July 5: Scott Vincent was rewarded for showing the patience befitting a saint, making a late birdie on the 17th hole that edged him ahead by one shot at the end of the third round in the US$2 million International Series Morocco.

At the par-73 Royal Golf Dar Es Salam course on Saturday, the Zimbabwean started the penultimate round leading by two shots, and despite a solid day of ball striking, his putter refused to cooperate. Vincent made only two birdies in a bogey-free round of two-under par 71 and stayed ahead of the fast-charging Thai Settee Prakongvech (67), who closed with a disappointing bogey.

China’s Bobby Bai matched Settee’s 67 and took possession of third place on the leaderboard at nine-under par total. The Aussie duo of Jack Buchanan (68) and Maverick Antcliff (72), American Austen Truslow (69) and Thai Suteepat Prateeptienchai (71) were in a tie for fourth place at eight-under.

Two-time International Series champion, American Peter Uihlein (72) made a bogey on the last hole to slip and join China’s Yanwei Liu (71) in tied eighth place.

Scott Vincent of Zimbabwe. Picture by Steve Bardens/Asian Tour

Vincent’s was one of only two bogey-free rounds of the day, a clear indicator that the course was playing difficult, but the 33-year-old Denver, Colorado resident was rarely in trouble. He made a birdie on the par-five fifth hole and had several looks at birdies but failed to make any apart from the chip to two feet on the drivable par-four 17th hole.

On the par-four 16th, his birdie putt from 10 feet made a hard 360-degree horseshoe, and on the par-five 18th, he left it short by inches, again from 10 feet.

“It was great, a little challenging for me out there. I didn’t feel like I drove it particularly well, which just made it a little harder. All in all, it was nice, solid and steady, and always nice to play bogey-free, said the man whose last international win was almost three years and one month ago in the 2022 International Series England.

“The start was really the key. I made a couple of really good putts for par on two and three, and I think that really helped.”

Settee Prakongvech of Thailand. Picture by Steve Bardens/Asian Tour

Unlike Vincent, Settee holed several long putts in his round, which featured eight birdies and two bogeys. Two of the long putts came late in the day to save pars and the only mistake with the putter was the missed eight-footer for bogey on the 18th hole.

“I felt like I played really good golf. Everything was good today, especially my putting. I had some bad shots, but I could come back with a par save. On some of the difficult holes, I made difficult saves with some long putts,” said the 30-year-old from Chonburi, who finished runner-up last week in the Asian Development Tour event at the Al Maaden Golf Resort in Marrakech.

“I think I got used to the weather, but that week (in Marrakech) was hot. With the long flight from Thailand, I think coming one or two tournaments before has definitely helped me. And playing well last week, I gained confidence for this week.”

After making seven birdies in his 67, Bai managed to stay ahead of the pack in tied fourth place with a superb par when a bogey looked like a good result.

Bobby Bai of China. Picture by Steve Bardens/Asian Tour

“I felt like I played well today. Iron play was good and got the putter going a little bit on the front nine. Off the tee, I had a little bit of trouble but got a couple of lucky breaks,” said Bai, who spent a couple of years on the Korn Ferry Tour after turning pro in 2019.

“On the 18th, I just pulled my tee shot to the left in the trees and had to lay up to the fairway. That was like 227 yards to the pin, and the wind was down, right-to-left, so I felt like if I could get a seven-iron and draw it and catch the front, it would be pretty good. Hit a good shot to about six feet. It just had a lot of break on it. Par was very good on that hole.”

The International Series Morocco is the fourth of 10 elevated events on the Asian Tour calendar, which form a pathway to the LIV Golf League.

July 4: Scott Vincent is enjoying a solid 2025 – finishing inside the top-12 in seven of his 10 worldwide starts. Playing on African soil and on a golf course that has grass imported from his home country Zimbabwe could just be the tonic that secures his first win of the season as he took a two-shot lead at the halfway stage of the US$2 million International Series Morocco.

Vincent shot a brilliant seven-under par 66 on Friday at the par-73 Royal Golf Dar Es Salam course, the best round of the tournament so far, to reach a two-day total of nine-under 137.

Despite a disappointing three-putt bogey on his final hole (the ninth of the golf course), Vincent had done enough good work to jump to the top of the leaderboard, two shots clear of Australian Maverick Antcliff (70).

