Asian Tour Order of Merit leader John Catlin from the Unites States moved into his familiar position on top of the leaderboard today after an opening round seven-under-par 66 gave him the lead, along with New Zealand’s rising star Kazuma Kobori, in the US$2 million International Series Morocco.

Filipino Miguel Tabuena is next best placed with a 67, on the par-73 Red Course here at Royal Golf Dar Es Salam in the capital Rabat.

Zimbabwe’s Scott Vincent, playing with borrowed clubs and penalised two shots for arriving late on the first tee – just 30 seconds away from a DQ – shot a remarkable 68, along with Hong Kong’s Taichi Kho, Ben Campbell from New Zealand, Frenchman Sebastien Gros, Spain’s Eugenio Chacarra, Yanwei Liu from China, and Japan’s Jinichiro Kozuma.

Catlin, who cruised around bogey-free like Kobori and Tabuena, has arrived in Rabat high on confidence, having made an impressive debut on the LIV Golf League last month.

Kazuma Kobori. Picture by Paul Lakatos/Asian Tour.

He made an eagle and five birdies, evidence he is still playing the exceptionally high level of golf that saw him win the International Series Macau presented by Wynn and the Saudi Open presented by PIF back-to-back this year.

“Just very solid,” said the American, who is also second on The International Series Rankings.

“Hit a lot of really good shots. Actually left a few out there, it could have been even better, but I am very, very pleased with how I played. I am looking forward to the next three days.”

The 33-year-old, a six-timer winner on the Asian Tour, is enjoying arguably his finest season, with one reward being invites to the LIV Golf League. He finished joint 24^th in Houston, tied for seventh in Nashville and will head to Valderrama next week.

He added: “It’s just hard work and sticking to the process. I am continuing to learn from the failures from the past in order to get better. I think that’s all you can ever do.”

Kobori, aged just 22 and New Zealand’s great hope for the future playing in his first International Series event, was unwell earlier in the week and was thrilled to have produced the goods on day one.

Miguel Tabuena with his sister-in-law and caddie Kayla Nucom. Picture by Paul Lakatos/Asian Tour.

He said: “Unfortunately I got a bit ill on Tuesday and Wednesday, so I only got to play yesterday. I would’ve liked to have played it a bit more but hopefully I’ve still got three more rounds to play in which I am really looking forward to.

“Honestly, I don’t know how I managed it because I didn’t even touch a club Tuesday. You should have seen the shots I was hitting on the range this morning but that being said, and once I got underway, I started to hit it quite nicely. Yeah, I don’t know it all just came together when I needed it to.”

He turned professional at the end of 2023 after a brilliant amateur career that saw him claim the individual title at the Eisenhower Trophy and the Australian Amateur earlier in the year. In 2019 he also won the New Zealand PGA Championship on the PGA Tour of Australia – the circuit where he won three successive titles earlier this year for his maiden wins as a professional.

Tabuena finished fifth in the Kolon Korea Open two weeks ago for his best finish of the season on the Asian Tour. He had got his game back on track by going back to a set of clubs and a putter he had used before and this week, much to his relief, he has picked up where he left off.

“I had no idea why I experimented (with new clubs),” said Tabuena.

Scott Vincent. Picture by Paul Lakatos/Asian Tour.

“It’s great to be to be hitting it well again. It’s very good to be holding that old putter that I had used for the last three years. It seems to be coming along. It’s not quite there. I had a few mental errors but there’s three days to go and it does look like it’s working now.

“I took advantage of the calmer conditions in the morning but I’m pretty tired. I’m still jetlagged. I actually have my whole team here this week.”

One of those team members is on his bag. He explained: “It was great. We were having fun the whole time. It’s my sister-in-law on the bag, Kayla. And it’s a bit different, but it seems to be working. I’m loving every second of it.”

Vincent was narrowly late for his tee-time as he had gone to Casablanca airport to collect his golf clubs, which like his brother Kieran, had not arrived with him. Unfortunately, the clubs had still not arrived and upon his return to Royal Golf Dar Es Salam he played with a set from the club pro plus a two-shot penalty, with his par on the first turned into a double.

