other quarterfinal team winners on Friday were: 5th-seeded Smash GC, which beat 12th-seeded Niblicks GC 2-1; 6th-seeded Majesticks GC, which swept 9th-seeded Iron Heads GC 3-0; and 10th-seeded Cleeks GC, which beat 7th-seeded Torque GC 2-1, with both wins decided on the final match hole.

Along with the four winners on Friday, the four top seeds, which received byes and did not play Friday, will play in the semifinals. During the captains’ selection Friday night, Dustin Johnson’s top-seeded 4 Aces GC chose Cleeks GC as its opponent; Bryson DeChambeau of No. 2 seed Crushers GC opted to play 4th-seeded Stinger GC; Sergio Garcia of No. 3 seed Fireballs GC picked Punch GC; and that left Brooks Koepka’s Smash GC facing off against Ian Poulter’s Majesticks.

The same format in the quarterfinals will be used for Saturday’s semifinals. The teams will compete in three matches – two singles and one foursomes (alternate-shot) – with all players on each team competing. Each match is worth one point, and the teams that win two points advance to Sunday’s championship finals, which will be a stroke-play format with all scores counting.

Here is a recap of each match played Friday:

SMASH GC 2, NIBLICKS GC 1

Harold Varner/Niblicks def. Brooks Koepka/Smash, 4 & 3. Varner, the designated playing captain for non-playing captain Bubba Watson, won the second and third holes with birdies and never gave an opening to Koepka, the individual winner in Jeddah. Varner produced seven birdies in his first 10 holes to control the match. “I played well. I think I would have beat a lot of people,” Varner said. “… It just sucks we didn’t make it as a team.”

Sihwan Kim of Iron Heads GC plays his shot from the second tee during the quarterfinals of the LIV Golf Invitational – Miami at Trump National Doral Miami on October 28, 2022 in Doral, Florida. (Photo by Chris Trotman/LIV Golf via Getty Images)

Peter Uihlein/Smash def. James Piot/Niblicks, 5 & 3. Uihlein, the runner-up in Jeddah, won the opening hole with a birdie, then took command midway through the match with four winning birdies in a six-hole stretch. Uilhein was a bogey-free 7 under in his 15 holes played.

Jason Kokrak-Chase Koepka/Smash def. Turk Pettit-Hudson Swafford/Niblicks, 2 & 1. The Smash duo won the first three holes but the Niblicks fought back and were just 1 down after 10 holes. Then Smash rebuilt its lead until another Niblicks rally. Up 1 with two holes to play, Smash closed it out with a birdie.

CLEEKS GC 2, TORQUE GC 1

Joaquin Niemann/Torque def. Shergo Al Kurdi/Cleeks, 5 & 3. The Torque captain won all four par-5 holes to knock off the 19-year-old replacement player for injured Cleeks captain Martin Kaymer. Niemann took the lead for good with a birdie on the sixth match hole (the par-5 10th) and never trailed.

Laurie Canter/Cleeks def. Jediah Morgan/Torque, 1 up. Canter birdied the final hole, the par-4 10th, to complete his rally. The Englishman was 2 down with six holes to play before winning two consecutive holes to tie the match. Morgan responded with a winning birdie to reclaim the lead before finding trouble on the next hole, giving Canter the opening he needed.

Richard Bland-Graeme McDowell/Cleeks def. Scott Vincent-Adrian Otaegui/Torque, 2 up. With the match tied entering the last three holes, the Cleeks duo birdied the par-3 fourth before winning the final hole with a par. The Torque pair was behind most of the match before rallying late with three winning holes, but McDowell provided the decisive shots. “He was just clutch all day,” Bland said of McDowell. “I love this dude next to me.”

PUNCH GC 2, HY FLYERS GC 1

Cameron Smith/Punch def. Phil Mickelson/Hy Flyers, 1 up. The top-billed match of the day lived up to the hype, with the Punch captain prevailing with a birdie on the final hole, the par-5 eighth, after Mickelson caught the rough on his tee shot. The two team captains combined for just six birdies, and the lead was never more than 1 up on either side. “We both struck the ball good,” Smith said. “I probably didn’t hole as many putts as I’d like, but I was able to get the job done there on the last hole.” Said Mickelson: “It’s disappointing on that last hole. I thought I hit a good drive, thought it hit the fairway. Surprised it was in the rough.”