American Peter Uihlein (72), a two-time International Series champion last year, threatened to overtake Vincent in the evening. However, after reaching nine-under through 14 holes, he made three bogeys in his last four holes to drop down to a tie for third place at six-under par, where he was joined by the Thailand’s Suteepat Prateeptienchai (67).

Maverick Antcliff of Australia. Picture by Steve Bardens/Asian Tour

Defending champion Ben Campbell made a determined move with a 68 and was tied at 141 alongside John Lyras (71) of Australia, Charlie Lindh (69) of Sweden, Ekpharit Wu (70) of Thailand and Yanwei Liu (70) of China.

The cut fell at one-over par 147.

Vincent started from the 10th tee, and the 33-year-old made a brace of birdies on the 11th and 12th holes, then another on the 17th and 18th, and another on the second and third to get to six-under at that point.

“It actually feels a lot like the golf courses I grew up playing on in Zimbabwe, so there’s a bit of a home vibe going on. The grass is the same. Someone just told me today that they imported all the grass from Zimbabwe here, so that’s kind of cool. There’s definitely something about being on African soil that just feels great,” said Vincent.

“It was awesome. A lot of things went really well, so very happy about that. But tons of golf left.”

Talking about his form this year, he added: “It’s just the ups and downs of golf. I think we kind of find some form, lose some form, and it’s just part of what we do. I feel like I’m doing a lot of the same things that I’ve been doing for quite a few years, and maybe just tightening up on a few little things. But overall, it feels like it’s the same, and I feel like I’m the same, and just doing the same things.”

Antcliff, a three-time winner on PGA Tour China, is yet to win on the Asian Tour. The Brisbane resident put himself in a great position going into the weekend.

“It was pretty solid. I was out of position first couple of holes, made a couple of nice par putts, and then was really solid after that,” said the 32-year-old, whose best finish on the Asian Tour is a tied fourth place in the 2024 International Series Oman.

“My birdie on the third hole was the one that stood out. Hit a nice drive, just kicked into the left rough from where I got a bit of a flyer and got a little lucky. But it was still a nice shot from where I was and a nice birdie to make on a very difficult hole.”

Ben Campbell of New Zealand. Picture by Steve Bardens/Asian Tour

Campbell surged into contention with a bogey-free round that took his two-day tally to five-under 141.

The New Zealander made the most of the calm morning conditions and said: “I hit the ball really well. I didn’t really hole anything on the greens, unfortunately. Felt like it was a day that could have been a lot, lot better, so that was a little bit frustrating.”

Thailand’s Nitithorn Thippong scored the first hole-in-one of the tournament and credited his caddie Sebastian for the second competitive ace of his career.

Nicknamed ‘Fever’, Nitithorn raised the heat with a perfect five-iron shot that went straight in on the 206-yard second hole. It helped him close with a two-under 71.

“It was playing 203 yards, and there was no wind out there. I was going to grab my four-iron because it goes about 204 yards. I just wanted to land it on the green. And then, I just figured out with Sebastian that being short was better and hit the five-iron. It just landed like four or five yards before the pin and got a big bounce and went straight in,” said Nitithorn.

The International Series Morocco is the fourth of 10 elevated events on the Asian Tour calendar, which form a pathway to the LIV Golf League.

July 4: It’s the only Asian Tour event this year that is being played in his continent, and Zimbabwean Scottie Vincent is making sure he has plenty of say in how the US$2 million International Series Morocco leaderboard shapes up during the weekend.

Vincent closed with a disappointing three-putt bogey on his final hole on Friday at the par-73 Royal Golf of Dar Es Salam course, but he had done enough good work before that to shoot a seven-under par 66 and jump to the top of the leaderboard at nine-under 137.

Australian Maverick Antcliff was two shots behind Vincent at seven-under after a round of 70, as defending champion Ben Campbell made a determined move with a 68 and was tied at 141 total alongside John Lyras (71) of Australia and Charlie Lindh (69) of Sweden.

Vincent started from the 10th tee, and continued his fine run of form that has seen him finish inside the top-12 in seven of his 10 worldwide starts this year.

Maverick Antcliff of Australia. Picture by Steve Bardens/Asian Tour

The 33-year-old made a brace of birdies on the 11th and 12th holes, then another on the 17th and 18th, and another on the second and third to get to 6-under at that point.