He said: “I had zero expectations today but feel we definitely learned something that will help us to get better in the future.”

Thailand’s Phachara Khongwatmai and Sarit Suwannarut, Australian Travis Smyth, Swede Charlie Lindh, Yeongsu Kim from Korea and Indian Rayhan Thomas, who recently turned pro, all returned 69s.

The defending champion Jazz Janewattananond from Thailand fired a 73.

This week’s event is the eighth of the season on the Asian Tour and the third of 10 stops on The International Series.

American John Catlin admits the lure of a place on the LIV Golf League is now a big motivating factor as he goes in search of victory at the International Series Morocco, which starts today.

The American won last time out on The International Series, with a thrilling sudden-death play-off victory over David Puig from Spain at the International Series Macau presented by Wynn in March.
He followed that up with victory next time out, winning the Saudi Open presented by PIF to move top of the Asian Tour Order of Merit and second behind Mexico’s Carlos Ortiz on the The International Series Rankings – with top spot automatically earning a place on the LIV Golf League.

Catlin’s great form also earned an invite as an alternate on the LIV Golf League. The American has impressed with a T24 in Houston and a T7 in Nashville, and is also set to play next week in Andalucia as he continues to deputise for the injured Charles Howell III on the Crushers GC team.

Talking shop: John Catlin, Branden Grace and Ayoub Lguirati pictured during a press conference on Wednesday. Picture by Paul Lakatos/Asian Tour.

Having experienced the LIV Golf League, the six-time Asian Tour champion is eager to do all he can to earn a permanent place via the rankings system, starting right here in Morocco this week where invaluable points are at stake.

He said: “It (The international Series) is definitely priority one for me now. Having experienced the LIV Golf events, they are really cool. We are very well looked after and playing that calibre of field for that kind of money is something we all want. That is priority one and I am looking for what will unfold over the next eight events.”

South African Branden Grace is also looking for a big weekend in Morocco. The Stinger GC player jetted in overnight from Open final qualifying in the UK, where he narrowly missed out on a spot in the fourth major of the season, losing out on a play-off after a gruelling 36 holes.

Grace finished second and ninth in consecutive seasons on the LIV Golf League, but is currently in the lower reaches of the standings. With four events left on the LIV campaign this season, he is eager to put together a run of good results and move away from the drop zone.

Catlin and Lguirati are enjoying the ride in Morocco this week. Picture by Paul Lakatos/Asian Tour.

Grace was happy with his performance over two rounds at the Open qualifying in midweek, and is looking to continue that form on the Red Course.

He said: “It is nice to be back in Morocco, this is a great golf course, it is tough and I am ready to go. I am a little tired as I got to bed at 3am after 36 holes and an extra two. It is what it is. I found I played really well in tough conditions and can take a lot going into this week.

“Listen, it (The International Series) is a great stepping stone for the guys playing out here full time, trying to get onto LIV. For me, I see myself coming here for the chance to play a week before a big event (LIV Golf Andalucia), even just to find something to take into those events.

“Obviously it is a great opportunity for World Ranking points, and if things don’t go your way (on the LIV Golf League), you are only one win away from giving yourself a great chance to be back there if you need it (via the International Series Rankings).”

Local hero Ayoub Lguirati is eager to replicate the great form that earned him a superb T28 finish two years ago in the tournament ultimately won by Jazz Janewattananond from Thailand. One of nine Moroccan players in the field this week, he said: “I feel stronger and better than two years ago, thanks to my experience on the Asian Development Tour and The International Series.

“I learned a lot and I will do my best to play well and represent my country. This is a great opportunity for the Moroccan players, it is like two years ago for me. The tournament opened a lot of doors for me. So it is a great opportunity for them to improve and play in international tournaments.”

Up-and-coming Pakistan golfer Ahmad Baig admits his “dream has come true” as he prepares to face up to some world-class talent at International Series Morocco this week.

