International Series Morocco: Quotes of the week

Published on June 16, 2026

An outstanding week of golf culminising in Taichi Kho’s one-short victory over Bubba Watson meant there was an awful lot to talk about over all four days. Here are some of the best reactions …

First Round

Thailand’s Pavit Tangkamolprasert after his 65 (-8) on Thursday:

“I feel like today everything was right for me. I haven’t really played well since Namseoul, where I shot six or seven under on the first day, and it’s been a bit of a struggle over the last few events — even in Woo Jeong Hills and last week in Mazagan. I couldn’t really putt well, so I just kept grinding, kept my head up, and reminded myself this is The International Series — it’s a big opportunity. So yeah, today everything just came together.”

Asked if he had rediscovered his form after a lean spell the last few events he said:

“Yeah, I think so. After struggling with putting in Korea and then again last week, I actually went and practiced for almost two hours before my round recently — I was even asking my friend to wait because we shared a car. So yeah, I’ve just kept working hard, and I guess the hard work paid off this week.”

Travis Smyth from Australia talking about what was working well in his opening 67:

“Yeah, first of all, I just love this golf course. It’s a place where I feel I can play well, so I arrive with good vibes straight away. I love the challenge of having to shape the ball both ways and hit different trajectories. I enjoy moving the ball around and visualising different shots, and this course really suits that style of play. With the tree-lined fairways, it forces you to be creative, which I enjoy. I’m playing nicely at the moment and hitting it well, so it was a really good day.

On what he likes about Royal Golf Dar Es Salam’s Red Course:

“The whole course is a challenge, to be honest. You have to drive it straight, and you need to be able to shape the ball both ways. I’ve always found the draw a little more difficult than the fade, but I still try to hit every shot that’s required. What I like about this course is that it almost forces you to shape shots because of the trees and the way the holes are designed. For me, that makes it more enjoyable. I like being challenged and having to think my way around the course. Overall, I just really like the layout and the test it provides.”

Asked if his recent experience on the LIV Golf League has helped his confidence he said:

“For sure. I think winning in Japan earlier this year took a huge weight off my shoulders. Before that, I would come into International Series events knowing how important they were and probably put a bit too much pressure on myself. I’d be trying harder, maybe not sleeping as well, and feeling a little more stressed. Since that win, and then going on to play well in Singapore and having some great experiences with Crushers GC in LIV Golf, I’ve felt much more relaxed. I feel like I’ve proven to myself that I can get the job done when I’m playing well. That gives you confidence and allows you to trust your game a little more. Playing against the level of competition on LIV Golf has also been a massive confidence boost. It makes me feel that if I come out here, stuck to my game plan and play solid golf, I can put myself in contention by Sunday.”

Bubba Watson and Pavit Tangkamolprasert pictured on Saturday.

Second Round

Co-leader Pavit on recovering his round with a 70 after getting off to a poor start:

“Yeah, I didn’t start my round today so good, made some mistakes, but still trying to keep it in the fairway, hit it in the right positions. But yeah, I know that if I played to the same standard, I can make a comeback. So yeah, it was a comeback today.

Asked which hole turned it around for him he said:

“I think the turning point was on number nine, it’s a tough par three. I bogeyed on the easy par five eighth to go back to one over, but yeah, I think the birdie on nine, that’s very important to keep to get the momentum coming. After nine birdies followed on 12 and 13, yeah, I think number nine is the momentum came from.”

Two-time Masters champion Bubba Watson from the U.S. on his 66 to share the lead with Pavit:

“Today was good. I made a few putts and just kept the round going. Waking up that early, you never really know how your body is going to feel, but I got into the right positions physically and gave myself chances.”

Asked his opinion about the Red Course that he’s playing for the first time he said:

“You have to be a strong ball striker. You can’t fake it around here. But on this golf course, the greens and the green complexes are the biggest challenge. They’re really good, but they’re also very difficult. Around here, the putter is key.”

Jazz Janewattananond.

Third Round

Hong Kong’s Taichi Kho describing his round after posting a 68 to move up to joint-second place:

“Yeah, it was really good. I kind of started off, I wouldn’t say shaky, but I just didn’t feel quite comfortable. But I think something that I’ve learned this year is I can still play freely and play well, despite feeling uncomfortable. So felt like I rode that momentum well and found the rhythm of the round really well, and yeah, towards the end I felt like I was kind of on a wave, and yeah, just kept surfing.”

On which point in the round he felt like got his momentum going:

“Yeah, honestly, like after I birdied the par five 12^th. I felt like I made a good par on 11 after missing the fairway, and then birdied 12, birdied 13, birdied 15, and I felt like I really got it going after a good tee shot on 16. Probably hit the wrong club on 17, because I absolutely pured it [long] into the water. So that felt like, if I picked the right club there, which it’s always easier to talk about these things in hindsight, I felt like that would have really just kept me going. But honestly, a par there felt like a birdie, so yeah, I felt like the last six holes I did really well.”

Asked about how much hard work he’s put in getting into the form that saw him finish T2 in Japan the previous week he said:

“Yeah, I think honestly, you know, I feel like we work the hardest when we’re struggling, and I think as professional golfers, we work so hard. Like everyone out here I have have so much respect for. So you know, I think it’s been good for me to kind of take ownership of my game and understand the areas to work on, and areas to continue to improve. And yeah, I’ve been working on the right things, and I think seeing good results feels like a bonus. But the real reward comes from the work that I do, and I’m proud of the work that I’ve been doing. And yeah, it feels nice to get a couple good scores in, but I’ve been fulfilled far before that.”

On getting paired with Jazz Janewattananond and Bubba Watson in the final group on Sunday:

“Yeah, it’s great. Haven’t played with Jazz in a while, and I know he’s good fun. And yeah, I’ve never played with Bubba either, so I think it’s gonna be a really cool experience, and learning from a two-time Masters champion is gonna be gonna be really cool.”

Jazz Janewattananond after finishing his round birdie-eagle for a 66 to share second place with Taichi Kho:

“I’m just hoping I can bring the same level of ball-striking, putting and overall play from the last two days into the final round. If I can do that, I think I will give myself a really good chance going into the last round tomorrow and making a strong push. The 17th is really a drivable hole, so you almost feel like you need to make birdie there to keep pace. I did my job on that hole. I didn’t hit a particularly good chip, but I made a good putt to save the birdie.”

Watson talking about his 69 which put him in the lead by one going into Sunday:

“It was a long day out there today. The round seemed to take forever, which made it difficult to get into a rhythm at times. I only made one bad mistake with a three-putt on the 15th hole. Other than that, it was a great day.”

On having his family with him in Morocco during the tournament:

“My daughter couldn’t care less what I’m shooting, and that’s pretty awesome. It’s great to have her out here. Normally she’s not old enough to walk all the holes, so it’s nice to see her out supporting me. She loves me no matter what I shoot, and that’s always a great feeling.”

Final Round

An emotional Kho after his 68 to beat Bubba Watson by one shot after making a birdie on the 72^nd hole:

“It’s been a long year, you know, it’s had a lot of, you know, hardships and bit of adversity, but I think through it all, I think I really grew as a person. I kind of realized the work I put in surpasses any results, and golf’s a funny game, you know. It really gives and takes, and I was very, very fortunate the last couple weeks to be on the good side of it. But I just have a lot of gratitude towards the game itself, you know, the people around me, the people that make it possible.”

Asked in the press conference if the win had sunk in yet he said:

“Not really, it hasn’t sunk in. I think the adrenaline from the golf is still wearing off. I was so pumped up on the golf course, and playing with Bubba was almost a dream come true. I remember watching him win two Masters when I was a little kid. He was playing on my TV, and for me to be going neck and neck with him for five hours today, the little kid inside me was jumping up and down. It hasn’t really sunk in yet because I was running on such an adrenaline high. I don’t know if it will sink in, to be honest.”

After a runner-up in Japan the previous week Kho was obviously in good form coming into the week, but he also added:

“It’s just an insane game, because after I played about six weeks ago, I called my parents and my manager and said, ‘I don’t want to play anymore, I’m done’. I’m not saying I’m exempt from hardship, and I’m not saying I’m unique in this, because I know all my peers go through the exact same thing. For me, it was about being able to take ownership of my game, ownership of the things I work on, and being able to see golf from a different perspective. I have so much respect for everyone out here, because every day the way we hit the golf ball, or the way we play golf, dictates our livelihood. That is a big pressure to take, and I think that pressure was getting to me earlier this year. The golf wasn’t going my way, and I felt like I wasn’t working on the right things. But being able to see the bigger picture, and see it in a way that helps me play freer, has really changed my perspective on the game. It has shaped my relationship with the game, and as that relationship has improved over the last few tournaments, my golf has naturally improved as well. Again, it is a psychological battle on and off the golf course. This year, I have learned a lot of gratitude and a lot of perspective for my peers, all the players out here, and for myself.”

On his putt to win on the 72^nd hole he had this to say in the press conference after the tournament:

“I didn’t even think of winning until the last putt dropped! Golf is a really psychological game, and I think one thing that I continue to learn is that a lot of thoughts are going to go through your mind, whether they’re good or bad, and it’s my ability to be able to play freely and play to my instincts through those thoughts. That is what really made the difference for me. My last four-footer winning putt felt like a truly impossible putt. I did not know how it was going to break. The putt felt so long, and the hole felt so small, but there was a part of me that knew I had the ability to be free in that situation. That’s what really helped me hit a good putt. It’s a real mental battle out there, but I’m really glad to get that done.”

Asked how proud he was of his accomplishment and game after coming out on top in a battle with Watson:

“I think just walking those fairways I already felt pride, because I watched Bubba win two Masters on my TV when I was 12 and 14, and for me to play with that hero that I looked up to growing up, you know, watching him shape the ball as he did on TV 10-12 years ago, it really is just a testament to how far I’ve come and how far the people around me have come. So I’m just so proud of the fact that I put myself into this position, and to follow through with my game plan is another cherry on top.”

Runner-up Watson on what positives he will take from the week:

“Yes, I played great. I played as well as I could. Taichi beat me by one, and it was great to see a young player like that perform so well. It shows the game of golf is in a great spot, and it was fun to watch how well he played today.”

Asked if it was inspiring to see younger players like Taichi on The International Series and Asian Tour developing and competing at this level alongside him he said:

“Yes, he actually told me after the round that he used to watch me growing up, so that was pretty special. He said it was a blast to play with me and to be able to watch me play. And honestly, it was great to see. I told him he’s a great player, if he keeps doing what he’s doing, he’s going to have a great career. He played really well all week.”

Jazz on his initial reactions to his 71 and finishing T3:

“Yeah, I mean, too many mistakes today. Last hole stung a little bit, because lost a lot of money on the last hole, but it is what it is, you know. This golf is never ending, sometimes you win, sometimes you lose.

Asked what positives he will take from the week he said:

“I think it’s close. It’s close. It just, momentum need to be better, I think. Swing, everything is on the right track today. So excited to see what I have for the rest of year, and then hopefully back to being multiple winners again. That’s my goal for this year, winning more than once, because it’s close. I can feel it. It just, I just need a little bit more momentum, need to learn how to win again, and then once I get it done, I think the second one should be easier.”

Pictures by Ian Walton/Asian Tour.

Published on June 10, 2026

The International Series Morocco presented by Visit Morocco returns this week with all three past champions competing – adding a compelling storyline to what is the fourth edition of the event.