“It actually feels a lot like the golf courses I grew up playing on in Zimbabwe, so there’s a bit of a home vibe going on. The grass is the same. Someone just told me today that they imported all the grass from Zimbabwe here, so that’s kind of cool. There’s definitely something about being on African soil that just feels great,” said Vincent.

“It was awesome. A lot of things went really well, so very happy about that. But tons of golf left.”

Talking about his form this year, he added:  “It’s just the ups and downs of golf. I think we kind of find some form, lose some form, and it’s just part of what we do. I feel like I’m doing a lot of the same things that I’ve been doing for quite a few years, and maybe just tightening up on a few little things. But overall, it feels like it’s the same, and I feel like I’m the same, and just doing the same things.”

Antcliff, a three-time winner on PGA Tour China, is yet to win on the Asian Tour. The Brisbane resident put himself in great position going into the weekend.

“It was pretty solid. I was out of position first couple of holes, made a couple of nice par putts, and then was really solid after that,” said the 32-year-old, whose best finish on the Asian Tour is a tied fourth place in the 2024 International Series Oman.

“My birdie on the third hole was the one that stood out. Hit a nice drive, just kicked into the left rough and got a bit of a flyer and got a little lucky. But it was still a nice shot from where I was and a nice birdie to make on a very difficult hole.”

Nitithorn Thippong of Thailand. Picture by Steve Bardens/Asian Tour

Campbell surged into contention with a bogey-free round that took his two-day tally to five-under 141.

The New Zealander made the most of the calm morning conditions and said: “I hit the ball really well. I didn’t really hole anything on the greens, unfortunately. Felt like it was a day that could have been a lot, lot better, so that was a little bit frustrating.”

Thailand’s Nitithorn Thippong scored the first hole-in-one of the tournament and credited his caddie Sebastian for the second competitive ace of his career.

Nicknamed ‘Fever’, Thippong raised the heat with a perfect five-iron shot that went straight in on the 206-yard second hole. It helped him close with a two-under 71.

“It was playing 203 yards, and there was no wind out there. I was going to grab my four-iron because it goes about 204 yards. I just wanted to land it on the green. And then, I just figured out with Sebastian that being short was better and hit the five-iron. It just landed like four or five yards before the pin and got a big bounce and went straight in,” said Thippong.

The International Series Morocco is the fourth of 10 elevated events on the Asian Tour calendar, which form a pathway to the LIV Golf League.

July 3: John Catlin, the reigning Asian Tour Order of Merit champion, wasn’t having the best of seasons this year after a fantastic 2024 but roared back into form on a golf course he loves. The American started the US$2 million International Series Morocco with a five-under par 68 and a tie for the lead in the opening round Thursday.

Catlin, who was denied here at the par-73 Royal Golf of Dar Es Salam course last year by New Zealand’s Ben Campbell’s stunning eagle-birdie finish and lost in a playoff, was six-under through his opening nine – the back nine of the golf course. However, two bogeys and a birdie on his way back dropped him to a share of the lead with two-time International Series champion, Peter Uihlein.

As the wind picked up slightly in the evening and the greens became trickier, the marker set by Catlin and Uihlein, who were in the third and fourth groups, respectively, to tee off from the 10th tee in the morning, held until the end of the day.

Australian Maverick Antcliff, only one of four bogey-free rounds during the day, threatened from the afternoon groups. With four birdies, he joined Korea’s Hongtaek Kim, winner of the GS Caltex Maekyung Open last year, and Thailand’s Sarit Suwannarut in a tie for third place on 69.

Peter Uihlein of the USA. Picture by Steve Bardens/Asian Tour

China’s Sampson Zheng, who reached Morocco only on Wednesday after successfully qualifying for the Open Championship on Tuesday, was another player who navigated the Robert Trent Jones Junior-designed course without dropping a shot. He was in a group of eight players tied in sixth place at 70.

Catlin has just one top-10 finish this year, but he seems to have rediscovered the touch that helped him win in Macau and Saudi Arabia last year, apart from posting three runners-up finishes.

The 34-year-old from Sacramento started with a birdie on the 10th hole and added five more as he made the turn in six-under. On his back nine, Catlin made a three-putt bogey following a tricky first putt before dropping another shot on the par-five fifth hole. A birdie on the par-five eighth completed his score.