Baig received a tournament invite to the Royal Dar Es Salam in Rabat after a stellar season so far on the Asian Development Tour (ADT). The 26-year-old leads the current ADT Order of Merit thanks to two tournament wins in Vietnam, the season-opening Lexus Challenge in March and the Nam A Bank Vietnam Masters last month.

Baig only took up the game 10 years ago, and he is pinching himself at the prospect of lining up in a field that includes nine LIV Golf League players and the cream of the Asian Tour.

He said: “My dream is to play on the Asian Tour, and today it feels like my dreams have come true, because I am playing, and this is my first time playing on The International Series. I feel extremely excited to be playing and competing against these big names.”

Ahmad Baig currently leads the ADT Order of Merit after two wins. Picture by Paul Lakatos/Asian Tour.

This is Baig’s second Asian Tour appearance of the season, and he hopes to go one better after narrowly missing the cut in the Saudi Open presented by PIF. On that occasion he fell agonisingly short, as a bogey on his last cost him a place on the weekend.

He said: “That was very painful. I played well but sadly on the last I managed to bogey from 20 yards – I just overhit a chip and then could not close out. Hopefully I have learned from my mistakes.”

Baig is always eager to learn, from his experience and from those around him. He has a wonderful opportunity to gain experience against some top names this week.

The assembled field includes stars such as 2010 US Open champion Graeme McDowell of Smash GC, South African’s Branden Grace (Stinger GC) and the American trio of Pat Perez (4Aces GC), Peter Uihlein (RangeGoats GC) and Caleb Surratt (Legion XIII), as well as in-form Asian Tour Order of Merit leader John Catlin, and multiple Asian Tour winners Gaganjeet Bhullar, Scott Hend and defending champion Jazz Janewattananond.

He said: “I am always trying to learn from them because they are the best players in the world. So any time these players are at the range or working on their short game, or putting, of course I will take the opportunity to watch and learn. I am also excited to compete against these big names.”

Baig received an invite to this week’s event in Morocco . Picture by Paul Lakatos/Asian Tour.

Pakistan may not be known as a hotbed of golfing talent, but Baig took to the game immediately after being introduced to it by his brother, who worked at the Lahore Garrison Greens Golf Club.

Now a member of the Royal Palm Golf Club in Lahore, he is reaping the rewards of all those hours of practice where he tried to emulate heroes, he watched on TV including Tiger Woods, Adam Scott and Rory McIlroy.

With a swing speed of 124, a driving average of 310 to 315 yards and two wins under his belt, he is on track to live the dream by graduating from the ADT to full Asian Tour status next season.

But this season, he’s delighted to gain invaluable experience, and he’s one of a number of players from the MENA region who are getting the chance to take on the heavyweights of the Asian Tour and the LIV Golf League thanks to the pathway that The International Series provides for promising talent, whether amateur or pro, at events over the course of the season.

So how does he feel going into this week’s event on a testing Red Course? He said: “I have never played here before and we do not have courses like this in Pakistan. It is a challenging course, the greens have a lot of slopes and this is a long course compared to what I am used to in Pakistan. It is a wonderful challenge.

Baig is making his second appearance of the season on the Asian Tour. Picture by Paul Lakatos/Asian Tour.

“The past two years on the Asian Development Tour have been about progress and I have learned many things. I practice a lot and I have mentally prepared myself better for tournaments.

“I have a different approach now and that is why I feel confident this year. I have always played aggressive but now I know to adapt the conditions and use common sense – depending on what the play is. I am learning, and I am looking forward to a great week.”

Tournament Information

• Tournament: International Series Morocco
• Venue: Royal Golf Dar Es Salam (Red Course), Rabat
• Date: July 4-7, 2024
• Purse: US$2 million (first place US$360,000)
• Asian Tour leg: Eighth event of 2024 season
• International Series leg: Third of 2024 season
• Edition of tournament: Second (first played in 2022)
• Course designer: Robert Trent Jones
• (Redesigned in 2017–2018 by James Duncan)
• Year opened: 1971
• Par/Yards: 73 / 7,596
• Field: 156
• Format: 72-hole stroke play with a cut made after two rounds to the leading 65 pros plus ties
• Social Media Hashtags: #InternationalSeries #ThisISEverything #whereitsAT

Asian Tour Order of Merit leader John Catlin is going for his third win of the year. Picture by Paul Lakatos/Asian Tour.