Thailand’s Jazz Janewattananond, winner of the inaugural edition in 2022, Ben Campbell from New Zealand, who triumphed in 2024, and the defending champion Scott Vincent from Zimbabwe, have all made the trip aiming to become the first to claim the title for a second time.

The event tees-off on Thursday on the Red Course at Royal Golf Dar Es Salam, which has hosted all three tournaments, and is the third stop of the season on The International Series and ninth on the Asian Tour.

It is a place that holds particularly special memories for Jazz as his victory here was his first in three years on the Asian Tour, while it remains his only success on The International Series.

“It feels great,” said Jazz. “Coming back to a venue where you’ve won before is always special. It’s a really good tournament, honestly one of the best set-up events of the year, and I’d say this is one of my top three golf courses on The International Series schedule. It’s always nice to come back here and play.”

Jazz Janewattananond after winning in 2022.

The 30-year-old is a seven-time winner on the Asian Tour but has not tasted further success since his win here. He has been knocking on the door though, including at the Singapore Open this year – where he tied for third.

He said: “Singapore was a really good confidence boost. It could have gone my way, and of course it could have been a little better, but overall it showed me that my level is getting better and better again. I just need to keep doing the right things and hopefully I can get over the line soon.”

He faces a formidable field this week, that includes Spain’s Sergio Garcia, American Bubba Watson and Asian Tour Order of Merit leader Travis Smyth from Australia, but welcomes the challenge.

“There are so many great players here that you’re not thinking, ‘I absolutely need to win this week,’” he said. “For me, it’s more about coming here, playing good golf, and hopefully playing well enough to improve my ranking and build momentum again.”

Campbell’s return carries added significance. It was his victory here that first put him on the radar of LIV Golf’s RangeGoats GC, whose captain Watson eventually asked him to join.

“Bubba has asked me about the course and the event a few times before we arrived,” said Campbell [main picture in 2024]. “It’s great to have him here this week, not only for the tournament, but for Moroccan golf and The International Series in general.

“That’s one of the really cool things about The International Series and LIV Golf, getting more LIV players involved in these events. The more top names that come out and play, the more everyone benefits in terms of experience and exposure.

Scott Vincent following his success last year.

“I’m sure a lot of the players here will learn a lot from playing alongside Bubba, and it’s also great having Sergio here this week and a number of other top players. It’s really exciting for the event overall.”

Campbell goes out with Smyth and Mexico’s Abraham Ancer at 12.25pm local time; Jazz will play with Japan’s Yosuke Asaji and Korean Byeonghun An at 12.55pm; while Vincent is with Garcia and Australian Elvis Smylie at 12.45pm.

The International Series is the upper echelon of events on the Asian Tour that provide a pathway to the LIV Golf League.

Published on

Overview

The International Series returns to Morocco for its fourth edition this week – gaining fresh momentum with Visit Morocco on board as presenting partner for the first time.

The new partnership with Visit Morocco is through the Moroccan National Tourism Office and aligns with their objective of positioning elite sport with tourism promotion and highlighting Morocco as a premier golf travel hub in the region and beyond.

The tournament has made phenomenal progress since its launch in 2022, when Thailand’s Jazz Janewattananond [main picture] triumphed.

This has been made possible by the fantastic support from the Royal Moroccan Golf Federation and the Hassan II Golf Trophy Association – both chaired by His Royal Highness Prince Moulay Rachid – reflecting a shared vision to grow the game in the North African nation.

Last year a commitment was made to continue with the event for another two years – an indication of its value and importance.

Sergio Garcia.

Royal Golf Dar Es Salam (Red Course)

Royal Golf Dar Es Salam translates to “House of Peace” in Arabic – something that is completely fitting.

Its famous Red Course is a firm favourite among players, and was voted the Asian Tour Players’ Choice Course of the Year last year.

The club is the brainchild of the late King Hassan II who wanted a world-class 36-hole golf club in the country’s capital, Rabat. It was built on a 440-acre site on a sandy, tree-lined property with rolling contours in the heart of a cork oak forest.

The club now boasts 45 holes spread over three courses: the Red, Blue and Green.

All three were designed by Robert Trent Jones and his long-time European-based associate, Cabell Robinson. The club opened in 1971.

The Red Course has been the permanent home of the Trophée Hassan II since it opened. The event, now part of the PGA Tour Champions, was won by 10-time Asian Tour winner Scott Hend last month.

Travis Smyth.

Tournament Information

Tournament: International Series Morocco presented by Visit Morocco
Date: 11 – 14 June
Venue: Royal Golf Dar Es Salam (Red Course), Rabat
Par/Yards: 73/7,630 yards
Purse: US$2million
Asian Tour leg: Ninth
International Series Leg: Third
Edition of tournament: Fourth
Previous winner: Scott Vincent (ZIM)
Previous winning score: 278 (-14)
Total number of players: 156
Format: Stroke play tournament over four rounds of 18 holes with a cut after 36 holes to leading 65 plus ties.

The Red Course.

Field Breakdown

Order of Merit winners: John Catlin (2024), Andy Ogletree (2023), Jazz Janewattananond (2019), Anirban Lahiri (2015)
Nationalities: 32
Top contenders: Sergio Garcia (ESP), Charlie Lindh (SWE), Ian Snyman (RSA), Travis Smyth (AUS), Bubba Watson (USA), Scott Vincent (ZIM), Elvis Smylie (AUS), Abraham Ancer (MEX)
Highest ranked player on OWGR: Elvis Smylie (AUS) #114
Highest ranked player on the Order of Merit: Travis Smyth (AUS) #1
Highest ranked player on the International Series Rankings: Travis Smyth (AUS) #2
No. of amateurs in the field: 5
No. of Moroccan players in the field: 7

Tournament Notes

Spain’s Sergio Garcia has been one of the best players in the world since his breakout performance in the 1999 PGA Championship when he finished second to Tiger Woods. He has 38 global victories, including the Masters Tournament in 2017 and the 2008 Players Championship. Five of his wins have come in Asian Tour events, the latest being the 2018 SMBC Singapore Open. Currently the captain of the Fireballs GC on the LIV Golf League, where he was fourth last week at the Andalucia event.
Charlie Lindh from Sweden is coming into this week in top form, having just posted his first Asian Tour win last week at the am green IGPL Bharath Classic with a brilliant eagle on the 72^nd. Two weeks before that he finished solo-second at the KOLON Korea Open. He also had a T6 at the New Zealand Open presented by Millbrook Resort in the beginning of March and sits in third place on the Order of Merit.
South African Ian Snyman has also been in great form lately, recording his first Asian Tour win at the Taiwan Glass Taifong Open last month and a T10 in the KOLON Korea Open three weeks ago. He also finished T3 at the notoriously difficult Namseoul Country Club at the GS Caltex Maekyung Open the week prior to his win in Chinese Taipei. He also posted a T5 at the season opening Philippine Golf Championship. Currently fourth on the Order of Merit
Travis Smyth from Australia currently leads the Order of Merit after a win at the International Series Japan, a third-place finish at the Philippine Golf Championship and a solo-fifth at the New Zealand Open presented by Millbrook Resort. On the Challenger PGA Tour of Australasia he earlier in the year won the ISPS HANDA Japan-Australasia Championship to wrap up the 2025/26 Order of Merit crown on that tour after that victory and two other top-fives. The Order of Merit title secured Smyth a place in The Open at Royal Birkdale in July. He has also played the last two events on the LIV Golf League and he recorded an impressive T8 at LIV Golf Korea.
American Bubba Watson, a two-time Masters champion, in 2012 and 2014, is currently playing on the LIV Golf League as captain of the Range Goats GC. This year has not been what he has hoped for, but he did finish ninth at last week’s Andalucia event. During the 2025 LIV Golf season he had a runner-up and three other top-10’s as his best results.
Fellow LIV Golf player Abraham Ancer from Mexico, playing for Torque GC, is having a better season with a third-place finish last week in Andalucia, a T3 in South Africa and a T4 in Riyadh. He has one LIV Golf win on his resume, the 2024 Hong Kong event. He has one victory on the Asian Tour, the 2023 PIF Saudi International, and he also won the 2021 WGC FedEx St. Jude Invitational on the PGA Tour.
Defending champion Scott Vincent is back on the LIV Golf League this season after topping The International Series Rankings in 2025, and playing as a wild card he has been in good form. Currently 17^th in the standings after three top-10’s and four other top-20’s, the best result being a fourth-place finish at the Mexico City event. This will be Vincent’s first Asian Tour appearance this year.
Young Australian Elvis Smylie is the highest ranked player on the OWGR this week at number 114, and he got off to a flying start to his LIV Golf career when he won the Riyadh event in early February and finished T8 four weeks later in Hong Kong. Prior to joining Cameron Smith’s Ripper GC squad he had one victory on the DP World Tour, the 2024 BMW Australian PGA Championship.

Pictures By Ian Walton/Asian Tour.

Published on June 8, 2026

Here’s the players reaction after each round of the am green IGPL Bharath Classic last week, where Charlie Lindh [main picture] triumphed.

First Round

Thailand’s Runchanapong Youprayong, who had just finished third in the previous week’s ADT event on the same course, after his opening round 65 (-7) which led the field:

“I felt like I hit in good positions quite a lot, and I planned my way around the golf course pretty well. That was the key takeaway that I learned from last week – where I want to leave the golf shot.”

On the difference in course set up from the ADT event:

“The course is a bit different from what we played last week, because for the first two rounds, they shortened most tees. Today, they tipped it out every hole and the wind felt much stronger, which makes it a little bit more difficult.”

Karandeep Kochhar from India, who had also played in the ADT event the week before, on his first round 66:

“I think I played really well, really consistent all day. I thought I hit the ball really well last week as well, but my putting was just not there. The pace on the greens wasn’t there. I put in a lot of work over the weekend and the first three days here from Monday to Wednesday, and all that work was really helpful today.”

About the change in conditions from the previous week he said:

“The conditions weren’t easy. I think today was definitely a little windier than last week. The tees were also pushed back compared to last week. It made a lot of difference because on a couple of holes, what lines you take off the tee changes. I hit a hybrid on one par-three and a couple for my second shots on par-fours. The course was definitely playing longer.”

Austrian Niklas Regner on his 66 in the first round:

“I made some swing changes last week with my coach (Dominic Angkawidjaja) in Austria. While it’s not any major changes, it’s pretty much going back to where I’ve been when I played my best. It was just a two-and-a-half-hour session and I kind of felt that’s where my swing should be. I gained a little bit of confidence as well in the driving range and played quite decently in that practice round yesterday and on Tuesday. So yeah, it was pretty cool that first round went that good.”

Second Round

Settee Prakongvech from Thailand, who was coming into the week with five missed cuts in a row after his 65 to share the lead:

“I just started to play better. I mean, everything came together, I hit a lot of fairways and good approach shots, and was lucky to make some putts. I mean, not easy putts, but I just tried my best and I made some.”

Co-leader Runchanapong when asked about his good results on the ADT and All Thailand Tours this season after a year on the Korn Ferry Tour in 2025:

“I feel like my mental game has improved from last year, and my ball striking has improved. I’ve been able to hit some shots in tough situations, but I haven’t been able to capitalise from those events. But it’s all experience from that. I was struggling with financial stuff last year, with playing with a lot of expenses playing in the U.S. So, I think that made me a little bit stronger, and having a mindset that golf is not playing about money, it’s about just enjoying and having fun.”