Sadom Kaewkanjana of Iron Heads GC, Phachara Khongwatmai of Iron Heads GC and Henrik Stenson of Majesticks GC stand on the 17th tee during the quarterfinals of the LIV Golf Invitational – Miami at Trump National Doral Miami on October 28, 2022 in Doral, Florida. (Photo by Chris Trotman/LIV Golf via Getty Images)

Marc Leishman/Punch def. Matthew Wolff/Hy Flyers, 4 and 2. With the match tied through 12 holes, Leishman won the next four holes to close out the big-hitting Wolff. Leishman was 2 down after seven holes before fighting back, and made two late birdies while Wolff found trouble.

Bernd Wiesberger-Cameron Tringale/Hy Flyers def. Matt Jones-Wade Ormsby/Punch, 3 and 2. The match was tied through 10 holes before the Hy Flyers duo won three consecutive holes (two with pars) to take control.

MAJESTICKS GC 3, IRON HEADS GC 0

Ian Poulter/Majesticks def. Kevin Na/Iron Heads, 4 & 2. Na won the third hole before Poulter roared back. The Majesticks captain won the match’s fifth hole (at the par-5 1st) with a birdie and never trailed after that, as he played 16 holes in a bogey-free 4 under. “He drew first blood,” Poulter said, “and it was head down, get focused.”

Lee Westwood/Majesticks def. Sihwan Kim/Iron Heads, 4 & 3. Kim opened with a winning birdie, but Westwood won the match’s third hole with a par to square it. Westwood’s birdie at the par-4 second then gave him a lead he would not relinquish.

Sam Horsfield-Henrik Stenson/Majesticks def. Sadom Kaewkanjana-Phachara Khongwatmai/Iron Heads, 4 & 2. The Majesticks pair never trailed, taking the lead for good with a par on the fourth hole of the match. That was the start of four consecutive winning holes.

PREVIEW OF SATURDAY’S SEMI-FINALS

4 ACES GC vs. CLEEKS GC. 4 Aces captain Dustin Johnson will face Shergo Al Kurdi, the replacement for injured Cleeks captain Martin Kaymer. The 19-year-old Kurdi was paired with Johnson in the first round in Boston after filling in for Henrik Stenson, but the match play format obviously creates different challenges.

Scott Vincent of Torque GC lines up a putt on the eighth greenduring the quarterfinals of the LIV Golf Invitational – Miami at Trump National Doral Miami on October 28, 2022 in Doral, Florida. (Photo by Patrick Smith/LIV Golf via Getty Images)

“It’s an unbelievable matchup,” Kurdi said. “I’ve always watched him on TV in the past, and I’ve always looked up to him. Watching him firsthand in Boston, it was also unbelievable, and obviously he won that week, so it was a brilliant week to be playing with him.”

Said Johnson: “All the teams are great. Any team can win at any point. It’s match play. I felt like this is our best option.”

In the other singles match, 4 Aces’ Patrick Reed will face Laurie Canter. In the foursomes match, Pat Perez and Talor Gooch will take on Friday winners Graeme McDowell and Richard Bland of Cleeks.

Kaymer has high hopes, especially for his foursomes duo. “Richard is a very solid ball-striker. He hits many fairways,” Kaymer said. “G-Mac is very good in the short game, so I think they matched up really well. I don’t want to play against those two.”

CRUSHERS GC vs. STINGER GC. Crushers captain Bryson DeChambeau could have picked one of the lower-seeded teams that played Friday, but instead he opted for the Stingers, who also had the bye. That sets up a singles match against Stinger captain Louis Oosthuizen.

“Considering some of the injuries that they’ve had, and my 4-iron going past his driver in Jeddah, we feel like there’s a good chance there,” DeChambeau said.

Replied Oosthuizen: “I know I’m hitting into the greens first with my match against Bryson. I’m not sure how he copes under pressure. We’ll see that tomorrow.”

In the other singles match, Portland winner Branden Grace – who has an oblique muscle injury that forced him to WD in Bangkok – will play the Crushers’ Paul Casey. In the foursomes match, London winner Charl Schwartzel and teammate Hennie du Plessis, who rejoined Stinger for this event, face off against Charles Howell III and Anirban Lahiri.