“Yeah, it was very solid. Wish I could have played the third hole a bit better. I had an 18-footer with a two-and-a-half-foot break and rolled it seven feet past. Not much you can do there from seven feet. Outside of that, I played pretty much flawless golf. Very happy with the start, but three more rounds to go. Let’s see,” said Catlin.

Asked if he had some unfinished business in the tournament after the heartbreak of last year, Catlin added: “No. It’s a new year.

“I love the golf course. I think that was part of my attitude last year. I think it really suits my game. You have to put in play off the tees. You have to be very precise with your irons. You’re going to miss some greens, so short game is going to be important. I feel like it really favours my game.”

Maverick Antcliff of Australia. Picture by Steve Bardens/Asian Tour

Uihlein used his length to great advantage once again, and that was most evident coming in with birdies on the par-five fifth and eighth holes. Starting from the 10th, Uihlein overcame a string of disappointing early holes with four straight birdies from the 15th to the 18th holes and made the turn at three-under.

“It was a bit of a mixed bag with the start. It was really ugly, and I scrambled quite a bit, made some nice pars. And then I kind of got going, made a bunch of birdies in a row. And then, I was kind of cruising, had a lot of looks, but did not make any before finishing with a couple of birdies,” said Uihlein, winner of the International Series titles in Qatar and England last year.

“The driver is really the big thing for me. Just with those trees, I’m trying to get as close to the greens and keep it between the trees. With the greens being as soft as they are, it’s pretty gettable.”

Antcliff, who is trying to win for the first time on the Asian Tour, made two birdies on either side of the golf course.

“It’s a great golf course. I came here for the first time last year. The wind got up a little bit towards the end and it was a little bit bouncier than in the practice round days, but that is expected once the tournament starts,” said the 32 year old from Brisbane.

“I just tried to stay patient out there. Hit some good shots and didn’t take advantage of them, and hit some good shots and took advantage of them. I got out of position a couple of times and made some nice up and down. There was a lot of good from all parts of my games. So, happy with the day.”

Suwannarut was bogey-free for his round, in which he holed a brilliant long bunker shot on the par-three 2nd hole. Like Catlin, Kim also fell prey to the tricky third hole, his only bogey of the day.

The International Series Morocco is the fourth of 10 elevated events on the Asian Tour calendar, which form a pathway to the LIV Golf League.

July 3: John Catlin continued his love affair with the Royal Golf of Dar Es Salam course, starting the US$2 million International Series Morocco with a five-under par 68 and a tie for lead at the halfway stage of the opening round on Thursday.

American Catlin, who was denied here last year by New Zealand’s Ben Campbell’s stunning eagle-birdie finish and lost in a playoff, was six-under through his opening nine – the back nine of the golf course. However, two bogeys on his way back dropped him to a share of the lead with another multiple International Series champion, American Peter Uihlein.

Korea’s Hongtaek Kim, winner of the GS Caltex Maekyung Open last year, and Thailand’s Sarit Suwannarut were tied third on 69, while Australia’s Kevin Yuan and Thai Chanat Sakulpolphaisan were a further shot behind on a calm Thursday morning.

Catlin, the reigning Asian Tour No.1, has just one top-10 finish this year, but he seems to have rediscovered the touch that helped him win in Macau and Saudi Arabia last year and post three runners-up finishes.

Peter Uihlein of the USA. Picture by Steve Bardens/Asian Tour

The 34-year-old from Sacramento started with a birdie on the 10th hole and added five more as he made the turn in six-under. On his back nine, Catlin made a three-putt bogey following a tricky first putt before dropping another shot on the par-five fifth hole. A closing birdie on the par-five eighth completed his score.

“Yeah, it was very solid. Wish I could have played the third hole a bit better. I had an 18-footer with a two-and-a-half-foot break and rolled it seven feet past. Not much you can do there from seven feet. Outside of that, I played pretty much flawless golf. So very, very happy with the start. Three more rounds to go,” said Catlin.

Asked if he had some unfinished business in the tournament after the heartbreak of last year, Catlin added: “No. It’s a new year.

“I love the golf course. I think that was part of my attitude last year. I think it really suits my game. You have to put it in play off the tees. You have to be very precise with your irons. You’re going to miss some greens, so short game is going to be important. I feel like it really favours my game.”