Fellow Thai Ekpharit Wu after his 67 on his mindset playing in windy conditions:

“Well, I have learned one thing, to trust the wind to be a friend before going to play every day on this course. So, yep, it’s very helpful. Today overall was very good for me, because I could handle these conditions, so I’m happy for that.”

Third Round

Sweden’s Charlie Lindh, who finished second in the KOLON Korea Open recently, after moving up to T2 after 67 on Saturday:

“It was a really good start to the day. We said when we came out that we need to be ready from the first hole to make birdies. Because the wind was very calm compared to yesterday, and we were a couple under right from the start, so yeah, that was good. I still played well despite the dropped shots. I had a lot of chances coming in, it was just that the putts dropped on the front nine, but got a couple back on the last few holes.”

On performing well in very different conditions compared to his runner-up in Korea:

“I think if you’re playing well, it doesn’t really matter what type of course you’re playing, as long as you have your head with you, like you just need to adjust the aim a little bit. And obviously, compared to the last tournament in Korea, you can fire at almost every pin here, which is a bit more fun to play because you can make birdies. Which you can really do out there.”

Runchanapong on his 71 which put him in T2 going into the final round:

“It was pretty slow, got off to a bogey start, but managed to make a birdie on hole three. I felt like today I didn’t hole a lot of putts and made some poor shots. I think I’m in a pretty good spot for tomorrow’s final round. I’m just going to keep playing the way I played for the past couple of weeks, and hopefully, some putts will drop tomorrow. Just trying to stay in the present.”

Englishman Sam Broadhurst, another one of the previous week’s ADT players, shot a 65 on moving day to make a big jump on the leaderboard:

“Yeah, I played solid, hit the ball well tee to green, and hold a couple of putts, which didn’t happen yesterday, so that was the main difference. I feel like my game’s been pretty good, even last week, tee to green, so just keeping it in play, and trying to attack when I could, really.”

Final Round

Lindh after firing a 64 on Sunday to win his first Asian Tour event:

“I mean, feels good, feels really good. When everything settles a little bit, I’ll realise what I’ve done today. But yeah, I’ve been playing good coming into this week, and I’ve been very, very excited to play last couple of months, really, because the game has been feeling better, and got some good results today.”

About his strategy in the final round:

“Well, I was firing at every pin from the start, almost birdied the first and second, but got it on three and five, whatever. I just kept firing on pins, and I made a good putt on hole number six, I think, for a longer one for birdie. When I made that one, I thought to myself, like, all right, I got one shot to play with, and until I drop that shot, I can fire at everything.”

Asked if he knew how he was standing during the round he said:

“No, there were no leaderboards, and I found out on 18. I mean, like looking ahead, there were a lot of carts in the group in front, so I knew that someone was playing well. And I had a little sneak on that when they reported a score, so I had a had a good idea, but I thought on the last that I needed to at least make birdie to go to a play-off. But I said to my caddie, like this is for a win, and made it so, yeah, super happy.”

On making eagle on the 18^th hole to win:

“Yeah, that was awesome. I mean, it’s a five- or six-meter uphill putt from just outside the green, and had a good look at it, and I said to myself, just put a good stroke on it, and I did and it went in.”

Joint runner-up Settee about the result after leading by three shots going into Sunday:

“It was just a bad start and maybe some unlucky shots, but I could come back from that. I thought I didn’t hit my tee shots as good as yesterday, but I also missed some short putts. I’m ok with tied second though, I missed five cuts in a row before this tournament, so finishing second is a good week.”

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Hong Kong number one Taichi Kho [main picture] narrowly lost out on claiming his first title on the Japan Golf Tour after being beaten in a sudden-death play-off at the BMW Japan Golf Tour Championship Mori Building Cup yesterday.

Japan’s Hiroshi Iwata made a birdie on the first extra-hole to claim the title on the West Course at Shishido Hills Country Club. His compatriot Naoyuki Kataoka was also involved in the extra-time contest.

However, it was an encouraging week for Kho, which coming after a T13 finish in the KOLON Korea Open two weeks ago suggests the 25-year-old’s game is back on track.

He shot a four-under-par 67 on the final day, brilliantly making birdie on the last two holes to finish tied on eight under. He had started with rounds of 70, 69, and 68.

It is his best performance of the year so far and will give him confidence ahead of this week’s International Series Morocco presented by Visit Morocco, which starts Thursday.

The win was Iwata’s eighth success on his home tour.

Published on June 2, 2026

Overview

For the second year in succession, the Asian Tour embarks on an exciting North African adventure with three events being sanctioned in Morocco.

This week’s am green IGPL Bharath Classic follows on from the am green IGPL Morocco Rising Stars 2026 – won by Tanapat Pichaikool from Thailand last weekend on the Asian Development Tour – before next week’s International Series Morocco presented by Visit Morocco in Rabat.

The Asian Tour’s evolving partnership with the Indian Golf Premier League (IGPL) is an important part of this stretch with this week’s and last week’s tournaments joint sanctioned.

The events represent another important step forward in terms of the relationship with the IGPL – which is playing such an important role in promoting the game of golf in the world’ most populous country.

These tournaments also enable the Asian Tour to continue to forge ties with the Royal Moroccan Golf Federation and the Hassan II Golf Trophy Association.

His Royal Highness Prince Moulay Rachid, the President of both organisations, has been a driving force behind the push for more tournaments in his country and the creation of more playing opportunities for players in the region.

Mazagan Beach & Golf Resort, this week’s venue, is a spectacular golfing property located on the Atlantic coast of Morocco and boasts an 18-hole course designed by nine-time major champion Gary Player from South Africa.

The resort hosted last week’s IGPL Morocco Rising Stars 2026 on the Asian Development Tour.

Ian Snyman.

Tournament Information

Tournament: am green IGPL Bharath Classic
Date: 4th – 7th June 2026
Venue: Mazagan Beach & Golf Resort, Morocco
Par / Yards: 72 / 7,448 yards
Purse: US$500,000
Asian Tour leg: Eighth
Edition of tournament: Second
Previous winner: Poosit Supupramai (THA)
Total number of players: 144
Format: Stroke play tournament over 4 rounds of 18 holes with a cut after 36 holes to leading 65 plus ties.

Field Breakdown

Order of Merit winners: Jazz Janewattananond (2019)
Top contenders: Ian Snyman (RSA), Pavit Tangkamolprasert (THA), Jazz Janewattananond (THA), Charlie Lindh (SWE), Austen Truslow (USA)
Highest ranked player on OWGR: Ian Snyman (RSA) #296
Highest ranked player on the Order of Merit: Ian Snyman (RSA) #3
No. of amateurs in the field: 11
No. of Moroccan players in the field: 12

Tanapat Pichaikool.

Tournament Notes

South African Ian Snyman is coming into the week in great form following his first Asian Tour win at the Taiwan Glass Taifong Open last month and a T10 in the KOLON Korea Open two weeks ago. He also finished T3 at the notoriously difficult Namseoul Country Club at the GS Caltex Maekyung Open the week prior to his win in Chinese Taipei. He had early in the season also posted a T5 at the season opening Philippine Golf Championship. Currently third on the Order of Merit.
Thailand’s Pavit Tangkamolprasert, currently in fourth place on the Order of Merit, started 2026 with great results including a runner-up at the season opening Philippine Golf Championship and a T2 in the International Series Japan. He also had an early season T2 on the All Thailand Tour after a playoff loss to compatriot Danthai Boonma. Slightly off his early season form in his last few tournaments while still making the cuts.
Charlie Lindh from Sweden recorded his best Asian Tour result to date two weeks ago when he finished solo-second at the KOLON Korea Open. He also had a T6 at the New Zealand Open presented by Millbrook Resort in the beginning of March.

Charlie Lindh.

American Austen Truslow is having a good season on the Asian Tour with a T4 at International Series Japan, a T9 at the Philippine Golf Championship and a T13 at the KOLON Korea Open. He also won his first professional event earlier in the season, the The Quinovic New Zealand PGA Championship, on the PGA Tour of Australasia.
The 2019 Order of Merit winner Jazz Janewattananond from Thailand posted his last tournament win in Morocco, at the 2022 International Series Morocco. This season his best results has been a T3 at the Singapore Open in April, as well as a runner-up result on the Asian Development Tour in late March. He is currently tied for ninth in all-time Asian Tour wins with seven.
Poosit Supupramai will attempt to defend his title. Last year he recorded his maiden victory on the Asian Tour in the inaugural Bharath Classic, played near Ahmedabad, in India. A brilliant birdie on the last, where he a hit nine-iron to 10 feet, saw him win by one from Korean Wooyoung Cho. It was a Tour card saving performance as he was in 81st position on the Asian Tour Order of Merit in what was the penultimate event of the season. The result moved him into 29th place on the Merit list while the win has handed him a one-year exemption on the Tour.
Tanapat Pichaikool from Thailand won last week’s am green IGPL Morocco Rising Stars 2026 at Mazagan Beach & Golf Resort and is competing this week.
The event was staged at Kensville Golf Resort in India last year.

Published on May 27, 2026

Major champions and LIV Golf captains Bubba Watson [main picture] and Sergio Garcia are set to front a star-studded field at the International Series Morocco presented by Visit Morocco next month.

They will be part of a strong 18-player LIV Golf contingent for the fourth edition of the event, which will return to the iconic Red Course at Royal Golf Dar Es Salam from 11–14 June.

It will be the third event of the season on The International Series – the upper echelon of tournaments on the Asian Tour that provide a pathway to the LIV Golf League.

Two-time Masters champion Watson played on the Asian Tour last week at the KOLON Korea Open, in preparation for this week’s LIV Golf Korea, while his most recent appearance on The International Series came at the 2024 Indonesian Masters.

“I’m looking forward to playing a golf course that really challenges you off the tee,” Watson said about his forthcoming trip to Morocco.

“From what I’ve heard, it’s a little narrower than what we’re typically used to in the US, so there’ll be a real emphasis on driving and positioning, which is something I enjoy.

Sergio Garcia.

“Peter Uihlein told me he loves the golf course and the resort, and obviously Ben Campbell has some great memories there after winning the event not too long ago. I’ve spoken to both of them and they had nothing but positive things to say about Morocco.

“My whole family will be there as well, so I think it’s going to be a really fun week.”

The popular American left-hander enjoyed a decorated PGA Tour career that included eight victories alongside two World Golf Championships titles, before taking on the role of captain of RangeGoats GC on LIV Golf. He won the Masters in 2012 and 2014.

Garcia is captain of Fireballs GC and like Watson will be making his debut at the Morocco event.

The 2017 Masters champion is one of the most recognisable players in the game. The Spaniard has recorded 11 PGA Tour victories, including The Players Championship in 2008, alongside 16 DP World Tour titles during an illustrious career.

Since joining LIV Golf in 2022, he has led Fireballs GC to seven team victories while also capturing individual titles at LIV Golf Andalucía in 2023 and LIV Golf Hong Kong last year.

The 46-year-old has also made his mark on The International Series, highlighted by a tied-fourth finish in Macau last year.

Adding further firepower to the field from the LIV Golf League are Zimbabwe’s Scott Vincent, the defending champion, New Zealander Ben Campbell, the 2024 champion, South Africa’s Branden Grace, Mexican Abraham Ancer, Anthony Kim from the United States, Josele Ballester from Spain, Elvis Smylie from Australia and India’s Anirban Lahiri.