FIREBALLS GC vs. PUNCH GC. Fireballs captain Sergio Garcia didn’t hesitate to go up against the reigning Open champ in Cameron Smith in singles. “We’re going to take the ones with the best hair,” Garcia said with a laugh. “Obviously we made a list, and that was one of our choices, and some of the other ones were gone already. We feel like we can match up nicely to them.”

Replied Smith: “Looking forward to playing my boy Sergio. Wasn’t really expecting that.”

In the other singles match, Fireballs’ Carlos Ortiz will face Marc Leishman. In the foursomes match, Abraham Ancer and Bangkok winner Eugenio Chacarra will face Punch’s Matt Jones and Wade Ormsby.

SMASH GC vs. MAJESTICKS GC. Smash captain Brooks Koepka didn’t have much of a chance against the hot hand of Harold Varner III, and now the Jeddah individual winner will face Majesticks captain Ian Poulter, who thrives in this kind of setting.

“Poults is pretty good at match play, so that’ll be interesting,” Koepka said.

Poulter expects Koepka to bounce back. “I need to go out and play strong tomorrow,” he said. “Brooks is coming off a win a couple of weeks ago, so they’ve got a strong team. But so do we. … I think we dominated our match today, but tomorrow is going to be a tougher test, and we need to step up.”

In the other singles match, Smash’s Peter Uihlein will face Lee Westwood. In the foursomes match, the Smash duo of Jason Kokrak and Chase Koepka will play Henrik Stenson and Sam Horsfield.

The Asian Development Tour (ADT) is set to make its eagerly awaited return to Malaysia this season, following a break of three years, for the Selangor Masters.

The popular event will be held at the highly rated Seri Selangor Golf Club from November 23 to 26 (Wednesday to Saturday) and will offer an overall purse of US$150,000 – making it one of the most lucrative ADT tournaments this season.

The tournament, which was previously held on the Asian Tour from 2008 to 2014, will play a key role in determining the final positions on the ADT Order of Merit, with players vying to finish inside the top-10 to earn playing rights on the Asian Tour in 2023.

Jointly sanctioned with Asian Tour’s long-time partner Professional Golf of Malaysia (PGM) Tour, the Selangor Masters will feature a 144-man field consisting of 98 players from the ADT and 40 players from the PGM, along with six sponsor invitations.

It will also be the first international golf tournament to be held in Malaysia since the Malaysia Open, which was the last event to be held on the Asian Tour in March 2020 before the season was suspended due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The last ADT event in Malaysia, a country that used to host multiple ADT events in previous years, was held in November 2019 and won by Thailand’s Nirun Sae-Ueng.

Pariya Junhasavasdikul triumphed in 2013.

The Selangor Masters has celebrated many worthy champions in Ben Leong (2008), the only Malaysian to have won an Asian Tour event in Malaysia, Australian Rick Kulacz (2009), Angelo Que (2010) of the Philippines and Joonas Granberg (2011) of Finland.

Thai trio Thaworn Wiratchant (2012), main picture, Pariya Junhasavasdikul (2013) and Chapchai Nirat (2014), who emerged victorious in a play-off to end a five-year title drought for his fourth win on Tour, claimed the last three editions of the Selangor Masters.

The Selangor Masters will mark the 14th leg of the current ADT season which celebrated the rise of Order of Merit leader Suteepat Prateeptienchai, who spectacularly won three titles to earn playing rights for the remainder of the current season on the Asian Tour.

Suteepat Prateeptienchai of Thailand 

The 29-year-old is attempting to become the third player from Thailand to lift the Order of Merit crown following Pavit Tangkamolprasert (2014) and Pannakorn Uthaipas (2017) since the ADT was inaugurated in 2010.

The ADT is set to stage a minimum of 14 tournaments this year across seven countries – Chinese Taipei, India, Indonesia, Malaysia, Saudi Arabia, Thailand and Vietnam.

LIV Golf have revealed the matchups for Friday’s quarterfinal round of the LIV Golf Team Championship – being played at Trump National Doral Golf Club in Miami.

Team opponents were announced at a captains’ press conference to kick-off this week’s three-day, knock-out tournament taking place at the iconic Blue Monster course, site of LIV Golf’s eighth and final event of the year.