Sarit Suwannarut of Thailand. Picture by Steve Bardens/Asian Tour

Uihlein used his length to great advantage once again, and that was most evident coming in with birdies on the par-five fifth and eighth holes. After starting from the 10th, Uihlein finally overcame a string of disappointing early holes with four straight birdies from the 15th to the 18th holes to make the turn at three-under.

“It was a bit of a mixed bag with the start. It was really ugly, and I scrambled quite a bit, made some nice pars. And then I kind of got going, made a bunch of birdies in a row, and then was kind of cruising, had a lot of looks, but did not make any before finishing with a couple of birdies,” said Uihlein, winner of the International Series Qatar and England last year.

“The driver in really the big thing for me. Just with those trees, I’m trying to kind of get as close to the greens and keep it between the trees. And with the greens being as soft as they are, it’s pretty gettable.”

Suwannarut was bogey-free for his round, in which he holed a brilliant long bunker shot on the par-three second hole. Like Catlin, Kim also fell prey to the tricky third hole, his only bogey of the day.

The International Series Morocco is the fourth of 10 elevated events on the Asian Tour calendar, which form a pathway to the LIV Golf League.

South African major winner Charl Schwartzel knows all about bringing pride to the continent of Africa after his memorable Masters triumph in 2011, and the LIV Golf star is hoping that the International Series Morocco can prove to be a breeding ground for yet more future champions from the region.

Schwartzel is the headliner for the fourth of 10 elevated events on the Asian Tour this week, which takes place at the Royal Golf Dar Es Salam’s Red Course in Rabat. The 40-year-old Stinger GC man will be going in search of his first tournament win since 2022 – when he landed the inaugural LIV Golf Invitational London title.

Schwartzel, who tees off at 12:50 local time in the marquee group with defending champion New Zealand’s Ben Campbell and Sadom Kaewkanjana of Thailand, said: “It is a fantastic opportunity for everyone. It is great to play in these International Series events for us (LIV Golf players), and it is even better for the guys playing for the opportunity (to get onto the LIV Golf League at the end of the season).

Charl Schwartzel is attempting to win for the first time since the 2022 LIV Golf Invitational London.

“The whole thing about the Asian Tour and the International Series, and LIV Golf, is that they move around, and so we get to play various parts of the world and expose the game in these destinations. That offers a wonderful opportunity.”

This year’s event provided even more rewards to budding talent from the region, through two Asian Development Tour events in Marrakech that offered competition and a qualification route for golfers from the region and across Asia. Schwartzel added: “I think that is an amazing opportunity for local players from Morocco.

“These tournaments offer a way to qualify to get into bigger events like this, which could potentially be life-changing. The experience is something that money cannot buy – the experience built up will serve the local players very well.”

Local hero Ayoub Lguirati is one of the leading lights for golf in North Africa. He is one of eight Moroccan players in the field this week, eager to test themselves against some of the best in the world.

Schwartzel says the International Series Morocco will be an experience money can’t buy for local players.

The Moroccan will be hoping to replicate or improve on the form that brought a T28 in the first edition of the tournament in 2022, followed a week later by a T37 at the International Series Egypt which only told half the story – he was T9 at the halfway stage in Cairo.

Lguirati, who tees off at 8am local time in a group with Jaco Ahlers of South Africa and Thailand’s David Boriboonsub, believes the development of golf in Morocco is on the right track. He said: “The game is growing and it is very welcome. The new generation is motivated, and the FRMG programmes are a tremendous help, down to the clear vision of His Royal Highness Prince Moulay Rachid.

“He has a vision to develop champions and elevate Morocco on the international stage, and with more support and world-class international tournaments like this, we can deliver and keep rising to the challenge.”

Lguirati has seen a wealth of talent emerge from Morocco in recent times, and he is confident the next generation can go on to even bigger and better things. His advice?

“Stay disciplined and work hard every day. Nothing comes easy, but with hard work, everything is possible.”

Pictures by Steven Bardens/Asian Tour.

The third International Series Morocco starts tomorrow, returning to Royal Golf Dar Es Salam – the event’s regular home.

New Zealand’s Ben Campbell is back to defend the title he won last year, following a sudden-death play-off with American John Catlin, as is Jazz Janewattananond from Thailand, winner of the inaugural event in 2022.