The International Series Morocco was first played in 2022, and has regularly been played on the Red Course at Royal Golf Dar Es Salam.

Published on May 26, 2026

Korean Jiho Yang was definitely the talk of the town last week after winning the KOLON Korea Open but everyone had a lot to say about another great tournament at Woo Jeong Hills Country Club. Here are the best quotes of the week.

First Round

First-round leader Jiho Yang from Korea on firing a brilliant 65 (-6) after starting his round with two bogeys:

“I got a bit flustered after making two bogeys, but I told myself to stay calm. Then a long putt dropped, and from that moment on I felt much more comfortable. My shots and my mindset both settled down, and I think that helped me finish the round well. My wife is with me again this week, just like always. I get a lot of support from her. I’m trying to approach things with the same mindset as last season. I don’t want to rush, and I try not to get angry. As I get older year by year, I’m making a bigger effort to control my emotions and stay mentally composed.”

Charlie Lind from Sweden after opening with a 68 in the afternoon, avoiding the rainy conditions for the morning wave:

“We obviously got the right side of the draw, it made it a lot easier. I saw guys were struggling out there early this morning. We just had perfect weather, like playing indoors, really. Played solid, just solid all over nothing really stood out. I feel like my game is definitely much better now than what it was last year. Feel more comfortable. My putting has always been good. The tee to green game has been much better this year, or I mean, I’ve been working on the swing for the last three years. I made a grip change, it’s complicated.”

Zimbabwe’s Kieran Vincent on his 69 in the more difficult conditions of the morning session:

“I think obviously the rain and the weather always creates a little bit of interesting factors, but at the end of the day it doesn’t really change a whole lot, you know. You still got to hit a good shot, you still got to pick a target and trying to hit it as best as you can, and I think today what worked well was I just gave myself a bit of freedom to make some errors. There were going to be errors made, and instead of making big errors by compounding it, I was just okay with what happened, and just kind of moved on from there.”

Charlie Lindh.

Second Round

LIV golfer Abraham Ancer from Mexico about his second-round 65 to bounce back after a 73 on Thursday:

“Yeah, it was definitely nice. Attitude wasn’t great yesterday. I felt like I was lacking a little bit of a good attitude, and just made mistakes that normally I don’t make and shouldn’t make. But I actually had a nice talk with my wife last night, and just trying to figure out, we’re just talking about life, really, and it felt like I was doing everything right. I was hitting the ball really good, but I wasn’t really seeing the results. We had a nice talk, I won’t go into much detail, but I had another way of kind of thinking about my round today, and it felt really good. Everything fell into place and I putted really well.”

On his long trip to Korea from Dallas, Texas after playing 36 holes in the U.S. Open qualifier on Monday, and only arriving in Korea on Wednesday:

“Yeah, I mean, just trying to do our best. I mean, yesterday, obviously, this is a golf course that you definitely want to see some of these holes before you play it, and obviously we didn’t have the time to do that. We got in Wednesday at like 9.30 at night, but I felt a lot more comfortable today knowing where to hit it, where I can’t hit it. And these greens are tough, they’re fast, they’re really fast, and pin positions are very, very tough.”

His assessment of the demanding Woo Jeong Hills layout playing it for the first time:

“It’s tough, it is really tough. Par threes are really, really tough. The fairways are the smallest fairways I’ve ever seen anywhere, and they’re super slopey too. So, even if they were flat, they would be tough to hit, but being so slopey is even tougher. You’re just playing out of the first cut in the rough a lot, and it makes it very tough to put it where you need to be to be in a good spot for birdie.”

Charlie Lindh when asked if the second-round 70:

On how his game has developed during his three seasons on the Asian Tour:

“I mean, I’ve definitely learned to play on different types of grass. It’s so different out there compared to Europe, and anytime you get a course, or anytime I get back home, it feels like the game is easy. But then when I go back out again, it’s like I think I need to change grind on my lob wedge a little bit, it’s always something. But I mean I’ve gotten so much better around the greens on this grass, which obviously you need to be good around the greens anywhere, but it’s been tougher here compared to back home. So that’s a big thing that’s been better for me now compared to when I first came out.”

Second round leader Jiho Yang on his 67 which included a birdie eagle finish:

“I was nervous even before teeing off because of the history and prestige of the KOLON Korea Open, but after getting through the first hole well, my swing started to feel more comfortable. From that point on, I just told myself to trust my swing and play, and I think that led to a good result today.”

On not having his wife on the bag this season:

“Up until last year, my wife was on the bag for me. But she’s pregnant right now, so she couldn’t join me this week. But things are clicking well with my caddie. Also, knowing that we have a baby on the way is giving me more responsibility and helps me maintain my composure. I’m trying to be a bit more mature out there, which is definitely helping.”

Abraham Ancer.

Third Round

In third place after day three, Abraham Ancer describes his round after a 70 (-1):

“Very up and down. I felt like I got to a very hot start, feeling really, really good, and then just kind of ran into a train there on nine, I believe? Hit it OB left, and actually managed to make bogey, which was really, really nice, but it was just tough. The back nine was tough to get it going, so it was a well fought round. I felt like if I had a bad attitude, it could have gotten out of my hands and really shoot a big number. So I’m happy with the way I composed myself, and it’s nice to make birdie on the last to get the last group. I know we are all way behind, but it’s gonna be fun tomorrow, it’s been a great atmosphere.”

On playing with, and trying to keep up with, the leader Jiho Yang on Saturday:

“It’s just a really difficult golf course to really like make a ton of birdies, because you can make so many mistakes if you try to push it, and you try to play very aggressive it’s just not going to work out. And the putter got a little bit cold during the back nine, so it was tough. And he made everything, I mean, he played really well. He really, whenever he made a mistake, he got up and down. I mean, he played incredible golf, which obviously got I gotta respect that. It was, it was really cool to watch. And it’ll be interesting tomorrow, we’ll see. I mean, it’s gonna be weird being in the final group and being so far behind. But I mean, they told me this morning, I don’t know who told me, that Y.E. Yang won this tournament, and he was 10 strokes back going to the last round. Which I mean, this is a golf course that anything can happen, it really is. But yeah, today was fun, looking forward to tomorrow and we’ll see what happens.”

Charlie Lindh, in solo second through three rounds, shooting 68:

On his good performance on the difficult Woo Jeong Hills greens on Saturday:

“Yeah, I mean, obviously, if you hit the ball where you’re looking on these greens, it’s gonna go where you’re looking as well. Because they’re rolling so pure, it’s just that the holes are cut in very difficult hole locations. So, but as long as you’re on the right side, you got a good chance of making a putt.

Commenting on the green speed which has gone from 12.6 in the rainy first round, 12.1 on day two to 14.1 in the third round:

“I mean, you could definitely tell the difference, especially playing very early yesterday, where there was a little fog. Now they dried up this afternoon, and it got super quick. Just got to be careful out there on the greens.”

Still leading the tournament, and now by seven shots, Jiho Yang had this to say about his 67 which was the low round of the day:

“I shot a bogey early, but I had a bit of a cushion, so I didn’t let it bother me. I was actually pretty nervous playing alongside great players, but the atmosphere was great, which helped me finish strong. I don’t think I played aggressively a single day this week. I was actually just trying to play safe, but the putts just happened to drop. It just goes to show once again that Woo Jeong Hills is not a course you can overpower with just distance.”

About not his wife stepping down as a caddie due to having a baby soon:

“My wife has been talking a lot about ‘Mureogi’ [the baby’s nickname]. I give everything I have knowing my wife and Mureogi are with me. My wife never made big demands. Obviously, some things were tough because she wasn’t a professional caddie, but she is absolutely incredible for my mental game. That’s why we were able to win twice together.”

Final Round

Runner-up Charlie Lindh on his final round 73 after starting the day with a double-bogey:

“I mean, obviously I just got shocked by the pin on the first, and after like a poor chip shot, I three putted it. It was just, obviously I was nervous, but I was also surprised of how much break it was on that pin, which put me on a little defense mode going forward during the day. But got my confidence level up a bit, and yeah, awesome birdie on last. I felt like after missing that putt on 17, I was just.. I told myself I’m gonna make a four somehow. I don’t know how, but I’m gonna make a four. Managed hit a great third shot from 160 meters up to like three, four meters, and made that putt which was a good feeling. Obviously, it was a little unfortunate with that start that I couldn’t really go for the for the win.”

About playing with the winner in the final round:

“Yeah, I mean, he obviously played good all week, but he hit some worse shots at times, but he managed to save them – like as good as he needed for having that big of a lead. After that chip went in on nine, when it almost moved the hole a bit, that’s what counted. So, yeah, after that the tournament was over.”

Champion Jiho Yang after his 76 (+5) to go wire-to-wire and win by four shots:

“It’s finally over! And I think I can finally eat. I was so nervous this week, and I felt like I was throwing up without eating anything all day. I think I’ve had about eight bananas today and that’s it. I think I’m ready for a good night sleep tonight.”

On negotiating the qualifier for the KOLON Korea Open right after another tournament:

“I played in another event the week before and finished 17th playing in the final group. I didn’t play well in the last round, and I had a four-hour drive home, and I was completely exhausted knowing the qualifier was the very next day. I seriously debated whether to even go to the Korea Open and considered just taking the week off. But my wife insisted and even called a driver for me, and thanks to that, I made it to the qualifier. If she hadn’t done that, I wouldn’t be standing here right now.”

Published on May 25, 2026

The International Series returns to Morocco for its fourth edition next month, gaining fresh momentum with Visit Morocco on board as presenting partner.

The US$2million tournament will be held from 11–14 June on the iconic Red Course at Royal Golf Dar Es Salam, and is the third stop on The International Series this year.

Rahul Singh, Head of The International Series, said: “This year marks our fourth tournament in Morocco, and the progress we’ve seen with each staging has been remarkable. Each return has raised the bar for competition while contributing to the continued growth of the game in the country. Our decision last season to commit to two further years reflects Morocco’s strategic importance to the Series, and we are delighted to welcome Visit Morocco as presenting partner in 2026 as we continue to expand the event’s impact.

“Through this tournament, we are proud to bring some of the biggest names in golf to Morocco, while creating meaningful opportunities for local players to compete and elevate their game in a truly global environment.”

The tournament was won by Scott Vincent last year, and put him on course to win The International Series Rankings – which secured his place on the LIV Golf League this year. The Zimbabwean [main picture] has confirmed he will defend his title next month.

Since its debut in 2022, the event has received strong backing from the Royal Moroccan Golf Federation, chaired by His Royal Highness Prince Moulay Rachid, reflecting a shared vision to grow the game in the North African nation.

The tournament has been one of the most successful events on The International Series – the upper-tier level of events on the Asian Tour that provide a pathway to the LIV Golf League – with the Red Course at Royal Golf Dar Es Salam a firm favourite among players. It was voted the Asian Tour Players’ Choice Course of the Year in 2025.

Published on May 24, 2026

Jiho Yang [main picture] completed an emotional and extraordinary wire-to-wire victory in the KOLON Korea Open today to become the first pre-qualifier to claim the prestigious title in its 68-year history.

He triumphed by four shots after shooting a battling five-over-par 76 at Woo Jeong Hills Country Club – taking full advantage of his seven-stroke advantage at the start of the day.

The Korean finished on nine under, built on rounds of 65, 67 and 67, and also secured a place in The Open at Royal Birkdale in July, as this week’s event is part of the Open Qualifying Series.