For each head-to-head team matchup, three matches will take place: two singles matches and one alternate-shot (foursomes) match. All 32 players will compete simultaneously in a shotgun start and matches will be played until a winner is determined. Each match winner receives one point, and the first team to earn two points will advance to Saturday’s semifinals.

The first round of LIV Golf’s historic season-ending event will showcase some of the biggest names in golf squaring off. Six-time major winner Phil Mickelson will take on reigning Open Champion Cameron Smith as one of the day’s featured singles matches, which will also pit top Chilean pro Joaquin Niemann versus former world No. 1 Martin Kaymer. Ryder Cup legend Ian Poulter, serving as captain this week for Majesticks GC, will face Iron Heads GC captain Kevin Na. And four-time Major winner Brooks Koepka will play against Harold Varner II Iof Niblicks GC, led by non-playing captain Bubba Watson.

Kevin Na, Team Captain of Iron Heads GC, which has three Asian Tour stars, speaks to the media during the LIV Golf Team Championship Press Conference prior to the LIV Golf Team Championship. Picture by Chris Trotman/LIV Golf/via Getty Images.

As the highest-ranked team playing on Friday, Koepka’s fifth-seeded Smash GC was given the first selection for its opponent. Peter Uihlein, who finished third overall in the LIV Golf Individual Standings, will face James Piot of the 12th-ranked Niblicks in their second singles match. In the groups’ alternate-shot match-up, Smash GC’s Jason Kokrak and Chase Koepka will face Turk Pettit and Hudson Swafford in the day’s only all-American foursomes match.

The sixth-seeded Majesticks GC, the most experienced squad in the field with more than 2,000 starts amongst them, elected to take on the ninth-seed Iron Heads GC, made up of three Asian Tour stars. Former world No. 1 Lee Westwood will square off against American Sihwan Kim, while Thai stars Sadom Kaewkanjana and Phachara Khongwatmai will pair up against 2016 Open Champion Henrik Stenson and English pro Sam Horsfield.

Seventh-seed Torque GC welcomes back to its lineup Spaniard Adrian Otaegui, winner of the recent Estrella Damm N.A. Andalucía Masters at Valderrama, where he shot a tournament-record 19 under par. Otaegui will pair up with Zimbabwe’s top pro Scott Vincent to take on two veterans with Cleeks GC: former U.S. Open champion Graeme McDowell and England’s Richard Bland. Australia’s Jediah Morgan was selected for Torque GC’s second singles match, in which he’ll play Englishman Laurie Canter.

Big-hitting Matthew Wolff takes on Marc Leishman in the second singles match between Hy Flyers GC and Punch GC, while Bernd Wiesberger and Cameron Tringale will team up against Australians Matt Jones and Wade Ormsby in the foursomes.

Asian Tour star Scott Vincent and Bernd Wiesberger run a clinic at the driving range during a practice round prior to the LIV Golf Team Championship. Picture by Chris Trotman/LIV Golf/via Getty Images.

The LIV Golf Invitational Series awarded points to teams based on their finish at each tournament, with values ranging from 32 points (first place) to 0 (9th-12th). Following the seventh and final regular season event, team standings determined seeds 1-12 for the Team Championship. Top-seeded 4 Aces GC (152 points – Captain Dustin Johnson), second seed Crushers GC (96 points – Captain Bryson DeChambeau), third seed Fireballs GC (93 points – Captain Sergio Garcia) and fourth seed Stinger GC (72 points – Captain Louis Oosthuizen) earned a bye and automatically advance to Saturday’s semifinals.

Following Friday’s results, team captains for the top four seeds and captains for the four quarterfinal match winners will convene, with the higher-seeded teams selecting their opponents for Saturday’s semifinal round. On Sunday, the 16 players from the four semifinal winners will compete in a shotgun-start round of stroke play. Players will compete in twosomes, team captains will play together, and all scores will count towards a team’s cumulative score. At the end of Sunday’s round, the team with the lowest score is the LIV Golf Invitational Series Team Champion.