It will be the one and only stop by the Asian Tour on the African continent this season and promises to be another magical week in Morocco’s capital city Rabat. The Asian Development Tour has just spent two weeks in Marrakech, for the first time, so the momentum has been building ahead of this exciting week.

The International Series Morocco is the eighth stop of the season on the Asian Tour.

Tournament Information

• Tournament name: International Series Morocco
• Date: 3-6 July, 2025
• Venue: Red Course, Royal Golf Dar Es Salam, Rabat, Morocco
• Par/Yards: 73 / 7,596 yards
• Purse: US$2 million (First place US$360,000)
• Defending champion: Ben Campbell (NZL)
• Asian Tour leg: Eighth
• International Series leg: Fourth
• Edition of tournament: Third
• Total number of players: 156
• Format: Strokeplay over four rounds of 18 holes with cut made after 36 holes. The leading 65 professionals plus ties make it through to the weekend.
• Social media hashtags: #TimeToRise #InternationalSeries #ThisISEverything

View towards the 11th green on the Red Course at Royal Golf Dar Es Salam.

Field Breakdown

• Former winners: Ben Campbell (NZL), 2024, Jazz Janewattananond (THA), 2022
• Winners from this year:

1. Julien Sale (FRA) – Smart Infinity Philippine Open
2. Ollie Schniederjans (USA) – International Series India presented by DLF
3. Ryan Peake (AUS) – New Zealand Open presented by Sky Sport
4. Sadom Kaewkanjana (THA) – Kolon Korea Open

• Order of Merit winners: John Catlin (USA), 2024, Andy Ogletree (USA), 2023 Sihwan Kim (USA), 2022, Jazz Janewattananond (THA), 2019
• Nationalities: 31
• Highest ranked player on OWGR: John Catlin (USA) #154
• Highest ranked player on 2025 Asian Tour Order of Merit: Sadom Kaewkanjana (THA) #2
• Highest ranked player on the 2025 International Series Rankings: Ollie Schniederjans (USA) # T2
• Number of amateurs: four
• Number of Moroccan players: eight

Ryan Peake is one of four winners from this season competing.

Tournament Notes

• Defending champion Ben Campbell of New Zealand will be making his second Asian Tour start of 2025 after mainly playing on the LIV Golf League as part of the Range Goats GC team. His best result on LIV Golf is a third-place finish in Singapore and he’s currently 33^rd in the standings. He has two International Series victories on his resume, having won the Hong Kong Open in 2023 and Morocco last year. Campbell finished second on the Asian Tour Order of Merit and third in The International Series Rankings in 2024.
• American John Catlin, who lost this tournament in a play-off to Campbell last year, has posted one top-10 in three starts in the 2025 season, placing seventh at the New Zealand Open presented by Sky Sport in early March. The 2024 Asian Tour Order of Merit champion had a spectacular season last year, posting wins in Macau and Saudi Arabia, three runners-up and eight top 10s on the way to setting the all-time Money List record with US$1,456,800.
• Thailand’s Sadom Kaewkanjana won the most recent Asian Tour event, the Kolon Korean Open in late May, and also recorded a T2 in the Smart Infinity Philippine Open, the first tournament of 2025. He’s currently second on the Asian Tour Order of Merit behind Mexico’s Carlos Ortiz.
• Scott Vincent from Zimbabwe has had good results on the Asian Tour this season, with a T4 in the Kolon Korea Open and top 10s in the Smart Infinity Philippine Open and International Series India Presented by DLF. In two starts on the Japan Golf Tour in 2025 he has posted a T5 at the Gateway to the Open Mizuno Open and a T9 at the Maezawa Cup.
• Peter Uihlein from the U.S. won two International Series events in 2024, in England and Qatar, and was narrowly pipped by Joaquin Niemann to top the International Series Rankings at the end of the year. In two Asian Tour starts this year he has a T10 in the International Series Macau presented by Wynn as his best result. Playing the LIV Golf League on the Range Goats GC squad, Uihlein’s highest finish this season has been a T6 at the Hong Kong event.
• 2011 Masters Champion Charl Schwartzel from South Africa and Americans Caleb Surratt and Andy Ogletree – the 2023 International Series Rankings champion – are competing, as well as Mito Pereira from Chile.
• Filipino cousins Carl Jano Corpus and Aidric Chan are set to enjoy the biggest week of their fledgling careers, thanks to success at the two Asian Development Tour (ADT) tournaments played in Marrakech over the past few weeks. Chan won the first and Corpus the next to top a cumulative money list for the events, which earned the top two a place in this week’s tournament. Chan currently tops the ADT Order of Merit.
• Morocco’s Ayoub Lguirati who grabbed the headlines in the 2022 edition with an impressive display, that ultimately brought a T28 finish, returns to Rabat this week.
• Royal Golf Dar Es Salam was designed by Robert Trent Jones and is just 15 minutes from the centre of Rabat. Its grounds cover some 440 hectares and offers 45 holes spread over three courses: the Red, Blue and Green, a nine-hole layout.