Sweden’s Charlie Lindh claimed second place following a 73 for his best finish on the Asian Tour. He holed a 15-foot birdie putt on the par-five 18^th to snatch second on his own from Koreans Jeunghun Wang and Sangmoon Bae.

Wang, who emerged as Yang’s main threat early on, shot a 71 while Bae, the winner of this event in 2008 and 2009, carded a 69. Wang, playing in the penultimate group, got to within four of Yang on the front nine but was unable to keep the pressure on.

Mexico’s Abraham Ancer enjoyed a good workout before next week’s LIV Golf Korea by tying for fifth after shooting a 73.

Jiho Yang.

“It’s finally over!” said 41-year-old Yang, who will be making his debut in The Open. “And I think I can finally eat. I was so nervous this week, and I felt like I was throwing up without eating anything all day. I think I’ve had about eight bananas today and that’s it. I think I’m ready for a good night sleep tonight.”

He’d finished 18^th in a pre-qualifier last month and, although a two-time winner on the Korean PGA Tour, in 2022 and 2023, arrived here as a rank outsider. His previous best finish in his national open was joint 20^th in 2019 plus in five starts on the Korean PGA Tour this season his best result was a tied-17th at the Founders Cup earlier this month.

When asked how he felt after negotiating that qualifier, he said: “I played in another event the week before and finished 17th playing in the final group. I didn’t play well in the last round, and I had a four-hour drive home, and I was completely exhausted knowing the qualifier was the very next day. I seriously debated whether to even go to the Korea Open and considered just taking the week off. But my wife insisted and even called a driver for me, and thanks to that, I made it to the qualifier. If she hadn’t done that, I wouldn’t be standing here right now.”

Despite starting the day with a seven-shot lead today, the nerves, as expected, showed at the start. He made bogey on his opening two holes but fortunately for him his closest challengers, Lindh and Ancer, playing in the same final group, also begun poorly. The former doubled the first while the latter bogeyed the second, meaning Yang’s lead was still seven.

However, it was Wang who unsettled Yang when he birdied three in a row from the second to close the gap to five after four holes.

Yang then steadied the ship by making his first birdie of the day on the par-five fifth, to move six ahead.

Wang then struck back once more making birdies on six and eight to close the gap to four before the pivotal ninth hole left Yang in a dominant position.

Wang dropped a shot there before Yang chipped in for birdie shortly after to go seven ahead. It meant Yang just needed a steady back nine to seal the deal, which proved a challenge, but he was helped further when Wang made a double on the 11^th to hand Yang a massive eight-shot cushion.

Charlie Lindh.

By the time Yang reached 18, after probably the most stressful nine holes of his 20-year professional career, he had a six-shot lead. This was despite dropping shots on 13, 16 and 17 but none of his pursuers were able to capitalise and mount a late challenge.

It was a tearful Yang who putted out on 18. He’d reached the green in three and with emotions visibly running high he rushed his first putt from long range 18 feet by the hole, with the broomstick putter that had served him well all week. He took two more from there for his third bogey in a row but with the trophy safely secured.

The win could not have come at a better time as his wife is expecting a baby soon. She is his regular caddie, including for his two wins, until getting pregnant.

He said yesterday: “My wife has been talking a lot about ‘Mureogi’ [the baby’s nickname]. I give everything I have knowing my wife and Mureogi are with me. My wife never made big demands. Obviously, some things were tough because she wasn’t a professional caddie, but she is absolutely incredible for my mental game. That’s why we were able to win twice together.”

Lindh was delighted to pull through at the end after his poor start.

He said: “I mean, obviously I just got shocked by the pin on the first, and after like a poor chip shot, I three putted it. Obviously, I was nervous, but I was also surprised of how much break it was on that pin, which put me on a little defense mode going forward during the day. But I mean I shook it off.”

The result beat his previous best finish, which was joint third in last year’s Taiwan Glass Taifong Open. He was full of praise for Yang’s today.

“Yeah, I mean, he obviously played good all week, but he hit some worse shots at times, but he managed to save them – like as good as he needed for having that big of a lead. After that chip went in on nine, when it almost moved the hole a bit, that’s what counted. So, yeah, after that the tournament was over.”

The Asian Tour has a week off now before it embarks on an exciting two-week swing in Morocco. The am green Bharath Classic will be played at Mazagan Beach & Golf Resort from 4-7 June and will be joint sanctioned with the Indian Golf Premier League (IGPL). It will be followed by the International Series Morocco, which is returning to Royal Golf Dar Es Salam (Red Course) from June 11-14.

Jeunghun Wang.

Adding to the occasion is the am green IGPL Morocco Rising Stars, an Asian Development Tour event which will be held at Mazagan Beach & Golf Resort next week.

Pictures courtesy Korea Golf Association.

Back to News Archive

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All the best quotes from last week’s event at Royal Golf Dar Es Salam – where Taichi Kho swept to victory

An outstanding week of golf culminising in Taichi Kho’s one-short victory over Bubba Watson meant there was an awful lot to talk about over all four days. Here are some of the best reactions …

First Round

Thailand’s Pavit Tangkamolprasert after his 65 (-8) on Thursday:

“I feel like today everything was right for me. I haven’t really played well since Namseoul, where I shot six or seven under on the first day, and it’s been a bit of a struggle over the last few events — even in Woo Jeong Hills and last week in Mazagan. I couldn’t really putt well, so I just kept grinding, kept my head up, and reminded myself this is The International Series — it’s a big opportunity. So yeah, today everything just came together.”

Asked if he had rediscovered his form after a lean spell the last few events he said:

“Yeah, I think so. After struggling with putting in Korea and then again last week, I actually went and practiced for almost two hours before my round recently — I was even asking my friend to wait because we shared a car. So yeah, I’ve just kept working hard, and I guess the hard work paid off this week.”

Travis Smyth from Australia talking about what was working well in his opening 67:

“Yeah, first of all, I just love this golf course. It’s a place where I feel I can play well, so I arrive with good vibes straight away. I love the challenge of having to shape the ball both ways and hit different trajectories. I enjoy moving the ball around and visualising different shots, and this course really suits that style of play. With the tree-lined fairways, it forces you to be creative, which I enjoy. I’m playing nicely at the moment and hitting it well, so it was a really good day.

On what he likes about Royal Golf Dar Es Salam’s Red Course:

“The whole course is a challenge, to be honest. You have to drive it straight, and you need to be able to shape the ball both ways. I’ve always found the draw a little more difficult than the fade, but I still try to hit every shot that’s required. What I like about this course is that it almost forces you to shape shots because of the trees and the way the holes are designed. For me, that makes it more enjoyable. I like being challenged and having to think my way around the course. Overall, I just really like the layout and the test it provides.”

Asked if his recent experience on the LIV Golf League has helped his confidence he said:

“For sure. I think winning in Japan earlier this year took a huge weight off my shoulders. Before that, I would come into International Series events knowing how important they were and probably put a bit too much pressure on myself. I’d be trying harder, maybe not sleeping as well, and feeling a little more stressed. Since that win, and then going on to play well in Singapore and having some great experiences with Crushers GC in LIV Golf, I’ve felt much more relaxed. I feel like I’ve proven to myself that I can get the job done when I’m playing well. That gives you confidence and allows you to trust your game a little more. Playing against the level of competition on LIV Golf has also been a massive confidence boost. It makes me feel that if I come out here, stuck to my game plan and play solid golf, I can put myself in contention by Sunday.”

Bubba Watson and Pavit Tangkamolprasert pictured on Saturday.

Second Round

Co-leader Pavit on recovering his round with a 70 after getting off to a poor start:

“Yeah, I didn’t start my round today so good, made some mistakes, but still trying to keep it in the fairway, hit it in the right positions. But yeah, I know that if I played to the same standard, I can make a comeback. So yeah, it was a comeback today.

Asked which hole turned it around for him he said:

“I think the turning point was on number nine, it’s a tough par three. I bogeyed on the easy par five eighth to go back to one over, but yeah, I think the birdie on nine, that’s very important to keep to get the momentum coming. After nine birdies followed on 12 and 13, yeah, I think number nine is the momentum came from.”

Two-time Masters champion Bubba Watson from the U.S. on his 66 to share the lead with Pavit:

“Today was good. I made a few putts and just kept the round going. Waking up that early, you never really know how your body is going to feel, but I got into the right positions physically and gave myself chances.”

Asked his opinion about the Red Course that he’s playing for the first time he said:

“You have to be a strong ball striker. You can’t fake it around here. But on this golf course, the greens and the green complexes are the biggest challenge. They’re really good, but they’re also very difficult. Around here, the putter is key.”

Jazz Janewattananond.

Third Round

Hong Kong’s Taichi Kho describing his round after posting a 68 to move up to joint-second place:

“Yeah, it was really good. I kind of started off, I wouldn’t say shaky, but I just didn’t feel quite comfortable. But I think something that I’ve learned this year is I can still play freely and play well, despite feeling uncomfortable. So felt like I rode that momentum well and found the rhythm of the round really well, and yeah, towards the end I felt like I was kind of on a wave, and yeah, just kept surfing.”

On which point in the round he felt like got his momentum going:

“Yeah, honestly, like after I birdied the par five 12^th. I felt like I made a good par on 11 after missing the fairway, and then birdied 12, birdied 13, birdied 15, and I felt like I really got it going after a good tee shot on 16. Probably hit the wrong club on 17, because I absolutely pured it [long] into the water. So that felt like, if I picked the right club there, which it’s always easier to talk about these things in hindsight, I felt like that would have really just kept me going. But honestly, a par there felt like a birdie, so yeah, I felt like the last six holes I did really well.”

Asked about how much hard work he’s put in getting into the form that saw him finish T2 in Japan the previous week he said:

“Yeah, I think honestly, you know, I feel like we work the hardest when we’re struggling, and I think as professional golfers, we work so hard. Like everyone out here I have have so much respect for. So you know, I think it’s been good for me to kind of take ownership of my game and understand the areas to work on, and areas to continue to improve. And yeah, I’ve been working on the right things, and I think seeing good results feels like a bonus. But the real reward comes from the work that I do, and I’m proud of the work that I’ve been doing. And yeah, it feels nice to get a couple good scores in, but I’ve been fulfilled far before that.”

On getting paired with Jazz Janewattananond and Bubba Watson in the final group on Sunday:

“Yeah, it’s great. Haven’t played with Jazz in a while, and I know he’s good fun. And yeah, I’ve never played with Bubba either, so I think it’s gonna be a really cool experience, and learning from a two-time Masters champion is gonna be gonna be really cool.”

Jazz Janewattananond after finishing his round birdie-eagle for a 66 to share second place with Taichi Kho:

“I’m just hoping I can bring the same level of ball-striking, putting and overall play from the last two days into the final round. If I can do that, I think I will give myself a really good chance going into the last round tomorrow and making a strong push. The 17th is really a drivable hole, so you almost feel like you need to make birdie there to keep pace. I did my job on that hole. I didn’t hit a particularly good chip, but I made a good putt to save the birdie.”

Watson talking about his 69 which put him in the lead by one going into Sunday:

“It was a long day out there today. The round seemed to take forever, which made it difficult to get into a rhythm at times. I only made one bad mistake with a three-putt on the 15th hole. Other than that, it was a great day.”