Field Breakdown

• Order of Merit winners: Sihwan Kim (USA) 2022, Jazz Janewattananond (THA) 2019, Scott Hend (2016), Jeev Milkha Singh (2008 & 2006)
• Nationalities: 30
• Past winners of tournament in the field: Jazz Janewattananond (THA) 2022
• Top contenders: John Catlin (USA), Jeunghun Wang (KOR), Graeme McDowell (NIR), Peter Uihlein (USA), Chonlatit Chuenboonngam (THA)
• Highest ranked player on OWGR: John Catlin (USA) #172
• Highest ranked player on 2024 Asian Tour Order of Merit: John Catlin (USA) #1
• No. of amateurs: 5
• No. of Moroccan players in the field: 8

Tournament key notes + storylines

• Jazz Janewattananond is back to defend his title he won in 2022. On a dramatic Sunday afternoon, he came out of the chasing pack by finishing with an eagle and a birdie to close with a fine six-under-par 67 to end on 12 under and beat Canadian Richard T. Lee by one stroke. It was his first win in three years.
• Asian Tour Order of Merit leader John Catlin of the United States will have a great chance to take over the International Series Rankings from current leader Carlos Ortiz from Mexico who is not playing and is only US$33,975 ahead. Catlin, the won the International Series Macau presented by Wynn and Saudi Open presented by PIF back-to-back in March and April, and is coming into the tournament in good form having posted a T7 and T24 in the last two LIV Golf League events, having been called up to stand in for the injured Charles Howell III on Bryson DeChambeau’s Crushers GC team.
• Northern Ireland’s Graeme McDowell, the 2010 U.S. Open champion and four-time Ryder Cupper, is having a solid season on LIV Golf where he has posted three top 10s this season, in Las Vegas, Hong Kong and Houston. McDowell has 16 professional wins in his career, including 11 on the DP World Tour and three on the PGA Tour.
• American Peter Uihlein had a good start to his season by finishing tied second in the LIV Golf Series Las Vegas event in February, just one stroke behind the winner Dustin Johnson. In two Asian Tour events this season, the Saudi Open presented by PIF and International Series Oman, Uihlein posted tied third and sixth place finishes respectively.
• Jeunghun Wang of Korea has had a lean spell since securing a start in the upcoming Open Championship by finishing runner up at the IRS Prima Malaysian Open to start his season. However, he is a proven winner on the Dar Es Salam Red Course layout. In 2016 Wang won the DP World Tour’s Trophee Hassan II in a play-off for his first DP World Tour win, and promptly won again the following week in the Asian Tour joint sanctioned AfrAsia Bank Mauritius Open.
• Thailand’s Chonaltit Chuenboonngam is coming into the tournament in fine form, having nearly broke through for his first Asian Tour victory in the GS Caltex Maekyung Open in early May coming up just short in a play-off. He followed it up with a creditable tied 13th place at the notoriously difficult Woo Jeong Hills in the Kolon Korea Open in June.
• The Red Course at host club Royal Golf Dar Es Salam is a classic layout with big cork oak trees lining the fairways and in the early 1990s was ranked among the World’s Top 100 Courses. In addition to the Asian Tour’s International Series Morocco, it has also hosted numerous events on the DP World Tour, Ladies European Tour, Challenge Tour and PGA Tour Champions.

Jazz Janewattananond is hoping a return to Royal Golf Dar Es Salam’s challenging Red Course this week will inspire a change of fortune as he sets out to defend the International Series Morocco title he won two years ago in Rabat.

It was on the iconic course that the Thai golfer sealed his seventh Asian Tour title back in 2022.