Pictures by Steve Bardens/Asian Tour.

Filipino cousins Carl Jano Corpus and Aidric Chan are set to enjoy the biggest week of their fledgling careers at the International Series Morocco, thanks to success at the two Asian Development Tour (ADT) tournaments played in Marrakech.

The Morocco Rising Stars Marrakech tournaments, played over the past two weeks and jointly sanctioned with the Arab Golf Federation (AGF) as part of a three-year commitment, offered the top two players on a combined money list a place in the 156-man field for the Morocco showpiece at Royal Golf Dar Es Salam in Rabat.

Last week, 21-year-old Chan [main picture] carded a solid seven-under par 65 final round to edge out India’s Karandeep Kochhar by a shot to win the first one at the Jack Nicklaus-designed Samanah Golf Club.

And at the weekend it was his 23-year-old cousin Corpus who claimed victory at Al Maaden Golf Resorts – in only his fifth start on the ADT and sixth as a professional.

Carl Jano Corpus won the second Morocco Rising Stars Marrakech event in just his fifth ADT start.

He edged Thailand’s Settee Prakongvech by one shot after a bogey-free, seven-under final round of 65 on the Kyle Phillips-designed golf course.

Corpus, who also tied ninth at Samanah, topped the aggregate money list for the two back-to-back ADT events, with Chan in second place.

Corpus said: “I am a champion. That is something that is not going to be taken away from me, something that I have until the rest of my life. I am excited about the opportunity to play in an International Series event.

“It is all about getting the opportunity to play in bigger events, so I can showcase my talent, the support I get back home and the hard work that I put in to get here.”

Chan, who also won the Lexus Challenge in Vietnam on the ADT in March, currently leads the ADT Order of Merit, with Corpus in fourth place.

The International Series Morocco starts on Thursday and boasts a stellar field that includes 2011 Masters Champion Charl Schwartzel from South Africa and defending champion Ben Campbell from New Zealand.

Both are part of a strong LIV Golf League contingent here in Morocco that also features American stars Peter Uihlein, Caleb Surratt and Andy Ogletree – the 2023 International Series Rankings champion – as well as Mito Pereira from Chile.

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New Zealand’s Ben Campbell produced a stunning finish to win the US$2 million International Series Morocco last year when he made a 20-foot birdie putt on the par-five 18th to beat John Catlin in the first play-off hole. Story from the 2024 Yearbook.

At the Red Course at Royal Golf Dar Es Salam, it looked like a done deal for American Catlin, winner of the International Series Macau presented by Wynn and the PIF Saudi Open earlier in the year, when he reached the par-four 17th hole on Sunday with a lead of three shots.

However, Campbell, who closed with a two-under-par 71, made a sensational eagle on the par-four 17th and a birdie on 18 in regulation play to tie Catlin (72) on 15-under-par, before making the all-important birdie in the first extra hole.

“That was a great finish,” said the 33-year-old from Queenstown, winner of the Hong Kong Open in 2023. “I didn’t have my best out there today and I just kept saying to Mike [his caddie], I’ve just got to find something and just stay patient. I told him if I can find a birdie eagle, you never know what can happen. So, I did that, and then to hole a putt like that in the play-off, it’s always good.”

Victory in Morocco was Ben Campbell’s second success on the Asian Tour. Picture by Paul Lakatos/Asian Tour.

American Caleb Surratt (71) and Spaniard Eugenio Chacarra (73) tied for third at 12-under par, three behind the top duo. Chacarra was the only one left in the hunt alongside Campbell and Catlin, but two bogeys coming in – on the 13th and 16th holes – threw a spanner in his works.