On having his family with him in Morocco during the tournament:

“My daughter couldn’t care less what I’m shooting, and that’s pretty awesome. It’s great to have her out here. Normally she’s not old enough to walk all the holes, so it’s nice to see her out supporting me. She loves me no matter what I shoot, and that’s always a great feeling.”

Final Round

An emotional Kho after his 68 to beat Bubba Watson by one shot after making a birdie on the 72^nd hole:

“It’s been a long year, you know, it’s had a lot of, you know, hardships and bit of adversity, but I think through it all, I think I really grew as a person. I kind of realized the work I put in surpasses any results, and golf’s a funny game, you know. It really gives and takes, and I was very, very fortunate the last couple weeks to be on the good side of it. But I just have a lot of gratitude towards the game itself, you know, the people around me, the people that make it possible.”

Asked in the press conference if the win had sunk in yet he said:

“Not really, it hasn’t sunk in. I think the adrenaline from the golf is still wearing off. I was so pumped up on the golf course, and playing with Bubba was almost a dream come true. I remember watching him win two Masters when I was a little kid. He was playing on my TV, and for me to be going neck and neck with him for five hours today, the little kid inside me was jumping up and down. It hasn’t really sunk in yet because I was running on such an adrenaline high. I don’t know if it will sink in, to be honest.”

After a runner-up in Japan the previous week Kho was obviously in good form coming into the week, but he also added:

“It’s just an insane game, because after I played about six weeks ago, I called my parents and my manager and said, ‘I don’t want to play anymore, I’m done’. I’m not saying I’m exempt from hardship, and I’m not saying I’m unique in this, because I know all my peers go through the exact same thing. For me, it was about being able to take ownership of my game, ownership of the things I work on, and being able to see golf from a different perspective. I have so much respect for everyone out here, because every day the way we hit the golf ball, or the way we play golf, dictates our livelihood. That is a big pressure to take, and I think that pressure was getting to me earlier this year. The golf wasn’t going my way, and I felt like I wasn’t working on the right things. But being able to see the bigger picture, and see it in a way that helps me play freer, has really changed my perspective on the game. It has shaped my relationship with the game, and as that relationship has improved over the last few tournaments, my golf has naturally improved as well. Again, it is a psychological battle on and off the golf course. This year, I have learned a lot of gratitude and a lot of perspective for my peers, all the players out here, and for myself.”

On his putt to win on the 72^nd hole he had this to say in the press conference after the tournament:

“I didn’t even think of winning until the last putt dropped! Golf is a really psychological game, and I think one thing that I continue to learn is that a lot of thoughts are going to go through your mind, whether they’re good or bad, and it’s my ability to be able to play freely and play to my instincts through those thoughts. That is what really made the difference for me. My last four-footer winning putt felt like a truly impossible putt. I did not know how it was going to break. The putt felt so long, and the hole felt so small, but there was a part of me that knew I had the ability to be free in that situation. That’s what really helped me hit a good putt. It’s a real mental battle out there, but I’m really glad to get that done.”

Asked how proud he was of his accomplishment and game after coming out on top in a battle with Watson:

“I think just walking those fairways I already felt pride, because I watched Bubba win two Masters on my TV when I was 12 and 14, and for me to play with that hero that I looked up to growing up, you know, watching him shape the ball as he did on TV 10-12 years ago, it really is just a testament to how far I’ve come and how far the people around me have come. So I’m just so proud of the fact that I put myself into this position, and to follow through with my game plan is another cherry on top.”

Runner-up Watson on what positives he will take from the week:

“Yes, I played great. I played as well as I could. Taichi beat me by one, and it was great to see a young player like that perform so well. It shows the game of golf is in a great spot, and it was fun to watch how well he played today.”

Asked if it was inspiring to see younger players like Taichi on The International Series and Asian Tour developing and competing at this level alongside him he said:

“Yes, he actually told me after the round that he used to watch me growing up, so that was pretty special. He said it was a blast to play with me and to be able to watch me play. And honestly, it was great to see. I told him he’s a great player, if he keeps doing what he’s doing, he’s going to have a great career. He played really well all week.”

Jazz on his initial reactions to his 71 and finishing T3:

“Yeah, I mean, too many mistakes today. Last hole stung a little bit, because lost a lot of money on the last hole, but it is what it is, you know. This golf is never ending, sometimes you win, sometimes you lose.

Asked what positives he will take from the week he said:

“I think it’s close. It’s close. It just, momentum need to be better, I think. Swing, everything is on the right track today. So excited to see what I have for the rest of year, and then hopefully back to being multiple winners again. That’s my goal for this year, winning more than once, because it’s close. I can feel it. It just, I just need a little bit more momentum, need to learn how to win again, and then once I get it done, I think the second one should be easier.”

Pictures by Ian Walton/Asian Tour.

International Series Morocco presented by Visit Morocco tees-off on Thursday at Royal Golf Dar Es Salam

The International Series Morocco presented by Visit Morocco returns this week with all three past champions competing – adding a compelling storyline to what is the fourth edition of the event.

It is a place that holds particularly special memories for Jazz as his victory here was his first in three years on the Asian Tour, while it remains his only success on The International Series.

Jazz Janewattananond after winning in 2022.

He faces a formidable field this week, that includes Spain’s Sergio Garcia, American Bubba Watson and Asian Tour Order of Merit leader Travis Smyth from Australia, but welcomes the challenge.

Campbell’s return carries added significance. It was his victory here that first put him on the radar of LIV Golf’s RangeGoats GC, whose captain Watson eventually asked him to join.

Scott Vincent following his success last year.

The International Series is the upper echelon of events on the Asian Tour that provide a pathway to the LIV Golf League.

All you need to know about this week’s event which welcomes Visit Morocco as presenting partner

Overview

The International Series returns to Morocco for its fourth edition this week – gaining fresh momentum with Visit Morocco on board as presenting partner for the first time.

The tournament has made phenomenal progress since its launch in 2022, when Thailand’s Jazz Janewattananond [main picture] triumphed.

Last year a commitment was made to continue with the event for another two years – an indication of its value and importance.

Sergio Garcia.

Royal Golf Dar Es Salam (Red Course)

Royal Golf Dar Es Salam translates to “House of Peace” in Arabic – something that is completely fitting.

Its famous Red Course is a firm favourite among players, and was voted the Asian Tour Players’ Choice Course of the Year last year.

The club now boasts 45 holes spread over three courses: the Red, Blue and Green.

All three were designed by Robert Trent Jones and his long-time European-based associate, Cabell Robinson. The club opened in 1971.

The Red Course has been the permanent home of the Trophée Hassan II since it opened. The event, now part of the PGA Tour Champions, was won by 10-time Asian Tour winner Scott Hend last month.

Travis Smyth.

Tournament Information

Tournament: International Series Morocco presented by Visit Morocco
Date: 11 – 14 June
Venue: Royal Golf Dar Es Salam (Red Course), Rabat
Par/Yards: 73/7,630 yards
Purse: US$2million
Asian Tour leg: Ninth
International Series Leg: Third
Edition of tournament: Fourth
Previous winner: Scott Vincent (ZIM)
Previous winning score: 278 (-14)
Total number of players: 156
Format: Stroke play tournament over four rounds of 18 holes with a cut after 36 holes to leading 65 plus ties.

The Red Course.

Field Breakdown

Order of Merit winners: John Catlin (2024), Andy Ogletree (2023), Jazz Janewattananond (2019), Anirban Lahiri (2015)
Nationalities: 32
Top contenders: Sergio Garcia (ESP), Charlie Lindh (SWE), Ian Snyman (RSA), Travis Smyth (AUS), Bubba Watson (USA), Scott Vincent (ZIM), Elvis Smylie (AUS), Abraham Ancer (MEX)
Highest ranked player on OWGR: Elvis Smylie (AUS) #114
Highest ranked player on the Order of Merit: Travis Smyth (AUS) #1
Highest ranked player on the International Series Rankings: Travis Smyth (AUS) #2
No. of amateurs in the field: 5
No. of Moroccan players in the field: 7

Tournament Notes

Spain’s Sergio Garcia has been one of the best players in the world since his breakout performance in the 1999 PGA Championship when he finished second to Tiger Woods. He has 38 global victories, including the Masters Tournament in 2017 and the 2008 Players Championship. Five of his wins have come in Asian Tour events, the latest being the 2018 SMBC Singapore Open. Currently the captain of the Fireballs GC on the LIV Golf League, where he was fourth last week at the Andalucia event.
Charlie Lindh from Sweden is coming into this week in top form, having just posted his first Asian Tour win last week at the am green IGPL Bharath Classic with a brilliant eagle on the 72^nd. Two weeks before that he finished solo-second at the KOLON Korea Open. He also had a T6 at the New Zealand Open presented by Millbrook Resort in the beginning of March and sits in third place on the Order of Merit.
South African Ian Snyman has also been in great form lately, recording his first Asian Tour win at the Taiwan Glass Taifong Open last month and a T10 in the KOLON Korea Open three weeks ago. He also finished T3 at the notoriously difficult Namseoul Country Club at the GS Caltex Maekyung Open the week prior to his win in Chinese Taipei. He also posted a T5 at the season opening Philippine Golf Championship. Currently fourth on the Order of Merit
Travis Smyth from Australia currently leads the Order of Merit after a win at the International Series Japan, a third-place finish at the Philippine Golf Championship and a solo-fifth at the New Zealand Open presented by Millbrook Resort. On the Challenger PGA Tour of Australasia he earlier in the year won the ISPS HANDA Japan-Australasia Championship to wrap up the 2025/26 Order of Merit crown on that tour after that victory and two other top-fives. The Order of Merit title secured Smyth a place in The Open at Royal Birkdale in July. He has also played the last two events on the LIV Golf League and he recorded an impressive T8 at LIV Golf Korea.
American Bubba Watson, a two-time Masters champion, in 2012 and 2014, is currently playing on the LIV Golf League as captain of the Range Goats GC. This year has not been what he has hoped for, but he did finish ninth at last week’s Andalucia event. During the 2025 LIV Golf season he had a runner-up and three other top-10’s as his best results.
Fellow LIV Golf player Abraham Ancer from Mexico, playing for Torque GC, is having a better season with a third-place finish last week in Andalucia, a T3 in South Africa and a T4 in Riyadh. He has one LIV Golf win on his resume, the 2024 Hong Kong event. He has one victory on the Asian Tour, the 2023 PIF Saudi International, and he also won the 2021 WGC FedEx St. Jude Invitational on the PGA Tour.
Defending champion Scott Vincent is back on the LIV Golf League this season after topping The International Series Rankings in 2025, and playing as a wild card he has been in good form. Currently 17^th in the standings after three top-10’s and four other top-20’s, the best result being a fourth-place finish at the Mexico City event. This will be Vincent’s first Asian Tour appearance this year.
Young Australian Elvis Smylie is the highest ranked player on the OWGR this week at number 114, and he got off to a flying start to his LIV Golf career when he won the Riyadh event in early February and finished T8 four weeks later in Hong Kong. Prior to joining Cameron Smith’s Ripper GC squad he had one victory on the DP World Tour, the 2024 BMW Australian PGA Championship.

Pictures By Ian Walton/Asian Tour.

All the talk from last week’s event at Mazagan Beach & Golf Resort in Morocco

Here’s the players reaction after each round of the am green IGPL Bharath Classic last week, where Charlie Lindh [main picture] triumphed.