Tickets are available at LIVGolf.com, where grounds passes are just $49 and are all-inclusive of the fan activities on site, including daily live music. Three-day grounds passes are also available for $115 which will offer up-close access to all of the action, from each day’s shotgun start to live entertainment to Sunday’s trophy ceremony and post-round celebration. Single-day and three-day hospitality packages for the popular Club 54 and Gallery Club experiences are also available.

Eugenio Chacarra will add a welcome dash of Spanish sparkle to the International Series Egypt when he makes his Asian Tour debut next month.

One of the brightest talents in the game, Chacarra is still basking in the warm glow of his life-changing maiden professional victory in the LIV Golf Invitational Bangkok earlier this month.

In addition to collecting the individual first prize of US$4 million, Chacarra pocketed a further US$750,000 for being part of the winning team at Bangkok’s Stonehill.

Not a bad week’s work for the 22 year old who signed up with LIV Golf after turning professional in June.

A former All-American who attended Oklahoma State University and rose to number two in the World Amateur Golf Ranking (WAGR), Chacarra will be one of the star attractions in the first edition of the International Series Egypt at Madinaty Golf Club from November 10-13.

Eugenio Chacarra of Fireballs GC celebrates with the trophy after winning the LIV Golf Invitational Bangkok at Stonehill Golf Course on October 09, 2022 in Pathum Thani, Thailand. (Picture by Pakawich Damrongkiattisak/LIV Golf via Getty Images)

“I am excited about teeing off on the Asian Tour for the first time in my life, I like what the Asian Tour is doing, it’s exciting and hopefully I can do a good job there,” said Chacarra.

Carrying a purse of US$1.5 million, the Egypt tournament will be the sixth leg of the Asian Tour’s inaugural, ground-breaking International Series which was launched this year thanks to a landmark partnership between the Asian Tour and LIV Golf aimed at invigorating the game in Asia and the Middle East.

The event will be the 18^th stop of the season on the Asian Tour’s 2022 schedule.

On the buzz from the players around the International Series, Chacarra added: “Yes, we have heard about these elevated events, and I’m excited, I’m grateful to the Asian Tour for the opportunity to play in this tournament, it is a great opportunity to play in Egypt.

“I have never played there or visited Egypt before so it will be a great experience, hopefully it will be a good week and I will be able to play well, and also see everything that there is over there.”

The event will be preceded by the International Series Morocco the week before at Royal Golf Dar Es Salam, from November 3-6.

Eugenio Lopez-Chacarra (Picture by Chris Trotman/LIV Golf via Getty Images)

The International Series Thailand teed-off the new venture in March with American Sihwan Kim emerging triumphant at Hua Hin’s Black Mountain Golf Club.

Zimbabwean Scott Vincent claimed victory in the International Series England in June at Slaley Hall, an event that marked the Asian Tour’s first-ever tournament in the United Kingdom.

In August, Thailand’s Nitithorn Thippong took top honours in the International Series Singapore at Tanah Merah Country Club, while Jeju Island’s Lotte Skyhill Country Club was the scene of Korean Taehoon Ok’s success in the International Series Korea.

A fascinating North African adventure awaits the Asian Tour’s leading lights at next month’s inaugural International Series Morocco (November 3-6).

With the finishing post to the 2022 season in sight, eight of the top-10 in the Order of Merit standings have confirmed their participation at the historic Royal Golf Dar Es Salam for what is the 17th event on this year’s Asian Tour.

Also acting as the fifth leg of the ground-breaking International Series, this is the first occasion the Asian Tour has visited North Africa.

“We’re excited to be heading to Morocco, which has an illustrious golfing heritage. The International Series Morocco is a spectacular addition to our schedule that will provide our members with a unique opportunity to compete somewhere new while allowing the Tour to broaden its reach,” said Cho Minn Thant, Asian Tour Commissioner and CEO.

Fully sanctioned by the Asian Tour and forming part of the Asian Tour Order of Merit, the high-profile International Series was launched this year by LIV Golf in order to strengthen and develop golf in Asia and the Middle East.

An extra layer of spice has been sprinkled into the Moroccan mix with a handful of LIV Golf regulars joining the starting line-up.

While the likes of James Piot, Chase Koepka, Andy Ogletree, Turk Pettit and David Puig will be seeking strong performances to boost their Official World Golf Ranking status, the US$1.5 million tournament offers huge incentives to Korean Bio Kim and his pursuers in the race to be crowned Asian Tour Order of Merit champion this year.