Catlin led wire-to-wire for 70 holes, opening up with a 64 on the par-73 course and following up with rounds of 71 and 68 before a seventh Asian Tour title was denied.

His only hiccup was a bogey-bogey start to his final round, but with Campbell also matching those numbers having started the day one behind, the leaderboard did not change. The Californian did not make any bogeys after that, but a par-par finish meant Campbell caught up with him in the end.

“You just have to tip the cap. I mean the guy goes two, four, four to finish. He probably made 130 feet of putts to win on the last three holes. All you can do is shake his hand and say well done,” said the 33-year-old Catlin.

“I played great. You know, I never, never gave in. I just kept battling. Kept chipping away. That birdie on the 15th gave me a decent little cushion there. I’m very pleased with the way I played.”

Before his bogeys on the first two holes on Sunday, Campbell had gone a remarkable 105 holes –five rounds and 15 holes – without a bogey on the Asian Tour, including his previous outing at the International Series Macau presented by Wynn, where he was bogey-free for his last two rounds.

Surratt, who played the 2024 LIV Golf season as part of Jon Rahm’s Legion XIII team and was the youngest player in League at 20, was playing in his first International Series event of the season and was delighted with his tied third place finish.

Before his bogeys on the first two holes on Sunday, Campbell had gone a remarkable 105 holes –five rounds and 15 holes – without a bogey. Picture by Paul Lakatos/Asian Tour.

The young American star started with a modest 72 to be tied 42nd, but improved with rounds of 69, 68 and 71 and earned his first Official World Golf Ranking points of the year.

Surratt said: “I didn’t know it was going to be as good as this at my first International Series event, so it was definitely way more than I expected. It was a really good week and definitely gave me something good to build off of going into LIV Golf Andalucia.”

Italy’s Stefano Mazzoli and the consistent Travis Smyth of Australia were tied fifth at 11-under.

An interesting sidelight of the tournament was the performance of Zimbabwean Scott Vincent, who finished tied 13th, but that included playing his opening round with rental clubs and a two-shot penalty incurred for arriving late for his tee time after a mad dash to Casablanca airport to find out if his clubs arrived.

Vincent’s par four on the first was turned into a six, but he fought back to finish with a 68 to be two behind Catlin and Kiwi Kazuma Kobori on Thursday.

“I misjudged the timing coming back (on Thursday). We made one wrong turn and that put me a few minutes behind,” said the 2022 International Series Rankings champion.

“My clubs had arrived at about 9.30 that morning, so I was there waiting for them. I could see with my Apple tags that they were in the airport, but I just couldn’t get to them in time. It was hard letting them go knowing that I was within 20 metres of them somewhere. But yeah, I had to leave them in order to try and make the tee time and maybe left a little too late.”

Reigning Link Hong Kong Open champion Patrick Reed from the Unites States has claimed his first individual title on the LIV Golf League after winning in Dallas on Sunday.

The American prevailed against England’s Paul Casey, South African Louis Oosthuizen and Japan’s Jinichiro Kozuma – who like Reed is a member of the Asian Tour.

Reed, who also came close to winning the International Series Macau presented by Wynn this year finishing second, drained a tough birdie putt from about 17 feet on the first play-off hole to secure victory.

He had a three-shot lead going into the final round but closed with a three-over-par  75, at Maridoe Golf Club.

Patrick Reed’s win was also his first in his home state. Picture by Al Chang/ISI Photos/ISI Photos via Getty Images.

It marks the first time that Houston-area resident Reed has claimed a pro tournament of any kind in his native state of Texas.

For Reed it was a long-anticipated individual title in his 41st regular-season LIV Golf start. Although he’s celebrated seven team victories with 4Aces, he’s been arguably the best golfer without an individual win. His last win in Texas came as a junior golfer.

He said: “I don’t like hearing those numbers, that it took me 41 times just to win out here. It took too long, I felt like, but to check two things off and win for the first time on LIV and also doing it in my home state means a lot.”

4Aces finished second behind American Bryson DeChambeau’s Crushers GC side, who recorded a runaway 11-shot win. India’s Anirban Lahiri, a seven-time winner on the Asian Tour and the Order of Merit champion in 2015, also plays for Crushers.