A sensational birdie-par-eagle-birdie finish gave Jazz a six-under final round and a 12-under total which edged out Richard T. Lee of Canada by a shot with David Puig of Spain, the overnight leader, a shot further back.

Prior to the tournament, Jazz had shown his undoubted talent with a T11 at International Series Thailand and a T15 at International Series England, the first two tournaments on the new set of elevated Asian Tour events launched that year.

Jazz stepped things up in the two weeks building up to the tournament in Rabat, as he recorded two classy top-six finishes in Europe, a real confidence boost going into tournament week.

Jazz Janewattananond. Picture by Paul Lakatos/Asian Tour.

Jazz is philosophical about his game as he heads into tournament week, with a T13 at the season-opening IRS Prima Malaysian Open his best result so far this campaign. He said: “Before that point (in 2022) I had struggled for around a year. But I had come off two amazing finishes and my confidence was quite high, and I got there and got the job done.

“I’m in a similar position now, trying to find my swing again, and maybe it will help going back to a great course with such fond memories.”

Referring to his incredible run on the last four holes, he added: “Birdie-par-eagle-birdie, yes that was good finish. I felt I was close the whole day but was not quite there, and then I hit an amazing shot on 15 for birdie and I just knew I could do it, I could win this thing.”

Jazz famously won in Morocco with his then girlfriend, the German pro golfer Sarina Schmidt, on the bag. The pair are now married, but they will not be teaming up this week as Sarina is also playing a tournament in Sweden.

Jazz is trying out a new combination on the bag this weekend, but he knows all too well what is needed to get around the testing Red Course. He said: “It is a great tree-lined course and when you are playing well it really suits your game. But you must hit down the middle or you are going to struggle.”

The 28-year-old managed a T6 at International Series Thailand and a T4 at International Series Vietnam last year, but this season has been a disappointment on the series that offers a pathway to LIV Golf. Injury forced him out after one round in Oman, and he failed to make the cut in Macau.

A true champion, Jazz is optimistic about his chances moving forward, as he said: “I have had a little problem off the tee in last year or so, but everything else about my game is in place for me to win. I just need to get the ball in play off the tee, and if I can get it on the dance floor then I will have a good week.

Jazz Janewattananond. Picture by Paul Lakatos/Asian Tour.

“It is all part of golf really. It is a long journey and just part of the game. But I have spoken to a lot of amazing people, and I feel it (my game) is going to come back soon and hopefully Morocco will be the place where it does.”

Jazz is part of a world-class field that includes nine LIV Golf League players: 2010 US Open champion Graeme McDowell (Smash GC), Peter Uihlein (RangeGoats GC), Pat Perez (4Aces GC), Branden Grace (Stinger GC), Caleb Surratt (Legion XIII), Scott Vincent (IronHeads GC), Kieran Vincent (Legion XIII), Eugenio Chacarra (Fireballs GC) and Jinichiro Kozuma (IronHeads GC).

American John Catlin, the Asian Tour Order of Merit leader is also in the field. A back-to-back winner already this season after superb performances at International Series Macau presented by Wynn and the Saudi Open presented by PIF, Catlin will be brimming with confidence.

His good form this season led to an invite to play as an alternate for Bryson DeChambeau’s Crushers GC on the LIV Golf League, and he showed he has what it takes with a T24 finish in Houston and a T7 in Nashville.

Hongtaek Kim, who won the GS Caltex Maekyung Open in May for his maiden Asian Tour victory, also starts as does Thailand’s Chonlatit Chuenboonngam, who lost out to the Korean in a sudden-death play-off at Namseoul Country Club.

Multiple Asian Tour winners Gaganjeet Bhullar and Scott Hend also start along with a number of champions on the International Series including Wade Ormsby, Nitithorn Thippong, Sarit Suwannarut, Ben Campbell, and Sihwan Kim.

Local hero Ayoub Lguirati, the Asian Development Tour player who made the cut and finished T28 in 2022, spearheads a local challenge that also includes local professionals Othman Raouzi and Ayoub Id-Omar, as well as promising amateurs Hugo Mazen Trommetter, Aissa Elkhadri, Adam Bresnu and Soufiane Dahmane.

