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.