JEJU ISLAND-KOREA- Bio Kim of Korea pictured on Saturday August 20, 2022, during round three of the International Series Korea at the Lotte Skyhill Country Club, Jeju, Korea. The Asian Tour US$ 1.5 million event is staged August 18-21, 2022. Picture by Paul Lakatos/Asian Tour.

And that’s not all that’s at stake. As well as wanting to cement his position atop the Asian Tour merit standings, the tournament also represents an opportunity for Kim to make up ground in the International Series’ Money List in which he is currently seventh.

With just the International Series Egypt (November 10-13) and the Indonesian Masters (December 1-4) to follow, Kim trails current number one Scott Vincent of Zimbabwe by more than US$200,000.

With the promise of rich rewards awaiting the overall International Series winner, no fewer than nine from the current top-10 have signed up to compete in Morocco, the exception being South African Justin Harding.

All four International Series winners this year – American Sihwan Kim (Thailand), Vincent (England), Thai Ntithorn Thippong (Singapore) and Korean Taehoon Ok (Korea) – are primed for action along with Thailand’s Kiradech Aphibarnrat, the Asian Tour’s number one in 2003, Spaniard Gonzalo Fernandez-Castano, the former Singapore Open champion, and Australian Brett Rumford, a two-time Asian Tour winner.

Nitithorn Thippong of Thailand

Among other LIV Golf players in the field are Japan’s Jinichiro Kozuma, South African Hennie du Plessis, Jordan’s Shergo Al Kurdi and Thai Itthipat Buranatanyarat.

Big hitting South African Wilco Nienaber will also compete, making his Asian Tour debut.

Welcoming their participation, Cho said: “There are eight LIV Golf Invitationals this year and the LIV Golf League will be 14 next year. Outside of these, professional golfers need to play to fill out their schedule and hopefully the International Series is an option for them to come and play outside the LIV Golf events, to keep sharp and come and play competitively.”

As far as the race for 2022 Asian Tour Order of Merit honours is concerned only Joohyung Kim (fourth) and Minkyu Kim (seventh) from the top-10 are unable to make the trip to Morocco.

But four past Asian Tour Order of Merit champions are taking part – Thailand’s Jazz Janewattananond, Kiradech, Australia’s Scott Hend and Indian Jyoti Randhawa.

Also on show will be a handful of the game’s brightest amateurs, led by Laird Shepherd from England, winner of the Amateur Championship in 2021, and Hong Kong’s Taichi Kho, runner-up in last year’s Asia-Pacific Amateur Championship.

Greg Norman, LIV Golf CEO and Commissioner, said: “LIV Golf’s investment in the Asian Tour through the International Series is already delivering new opportunities for golfers from all over the world. These events are enhancing the player experience, creating pathways for career development and reinforcing golf’s growth on a global scale.

“This series of events has received tremendous feedback and it continues to build exciting momentum for our sport’s future.”

Brooks Koepka returned to the winner’s circle after a title drought that stretched 20 months by beating his dear friend and Smash teammate Peter Uihlein in the LIV Golf Invitational Jeddah, following a thrilling play-off that lasted three holes. Joy Chakravarty was in Jeddah to cover the action.

Koepka birdied the par-five 18^th hole of Royal Greens every time he played it on Sunday, including in regulation, and Uihlein responded in similar fashion each time except on the third playoff hole; when his third shot from the bunker caught a small stone and ballooned into the water.

Both players had finished on 12-under par after 54 holes, which led to a six-shot win for team Smash (-33) over the Sergio Garcia-led Fireballs (-27). Koepka shot a one-under par 69 after weathering a tough stretch of three straight bogeys from the 11^th hole onwards, while Uihlein overcame two double bogeys on the front nine in his 70.

Garcia finished in tied third place at 11-under par, unable to make the all-important birdie on the 18^th hole after hooking his drive into the bushes. Garcia (68) tied at 11-under with Chile’s Joaquin Niemann, who shot the best round of the day, a 65.

India’s Anirban Lahiri was best-placed among the Asian Tour players, closing with a 69 that included a holed-out eagle from 106 yards on the par-four first hole, his penultimate hole having started from the third. He was tied 10^th at eight-under par.