All will be hoping that local knowledge will help them on the testing par 73 Red Course in Rabat.

Caleb Surratt is making waves as the youngest player on the LIV Golf League, having already clinched three team titles, and the 20-year-old is excited to take on a new challenge when he tees it up on the Asian Tour for the first time at International Series Morocco this week.

The American youngster turned heads last year by winning three of a possible four points on his Walker Cup debut, the storied amateur match-up between teams from the United Sates and Great Britain & Ireland.

That form put the American on the radar of LIV Golf, and he took up the offer to turn professional and sign for Jon Rahm’s Legion XIII team at the start of the season.

Surratt quickly found his feet with two impressive top-15 finishes in his first two tournaments, in Mayakoba and Las Vegas, where he finished tied 13^th and joint 15^th respectively. His strong showing in the season-opening Mayakoba event helped Legion XIII win the team title, for a fairytale start for the American, before they followed that up with success in Miami and Nashville – the most recent event, played two weeks ago.

The former University of Tennessee student is taking a step into the unknown at International Series Morocco.

The tournament, which is taking place on Royal Golf Dar Es Salam’s Red Course from 4-7 July, is the third of 10 elevated events on the Asian Tour that provide a direct pathway to the LIV Golf League for a field of 156 players, including the cream of the Asian Tour and top local and regional talent.

Caleb Surratt (on right) has played his part in helping Legion XIII win three team titles on the LIV Golf League this season. Picture by Michael Wade/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images.

The International Series events also offer players on the LIV Golf roster a chance to fine-tune their games while playing for big money purses against elite-level fields at world-class destinations.

Major champions including Brooks Koepka, Patrick Reed, Charl Schwartzel and Louis Oosthuizen are among the LIV Golf League big names who have featured on The International Series previously.

Surratt will use the four days in Rabat to tune up for LIV Golf Andalucia in Spain the following week, the ninth event of the season, alongside a number of fellow LIV Golf League stars including Range Goats GC’s Peter Uihlein, Graeme McDowell of Smash GC, Stinger GC’s Branden Grace and Eugenio Chacarra of Fireballs GC.

He said: “I am excited. It is a privilege because I have never been to Morocco before. To be honest I have not really been abroad too much at all, so I am really excited for it and will prepare my best for it. I have heard nothing but awesome things about The International Series and the golf course in Morocco. I am excited to be making my debut there.”

The International Series might be new to Surratt, but it is certainly in his sites – compatriot Andy Ogletree graduated onto the LIV Golf League and a spot with Phil Mickelson’s Hi-Flyers GC this year after winning the 2023 rankings race.

Surratt’s Legion XIII team-mate Kieran Vincent also claimed one of three golden tickets to the big time at the LIV Golf Promotions event.

The Zimbabwean, International Series Vietnam 2023 champion, had received a bye into the second round of the four-round tournament, and held his nerve in a thrilling play-off to earn his place alongside Kalle Samooja of Cleeks GC and Jinichiro Kozuma of Iron Heads GC.

In his rookie season, Surratt has comfortably crossed the bridge to the professional game. Picture by Bryan Lynn/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images.

Surratt has been impressed by the standard of players graduating from the Asian Tour. He said: “Obviously the cream is going to rise to the top and that is a great thing for a tour to produce, you cannot fake it. They (the Asian Tour) are clearly doing something right.

“Part of the whole deal is even just learning how to travel as it is harder to go from country to country and adapt rather than state to state, and that’s part of the experience The International Series provides. The players know how to adapt, and I am excited for that.”

He may have traded in his studies at University of Tennessee for a shot at the big time, but Surratt is still enjoying an education of sorts. An All-American, SEC champion and freshman of the year in 2023, he is learning from captain Rahm and other big names week in, week out.