First Round

Thailand’s Runchanapong Youprayong, who had just finished third in the previous week’s ADT event on the same course, after his opening round 65 (-7) which led the field:

“I felt like I hit in good positions quite a lot, and I planned my way around the golf course pretty well. That was the key takeaway that I learned from last week – where I want to leave the golf shot.”

On the difference in course set up from the ADT event:

“The course is a bit different from what we played last week, because for the first two rounds, they shortened most tees. Today, they tipped it out every hole and the wind felt much stronger, which makes it a little bit more difficult.”

Karandeep Kochhar from India, who had also played in the ADT event the week before, on his first round 66:

“I think I played really well, really consistent all day. I thought I hit the ball really well last week as well, but my putting was just not there. The pace on the greens wasn’t there. I put in a lot of work over the weekend and the first three days here from Monday to Wednesday, and all that work was really helpful today.”

About the change in conditions from the previous week he said:

“The conditions weren’t easy. I think today was definitely a little windier than last week. The tees were also pushed back compared to last week. It made a lot of difference because on a couple of holes, what lines you take off the tee changes. I hit a hybrid on one par-three and a couple for my second shots on par-fours. The course was definitely playing longer.”

Austrian Niklas Regner on his 66 in the first round:

“I made some swing changes last week with my coach (Dominic Angkawidjaja) in Austria. While it’s not any major changes, it’s pretty much going back to where I’ve been when I played my best. It was just a two-and-a-half-hour session and I kind of felt that’s where my swing should be. I gained a little bit of confidence as well in the driving range and played quite decently in that practice round yesterday and on Tuesday. So yeah, it was pretty cool that first round went that good.”

Second Round

Settee Prakongvech from Thailand, who was coming into the week with five missed cuts in a row after his 65 to share the lead:

“I just started to play better. I mean, everything came together, I hit a lot of fairways and good approach shots, and was lucky to make some putts. I mean, not easy putts, but I just tried my best and I made some.”

Co-leader Runchanapong when asked about his good results on the ADT and All Thailand Tours this season after a year on the Korn Ferry Tour in 2025:

“I feel like my mental game has improved from last year, and my ball striking has improved. I’ve been able to hit some shots in tough situations, but I haven’t been able to capitalise from those events. But it’s all experience from that. I was struggling with financial stuff last year, with playing with a lot of expenses playing in the U.S. So, I think that made me a little bit stronger, and having a mindset that golf is not playing about money, it’s about just enjoying and having fun.”

Fellow Thai Ekpharit Wu after his 67 on his mindset playing in windy conditions:

“Well, I have learned one thing, to trust the wind to be a friend before going to play every day on this course. So, yep, it’s very helpful. Today overall was very good for me, because I could handle these conditions, so I’m happy for that.”

Third Round

Sweden’s Charlie Lindh, who finished second in the KOLON Korea Open recently, after moving up to T2 after 67 on Saturday:

“It was a really good start to the day. We said when we came out that we need to be ready from the first hole to make birdies. Because the wind was very calm compared to yesterday, and we were a couple under right from the start, so yeah, that was good. I still played well despite the dropped shots. I had a lot of chances coming in, it was just that the putts dropped on the front nine, but got a couple back on the last few holes.”

On performing well in very different conditions compared to his runner-up in Korea:

“I think if you’re playing well, it doesn’t really matter what type of course you’re playing, as long as you have your head with you, like you just need to adjust the aim a little bit. And obviously, compared to the last tournament in Korea, you can fire at almost every pin here, which is a bit more fun to play because you can make birdies. Which you can really do out there.”

Runchanapong on his 71 which put him in T2 going into the final round:

“It was pretty slow, got off to a bogey start, but managed to make a birdie on hole three. I felt like today I didn’t hole a lot of putts and made some poor shots. I think I’m in a pretty good spot for tomorrow’s final round. I’m just going to keep playing the way I played for the past couple of weeks, and hopefully, some putts will drop tomorrow. Just trying to stay in the present.”

Englishman Sam Broadhurst, another one of the previous week’s ADT players, shot a 65 on moving day to make a big jump on the leaderboard:

“Yeah, I played solid, hit the ball well tee to green, and hold a couple of putts, which didn’t happen yesterday, so that was the main difference. I feel like my game’s been pretty good, even last week, tee to green, so just keeping it in play, and trying to attack when I could, really.”

Final Round

Lindh after firing a 64 on Sunday to win his first Asian Tour event:

“I mean, feels good, feels really good. When everything settles a little bit, I’ll realise what I’ve done today. But yeah, I’ve been playing good coming into this week, and I’ve been very, very excited to play last couple of months, really, because the game has been feeling better, and got some good results today.”

About his strategy in the final round:

“Well, I was firing at every pin from the start, almost birdied the first and second, but got it on three and five, whatever. I just kept firing on pins, and I made a good putt on hole number six, I think, for a longer one for birdie. When I made that one, I thought to myself, like, all right, I got one shot to play with, and until I drop that shot, I can fire at everything.”

Asked if he knew how he was standing during the round he said:

“No, there were no leaderboards, and I found out on 18. I mean, like looking ahead, there were a lot of carts in the group in front, so I knew that someone was playing well. And I had a little sneak on that when they reported a score, so I had a had a good idea, but I thought on the last that I needed to at least make birdie to go to a play-off. But I said to my caddie, like this is for a win, and made it so, yeah, super happy.”

On making eagle on the 18^th hole to win:

“Yeah, that was awesome. I mean, it’s a five- or six-meter uphill putt from just outside the green, and had a good look at it, and I said to myself, just put a good stroke on it, and I did and it went in.”

Joint runner-up Settee about the result after leading by three shots going into Sunday:

“It was just a bad start and maybe some unlucky shots, but I could come back from that. I thought I didn’t hit my tee shots as good as yesterday, but I also missed some short putts. I’m ok with tied second though, I missed five cuts in a row before this tournament, so finishing second is a good week.”

Result a big confidence booster ahead of this week’s International Series Morocco presented by Visit Morocco

However, it was an encouraging week for Kho, which coming after a T13 finish in the KOLON Korea Open two weeks ago suggests the 25-year-old’s game is back on track.

He shot a four-under-par 67 on the final day, brilliantly making birdie on the last two holes to finish tied on eight under. He had started with rounds of 70, 69, and 68.

It is his best performance of the year so far and will give him confidence ahead of this week’s International Series Morocco presented by Visit Morocco, which starts Thursday.

The win was Iwata’s eighth success on his home tour.

US$500,000 event commences on Thursday at Mazagan Beach & Golf Resort on Morocco’s Atlantic coast

Overview

For the second year in succession, the Asian Tour embarks on an exciting North African adventure with three events being sanctioned in Morocco.

The Asian Tour’s evolving partnership with the Indian Golf Premier League (IGPL) is an important part of this stretch with this week’s and last week’s tournaments joint sanctioned.

These tournaments also enable the Asian Tour to continue to forge ties with the Royal Moroccan Golf Federation and the Hassan II Golf Trophy Association.

The resort hosted last week’s IGPL Morocco Rising Stars 2026 on the Asian Development Tour.

Ian Snyman.

Tournament Information

Tournament: am green IGPL Bharath Classic
Date: 4th – 7th June 2026
Venue: Mazagan Beach & Golf Resort, Morocco
Par / Yards: 72 / 7,448 yards
Purse: US$500,000
Asian Tour leg: Eighth
Edition of tournament: Second
Previous winner: Poosit Supupramai (THA)
Total number of players: 144
Format: Stroke play tournament over 4 rounds of 18 holes with a cut after 36 holes to leading 65 plus ties.

Field Breakdown

Order of Merit winners: Jazz Janewattananond (2019)
Top contenders: Ian Snyman (RSA), Pavit Tangkamolprasert (THA), Jazz Janewattananond (THA), Charlie Lindh (SWE), Austen Truslow (USA)
Highest ranked player on OWGR: Ian Snyman (RSA) #296
Highest ranked player on the Order of Merit: Ian Snyman (RSA) #3
No. of amateurs in the field: 11
No. of Moroccan players in the field: 12

Tanapat Pichaikool.

Tournament Notes

South African Ian Snyman is coming into the week in great form following his first Asian Tour win at the Taiwan Glass Taifong Open last month and a T10 in the KOLON Korea Open two weeks ago. He also finished T3 at the notoriously difficult Namseoul Country Club at the GS Caltex Maekyung Open the week prior to his win in Chinese Taipei. He had early in the season also posted a T5 at the season opening Philippine Golf Championship. Currently third on the Order of Merit.
Thailand’s Pavit Tangkamolprasert, currently in fourth place on the Order of Merit, started 2026 with great results including a runner-up at the season opening Philippine Golf Championship and a T2 in the International Series Japan. He also had an early season T2 on the All Thailand Tour after a playoff loss to compatriot Danthai Boonma. Slightly off his early season form in his last few tournaments while still making the cuts.
Charlie Lindh from Sweden recorded his best Asian Tour result to date two weeks ago when he finished solo-second at the KOLON Korea Open. He also had a T6 at the New Zealand Open presented by Millbrook Resort in the beginning of March.

Charlie Lindh.

American Austen Truslow is having a good season on the Asian Tour with a T4 at International Series Japan, a T9 at the Philippine Golf Championship and a T13 at the KOLON Korea Open. He also won his first professional event earlier in the season, the The Quinovic New Zealand PGA Championship, on the PGA Tour of Australasia.
The 2019 Order of Merit winner Jazz Janewattananond from Thailand posted his last tournament win in Morocco, at the 2022 International Series Morocco. This season his best results has been a T3 at the Singapore Open in April, as well as a runner-up result on the Asian Development Tour in late March. He is currently tied for ninth in all-time Asian Tour wins with seven.
Poosit Supupramai will attempt to defend his title. Last year he recorded his maiden victory on the Asian Tour in the inaugural Bharath Classic, played near Ahmedabad, in India. A brilliant birdie on the last, where he a hit nine-iron to 10 feet, saw him win by one from Korean Wooyoung Cho. It was a Tour card saving performance as he was in 81st position on the Asian Tour Order of Merit in what was the penultimate event of the season. The result moved him into 29th place on the Merit list while the win has handed him a one-year exemption on the Tour.
Tanapat Pichaikool from Thailand won last week’s am green IGPL Morocco Rising Stars 2026 at Mazagan Beach & Golf Resort and is competing this week.
The event was staged at Kensville Golf Resort in India last year.

Part of an 18-player strong LIV Golf contingent for the tournament to be played from 11–14 June

Major champions and LIV Golf captains Bubba Watson [main picture] and Sergio Garcia are set to front a star-studded field at the International Series Morocco presented by Visit Morocco next month.

They will be part of a strong 18-player LIV Golf contingent for the fourth edition of the event, which will return to the iconic Red Course at Royal Golf Dar Es Salam from 11–14 June.

It will be the third event of the season on The International Series – the upper echelon of tournaments on the Asian Tour that provide a pathway to the LIV Golf League.

“I’m looking forward to playing a golf course that really challenges you off the tee,” Watson said about his forthcoming trip to Morocco.

“From what I’ve heard, it’s a little narrower than what we’re typically used to in the US, so there’ll be a real emphasis on driving and positioning, which is something I enjoy.

Sergio Garcia.

“My whole family will be there as well, so I think it’s going to be a really fun week.”

Garcia is captain of Fireballs GC and like Watson will be making his debut at the Morocco event.