Team Captain Brooks Koepka of Smash GC celebrates with the individual award during day three of the LIV Golf Invitational – Jeddah at Royal Greens Golf & Country Club on October 16, 2022 in King Abdullah Economic City, Saudi Arabia. (Photo by Chris Trotman/LIV Golf via Getty Images)

Sihwan Kim, currently ranked second in the Asian Tour Order of Merit, achieved his goal of finishing inside the top-24 of the LIV Individual Points List, which ensures him full playing privileges for the 2023 season. A late double bogey on the par-four 17^th and a bogey on the first (he started on 2nd hole), pushed the American to the edge, but the final numbers fell in his favour.

Koepka, who revealed there was a time last year when he was so frustrated with his spate of injuries that he was thinking of quitting the game for good, said: “It’s pretty cool. We’ve known each other for so long. That’s what you want to do, right? You want to compete with some of your very good friends, go toe-to-toe.

“But I’m so excited now. This team thing has revived me. I blew my knee out and my foot was pointed that way, almost backwards and sideways. Eventually, I’m going to have to have knee replacement in a few years, but I wasn’t sure whether I could even move the same way and if I wanted to play if I couldn’t move the way I wanted. I’m fortunate be in the spot that I’m in right now.”

It was a bitter pill to swallow for Uihlein, who would have finished second in the Individual Points List and earned a US$8 million bonus if he won. Instead, the second-place finish meant he was third and will have to be content with US$4 million bonus. South Africa’s Branden Grace, who participated in Jeddah despite an intercostal muscle tear, was rewarded for his bravery with the second-place bonus instead.

Uihlein said he was aware of the calculations at the start of the round, and added: “Consolation. Still a good chunk of change.

“You should not be winning titles after making two double bogeys on Sunday. But I fought back and I played solid on the back. Holed some nice putts for par. I felt like if I can keep staying one back of the lead going into the last couple, I could at least give myself a chance.”

Lahiri was putting together a fantastic round in the difficult, windy conditions and moved to three under par with birdies on the fourth, eighth and 10^th holes. That took him to 10-under par, but he then fared one shot worse than Koepka on the 11-13 stretch, including a double bogey on the 13^th hole.

Anirban Lahiri of Crushers GC plays his shot from the 14th tee during day three of the LIV Golf Invitational – Jeddah at Royal Greens Golf & Country Club on October 16, 2022 in King Abdullah Economic City, Saudi Arabia. (Photo by Chris Trotman/LIV Golf via Getty Images)

However, a fantastic wedge second shot on the first hole, which he spun back straight into the cup, put the smile back on his face.

“It was a relief after all the bloodbath,” said Lahiri, whose team Crushers finished third in the tournament and second overall, thus gaining a bye to the second round of the team match play in Miami.

“It was easily the windiest day of the week. So, you could see all the scores kind of started flattening out because of that.”

Lahiri, who was on the verge of pulling out of the tournament after contracting a severe bout of the ‘flu, added: “If you’d have given me a top-10 place on Friday morning, I would have taken it gladly. But I definitely think I left a few out there and it could have been much better.

“I still don’t feel 100 percent, so I am looking forward to going back to Florida and be with the kids. Just relax a bit and get ready for the season-finale in Miami.”

Kim’s double bogey on the 17^th came when a two-iron tee shot sailed right to the edge of fairway, and left him with a stance in the desert which was almost a foot lower than his ball.

“Obviously, the idea was to come here and play well. I did that except for the closing holes. I was very disappointed with that finish, but I have achieved my other main goal, which was to make sure that I am in the top-24 which secures my card for the next season,” said Kim.

Among the Asian Tour players, Thailand’s Phachara Khongwatmai once again produced a strong finish. A 67 improved him to tied 25^th place. Australia’s Wade Ormsby (71) was tied 35^th place at one-under par 68, while Sadom Kaewkanjana from Thailand (71) tied for 38^th at one-over par.

Sihwan Kim of Iron Heads GC hits a shot during day three of the LIV Golf Invitational – Jeddah at Royal Greens Golf & Country Club on October 16, 2022 in King Abdullah Economic City, Saudi Arabia. (Photo by Chris Trotman/LIV Golf via Getty Images)