He said: “Especially for a younger player like myself, to be able to go out and play with these guys directly out of college has been life changing. The amount of information I have learned and the amount of confidence I have gained, being able to compete with these guys, is second to none for me.”

Speaking specifically about his captain, he added: “To be able to come straight from college and be one of Jon Rahm’s right-hand men, on a daily basis, is vital for my learning. It is cool to be able to get comfortable around him, because if you can get comfortable and compete with him you can do it with anybody.”

International Series Morocco takes place from 4-7 July at Royal Golf Dar Es Salam in Rabat. It is the third event on The International Series calendar and the eighth event of the Asian Tour season.

Just two months before the Asian Tour staged the inaugural International Series Morocco, the North African nation had grabbed the attention of the golfing world when their very own Ines Laklalech won the Lacoste Ladies Open de France – becoming the first Moroccan, Arab and North African woman to win on the Ladies European Tour.

It was a landmark moment for the continent and in many ways a perfectly timed Amuse-Bouche for the Asian Tour’s first visit to North Africa.

The Tour did not know what to expect when heading to Rabat but after spending a week there the overwhelming desire by the membership to return to Morocco’s capital city summed up everyone’s feelings.

The warm hospitality and colonial charm of the city and Royal Golf Dar Es Salam, the famous host venue, were welcomed by all and sundry, especially a certain Jazz Janewattananond.

The Thai star had not won a title since his memorable 2019 season when he claimed the Asian Tour Order of Merit following four eye-catching victories, the last of those being the Thailand Masters in December.

Jazz Janewattananond’s victory in Morocco was his first win on the Asian Tour in three years. Picture by Ian Walton/Asian Tour.

That was supposed to be the season that launched his career but proved to be the start of one of his most difficult periods, not helped by the many disruptions caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.

In the lead up to Morocco, Jazz had been playing week in, week out, with few breaks, searching for the form that brought him so much success three years before.

He certainly found what he was looking for in Rabat when he won the tournament with his comments four weeks later at the season-ending Indonesian Masters, where he was also in contention before finishing joint sixth, summed up his feelings.

“I’m fresh now because I had three weeks off before coming in here, but when I played Morocco, or the weeks before that, I was so out of it,” he said.

“Seriously like in Morocco I was such a blur, I still don’t know what happened. And I walked home with a trophy so that was pretty lucky. So now after three weeks, I feel so much better, I feel like a new man.”

With this in mind it is hard to fathom how Jazz found the energy to win in Morocco by storming through at the very end with an sensational eagle, birdie finish.

On a dramatic Sunday afternoon, he came out of the chasing pack and closed with a fine six-under-par 67 to finish on 12 under and beat Canadian Richard T. Lee by one stroke.

Lee, who missed a 16-foot birdie putt on the last to force a play-off, shot a 70 while Spaniard rookie David Puig fired a 73 to finish third, a stroke further back.

Jazz, playing in the third from last group having started the day four shots behind overnight leader Puig, burst through for an unexpected victory thanks to a stunning five-under-par back nine.

He made birdie on 11 and 15 but it was the short and driveable par-four 17^th that proved to be pivotal. Lee, playing in the final group, had appeared to be in control and on course to win for much of the back nine but that all changed when Jazz found the green with his tee shot on 17 and holed a 20-foot eagle putt.  The Thai golfer then drew level with Lee after holing a five-footer for birdie on the par-five 18^th.

Jazz enjoyed the morale support of having his girlfriend, now wife, Sarina Schmidt, caddie for him. Picture by Paul Lakatos/Asian Tour.

To the surprise of everyone, Lee then dropped a shot on 17, the easiest hole on the course, after finding trees off the tee before failing to draw level with Jazz on the last.

“It feels amazing. It’s been a long journey and I’m just so happy to end the year on a high note,” said Jazz, whose girlfriend, now wife, and fellow professional golfer Sarina Schmidt, half Thai and half German, caddied for him.

“I had three holes left and I wasn’t even nearly at the top. I just had a really good finish – everything was really quick. When that last putt dropped I just felt so relieved, the waiting game begun, and now I’m here!”