Since joining LIV Golf in 2022, he has led Fireballs GC to seven team victories while also capturing individual titles at LIV Golf Andalucía in 2023 and LIV Golf Hong Kong last year.

The 46-year-old has also made his mark on The International Series, highlighted by a tied-fourth finish in Macau last year.

The International Series Morocco was first played in 2022, and has regularly been played on the Red Course at Royal Golf Dar Es Salam.

The contenders had a lot to talk about last week after another memorable event at Woo Jeong Hills Country Club

First Round

First-round leader Jiho Yang from Korea on firing a brilliant 65 (-6) after starting his round with two bogeys:

“I got a bit flustered after making two bogeys, but I told myself to stay calm. Then a long putt dropped, and from that moment on I felt much more comfortable. My shots and my mindset both settled down, and I think that helped me finish the round well. My wife is with me again this week, just like always. I get a lot of support from her. I’m trying to approach things with the same mindset as last season. I don’t want to rush, and I try not to get angry. As I get older year by year, I’m making a bigger effort to control my emotions and stay mentally composed.”

Charlie Lind from Sweden after opening with a 68 in the afternoon, avoiding the rainy conditions for the morning wave:

“We obviously got the right side of the draw, it made it a lot easier. I saw guys were struggling out there early this morning. We just had perfect weather, like playing indoors, really. Played solid, just solid all over nothing really stood out. I feel like my game is definitely much better now than what it was last year. Feel more comfortable. My putting has always been good. The tee to green game has been much better this year, or I mean, I’ve been working on the swing for the last three years. I made a grip change, it’s complicated.”

Zimbabwe’s Kieran Vincent on his 69 in the more difficult conditions of the morning session:

“I think obviously the rain and the weather always creates a little bit of interesting factors, but at the end of the day it doesn’t really change a whole lot, you know. You still got to hit a good shot, you still got to pick a target and trying to hit it as best as you can, and I think today what worked well was I just gave myself a bit of freedom to make some errors. There were going to be errors made, and instead of making big errors by compounding it, I was just okay with what happened, and just kind of moved on from there.”

Charlie Lindh.

Second Round

LIV golfer Abraham Ancer from Mexico about his second-round 65 to bounce back after a 73 on Thursday:

“Yeah, it was definitely nice. Attitude wasn’t great yesterday. I felt like I was lacking a little bit of a good attitude, and just made mistakes that normally I don’t make and shouldn’t make. But I actually had a nice talk with my wife last night, and just trying to figure out, we’re just talking about life, really, and it felt like I was doing everything right. I was hitting the ball really good, but I wasn’t really seeing the results. We had a nice talk, I won’t go into much detail, but I had another way of kind of thinking about my round today, and it felt really good. Everything fell into place and I putted really well.”

On his long trip to Korea from Dallas, Texas after playing 36 holes in the U.S. Open qualifier on Monday, and only arriving in Korea on Wednesday:

“Yeah, I mean, just trying to do our best. I mean, yesterday, obviously, this is a golf course that you definitely want to see some of these holes before you play it, and obviously we didn’t have the time to do that. We got in Wednesday at like 9.30 at night, but I felt a lot more comfortable today knowing where to hit it, where I can’t hit it. And these greens are tough, they’re fast, they’re really fast, and pin positions are very, very tough.”

His assessment of the demanding Woo Jeong Hills layout playing it for the first time:

“It’s tough, it is really tough. Par threes are really, really tough. The fairways are the smallest fairways I’ve ever seen anywhere, and they’re super slopey too. So, even if they were flat, they would be tough to hit, but being so slopey is even tougher. You’re just playing out of the first cut in the rough a lot, and it makes it very tough to put it where you need to be to be in a good spot for birdie.”

Charlie Lindh when asked if the second-round 70:

On how his game has developed during his three seasons on the Asian Tour:

“I mean, I’ve definitely learned to play on different types of grass. It’s so different out there compared to Europe, and anytime you get a course, or anytime I get back home, it feels like the game is easy. But then when I go back out again, it’s like I think I need to change grind on my lob wedge a little bit, it’s always something. But I mean I’ve gotten so much better around the greens on this grass, which obviously you need to be good around the greens anywhere, but it’s been tougher here compared to back home. So that’s a big thing that’s been better for me now compared to when I first came out.”

Second round leader Jiho Yang on his 67 which included a birdie eagle finish:

“I was nervous even before teeing off because of the history and prestige of the KOLON Korea Open, but after getting through the first hole well, my swing started to feel more comfortable. From that point on, I just told myself to trust my swing and play, and I think that led to a good result today.”

On not having his wife on the bag this season:

“Up until last year, my wife was on the bag for me. But she’s pregnant right now, so she couldn’t join me this week. But things are clicking well with my caddie. Also, knowing that we have a baby on the way is giving me more responsibility and helps me maintain my composure. I’m trying to be a bit more mature out there, which is definitely helping.”

Abraham Ancer.

Third Round

In third place after day three, Abraham Ancer describes his round after a 70 (-1):

“Very up and down. I felt like I got to a very hot start, feeling really, really good, and then just kind of ran into a train there on nine, I believe? Hit it OB left, and actually managed to make bogey, which was really, really nice, but it was just tough. The back nine was tough to get it going, so it was a well fought round. I felt like if I had a bad attitude, it could have gotten out of my hands and really shoot a big number. So I’m happy with the way I composed myself, and it’s nice to make birdie on the last to get the last group. I know we are all way behind, but it’s gonna be fun tomorrow, it’s been a great atmosphere.”

On playing with, and trying to keep up with, the leader Jiho Yang on Saturday:

“It’s just a really difficult golf course to really like make a ton of birdies, because you can make so many mistakes if you try to push it, and you try to play very aggressive it’s just not going to work out. And the putter got a little bit cold during the back nine, so it was tough. And he made everything, I mean, he played really well. He really, whenever he made a mistake, he got up and down. I mean, he played incredible golf, which obviously got I gotta respect that. It was, it was really cool to watch. And it’ll be interesting tomorrow, we’ll see. I mean, it’s gonna be weird being in the final group and being so far behind. But I mean, they told me this morning, I don’t know who told me, that Y.E. Yang won this tournament, and he was 10 strokes back going to the last round. Which I mean, this is a golf course that anything can happen, it really is. But yeah, today was fun, looking forward to tomorrow and we’ll see what happens.”

Charlie Lindh, in solo second through three rounds, shooting 68:

On his good performance on the difficult Woo Jeong Hills greens on Saturday:

“Yeah, I mean, obviously, if you hit the ball where you’re looking on these greens, it’s gonna go where you’re looking as well. Because they’re rolling so pure, it’s just that the holes are cut in very difficult hole locations. So, but as long as you’re on the right side, you got a good chance of making a putt.

Commenting on the green speed which has gone from 12.6 in the rainy first round, 12.1 on day two to 14.1 in the third round:

“I mean, you could definitely tell the difference, especially playing very early yesterday, where there was a little fog. Now they dried up this afternoon, and it got super quick. Just got to be careful out there on the greens.”

Still leading the tournament, and now by seven shots, Jiho Yang had this to say about his 67 which was the low round of the day:

“I shot a bogey early, but I had a bit of a cushion, so I didn’t let it bother me. I was actually pretty nervous playing alongside great players, but the atmosphere was great, which helped me finish strong. I don’t think I played aggressively a single day this week. I was actually just trying to play safe, but the putts just happened to drop. It just goes to show once again that Woo Jeong Hills is not a course you can overpower with just distance.”

About not his wife stepping down as a caddie due to having a baby soon:

“My wife has been talking a lot about ‘Mureogi’ [the baby’s nickname]. I give everything I have knowing my wife and Mureogi are with me. My wife never made big demands. Obviously, some things were tough because she wasn’t a professional caddie, but she is absolutely incredible for my mental game. That’s why we were able to win twice together.”

Final Round

Runner-up Charlie Lindh on his final round 73 after starting the day with a double-bogey:

“I mean, obviously I just got shocked by the pin on the first, and after like a poor chip shot, I three putted it. It was just, obviously I was nervous, but I was also surprised of how much break it was on that pin, which put me on a little defense mode going forward during the day. But got my confidence level up a bit, and yeah, awesome birdie on last. I felt like after missing that putt on 17, I was just.. I told myself I’m gonna make a four somehow. I don’t know how, but I’m gonna make a four. Managed hit a great third shot from 160 meters up to like three, four meters, and made that putt which was a good feeling. Obviously, it was a little unfortunate with that start that I couldn’t really go for the for the win.”

About playing with the winner in the final round:

“Yeah, I mean, he obviously played good all week, but he hit some worse shots at times, but he managed to save them – like as good as he needed for having that big of a lead. After that chip went in on nine, when it almost moved the hole a bit, that’s what counted. So, yeah, after that the tournament was over.”

Champion Jiho Yang after his 76 (+5) to go wire-to-wire and win by four shots:

“It’s finally over! And I think I can finally eat. I was so nervous this week, and I felt like I was throwing up without eating anything all day. I think I’ve had about eight bananas today and that’s it. I think I’m ready for a good night sleep tonight.”

On negotiating the qualifier for the KOLON Korea Open right after another tournament:

“I played in another event the week before and finished 17th playing in the final group. I didn’t play well in the last round, and I had a four-hour drive home, and I was completely exhausted knowing the qualifier was the very next day. I seriously debated whether to even go to the Korea Open and considered just taking the week off. But my wife insisted and even called a driver for me, and thanks to that, I made it to the qualifier. If she hadn’t done that, I wouldn’t be standing here right now.”

U$2million event to elevate Morocco’s growing stature across the MENA and global golf tourism landscape

The International Series returns to Morocco for its fourth edition next month, gaining fresh momentum with Visit Morocco on board as presenting partner.

The US$2million tournament will be held from 11–14 June on the iconic Red Course at Royal Golf Dar Es Salam, and is the third stop on The International Series this year.

Unheralded Korean wins wire-to-wire to become the first pre-qualifier to win in 68-year history of famous event

He triumphed by four shots after shooting a battling five-over-par 76 at Woo Jeong Hills Country Club – taking full advantage of his seven-stroke advantage at the start of the day.

The Korean finished on nine under, built on rounds of 65, 67 and 67, and also secured a place in The Open at Royal Birkdale in July, as this week’s event is part of the Open Qualifying Series.

Mexico’s Abraham Ancer enjoyed a good workout before next week’s LIV Golf Korea by tying for fifth after shooting a 73.

Jiho Yang.

However, it was Wang who unsettled Yang when he birdied three in a row from the second to close the gap to five after four holes.

Yang then steadied the ship by making his first birdie of the day on the par-five fifth, to move six ahead.

Wang then struck back once more making birdies on six and eight to close the gap to four before the pivotal ninth hole left Yang in a dominant position.

Charlie Lindh.

The win could not have come at a better time as his wife is expecting a baby soon. She is his regular caddie, including for his two wins, until getting pregnant.

Lindh was delighted to pull through at the end after his poor start.

The result beat his previous best finish, which was joint third in last year’s Taiwan Glass Taifong Open. He was full of praise for Yang’s today.

Jeunghun Wang.

Adding to the occasion is the am green IGPL Morocco Rising Stars, an Asian Development Tour event which will be held at Mazagan Beach & Golf Resort next week.

Pictures courtesy Korea Golf Association.

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International Series Morocco: Quotes of the week

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PIF Saudi International Postponed

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Philippine Open prizemoney reaches US$1million for first time in history

International Series Morocco: Quotes of the week

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