Watson finishes solo second at The International Series Morocco

RABAT, Morocco – RangeGoats GC Captain Bubba Watson continued his scorching hot play on Sunday at the International Series Morocco presented by Visit Morocco, but the two-time Masters champion came up one shot shy of winner Taichi Kho of Hong Kong.

Watson shot a 3-under 70 at Royal Golf Dar Es Salam to finish at 18 under for the week while Kho carded a 5-under 68, good enough to claim the trophy at 19 under. Watson, 47, had rounds of 69-66-69 to take a one-shot lead into the final round. On Sunday, he had five birdies and two bogeys.

“I played great,” Watson said. “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.”

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Morocco was host to a bevy of LIV Golf players. Those who finished in the top 10 were Watson, Ripper GC’s Elvis Smylie (T5) and Scott Vincent (T10), who has been sharp recently while filling in for Phil Mickelson on HyFlyers GC.

Kho, who made just three bogeys in four days on the difficult golf course, added yet another feather to his cap by winning the US$2 million Morocco event. It’s his first International Series victory and second title on the Asian Tour.

Kho, the 25-year-old who made history for his country by winning its first-ever gold medal in golf at the Hangzhou Games in 2023, was 4 under through 10 holes with five birdies to take sole possession of the lead, but struggled to find the sixth that would have given him the breathing space.

That birdie finally came when it was needed most – on the par-5 18th hole. Watson, who was level with Kho after making a birdie from the bunker on the 17th hole, pulled his second shot from the fairway towards the LED screen, and could not make his up-and-down from there.

Kho claimed the US$360,000 winning cheque, which elevated him to No. 2 in the Asian Tour Order of Merit behind Travis Smyth, a LIV Golf reserve player who has been competing for Crushers GC as of late. Kho also moved to No. 3 in The International Series Ranking.

It also helped him get over the pain of losing in a playoff on the Japan Golf Tour in the previous week. No wonder Kho was misty eyed and emotional after the win.

The Thai duo of Suteepat Prateeptienchai (69) and Jazz Janewattananond (72) were tied third at 15 under. It could have been even better, but Suteepat made a bogey-bogey finish, and Jazz dropped a shot on the last.

Smylie, winner of LIV Golf Riyadh earlier this year, made six birdies in his last seven holes for a 66 to join South Africa’s in-form Ian Snyman (67), Zimbabwe’s Kieran Vincent (67) and Japan’s Takanori Konishi (71) in tied fifth place at 14 under.

“It’s been a long year. It’s had a lot of hardships and a bit of adversity. Through it all, I think I really grew as a person. I realised the work I put in surpasses any results,” said Kho.

“Golf’s a funny game. It really gives and takes, and I was very fortunate the last couple of weeks to be on the good side of it. I just have a lot of gratitude towards the game itself, the people around me, the people who make it possible.”

While winning the title was a massive high for Kho, the fact that he also beat one of his childhood heroes in the process added to the joy.

“I was so pumped up on the golf course. I think playing with Bubba is like a dream come true. I remember watching him win two Masters when I was a little kid. For me to be going neck and neck with him for five hours today, the child inside me was jumping up and down,” said Kho, who said he did not think of the victory until he birdied the last hole.

“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.”

Despite missing out on his first title since the 2018 Travelers Championship, Watson was delighted with his efforts the whole week, and complimentary of Kho.

“He actually told me after the round that he used to watch me growing up, so that was pretty special,” Watson said. “I told him he’s a great player. If he keeps doing what he’s doing, he’s going to have a great career.”

Jazz, champion of the inaugural International Series Morocco in November 2022 but searching for his first win since then, was disappointed with a bogey from the fairway bunker on the last hole that denied him a solo third-place finish.

“I made too many mistakes today. Last hole stung a little bit, because I lost a lot of money on the last hole, but it is what it is, you know. Sometimes you win, sometimes you lose,” said the Thai star, winner of the 2019 Asian Tour Order of Merit crown.

“I think the game is close. The momentum needs to be better. Swing and everything else is on the right track. So, excited to see what I have for the rest of the year. My goal for this year is to win more than once, because it’s close. I can feel it. I just need a little bit more momentum. I need to learn how to win again, and then once I get it done, I think the second one should be easier.”

International Series Morocco presented by Visit Morocco ends a three-week stay for Asian Tour in Morocco. The Tour now takes a break and returns for the Yeangder Taiwan Open in September.