It was the seventh Asian Tour victory of his career, and in terms of confidence building one of his most important.

He added: “This was my first time in Morocco and the city of Rabat has been amazing – the culture, the food. the people, everything. I heard a lot about this golf course already from people I play with, and I knew it was going to be hard, but it’s exceeded all my expectations. I’ve been out nine weeks in a row and I’m tired now and my back’s hurting, but I came in with an open mind to exploring Morocco and Rabat, and I think that helped me win, because I didn’t come in with high expectations.”

Lee had been attempting to claim his third title on Tour and his first since 2017 but had to settle for his second runner-up finish of the season as he was also second in the International Series Singapore in August.

“I looked at the leaderboard on 17 and then saw that Jazz was at 12 under and finished his round. So, I mean, I just wanted to make birdie on the last hole to try to tie and make the playoff,” said Lee, who led at the halfway mark thanks to a second day 65.

“I bogeyed the first hole with a three putt, just started off bad and then came back with four birdies in a row from six to nine and felt the rhythm going pretty well. Then just an unforced error on 17 on the tee shot, got unlucky and got behind the tree and had no shot to the green. So, I mean, it caused me to make a bogey and just… stuff happens, you know.”

Ayoub Lguirati (main picture) is part of a select group of home favourites flying the flag for the region at International Series Morocco, and the local hero is hoping to reproduce his impressive form from two years ago when he tees it up on Royal Golf Dar Es Salam’s testing Red Course next week.

International Series Morocco is the third of 10 elevated events on the Asian Tour calendar that offer a pathway onto the LIV Golf League, while also giving local and regional talent an opportunity to play elite-level golfers from around the world.

In the 2022 edition, Lguirati was the sole Moroccan to make the cut, and he went on to impress with a superb T28 finish.

This year, Lguirati is one of seven Moroccans in a world-class field that features LIV Golf League stars including Graeme McDowell, Branden Grace, Peter Uihlein and Caleb Surratt, as well as multiple Asian Tour champions Scott Hend, Gaganjeet Bhullar and Jazz Janewattananond, the 2022 champion.

Lguirati said: “The tournament is very important for us as local golfers, it is amazing to have this event in Morocco because it opens a lot of opportunities outside the country, especially on the Asian Tour and Asian Development Tour.

Ayoub Lguirati.

“As players we get the opportunity to really learn every day from those around us. After my experience in 2022, and learning from the players in the field then, I am a lot better in my process. I am calm and more relaxed, I try to respect my strategy and play my game and be more patient.”

The 29-year-old is joined in the field by local professionals Othman Raouzi and Ayoub Id-Omar, as well as promising amateurs Hugo Mazen Trommetter, Aissa Elkhadri, Adam Bresnu and Soufiane Dahmane.

UAE amateur Ahmad Skaik and American amateur Davis Bryant also received tournament invites from the Royal Moroccan Golf Federation (RMGF).

The Saudi trio of Othman Almulla, Saud Al Sharif and Faisal Salhab will also be representing the region.

All will be hoping to follow in Lguirati’s footsteps. His impressive finish in Rabat last time out paid major dividends, in the form of an invite to International Series Egypt in Cairo the following week.

Another impressive display, and a T37 in Cairo, then gave Lguirati a spot at the season-ending BNI Indonesian Masters presented by TNE, where he once again made the cut and finished T38 in a star-studded field.

Ayoub Lguirati.

Lguirati, who currently plies his trade on the Asian Development Tour, is hoping that home advantage will count for something.

He said: “We have some really talented players from Morocco and the region this year, a nice mix of professionals and amateurs, and this is a terrific opportunity for all, we have a good team of Moroccan players.

“Playing the Red Course at Royal Golf Dar Es Salam is a big advantage for the Moroccan players as it is a home course for us. It is a very difficult course, the greens especially are very tough, so it is good for us to have the course knowledge and home advantage.”

International Series Morocco takes place from 4-7 July. It is the third event on The International Series calendar and the eighth event of the Asian Tour season.