Ajeetesh Sandhu Leads Indian Contingent at International Series Morocco

Sandhu Emerges as Leading Indian at Midway Point

Ajeetesh Sandhu achieved a bogey-free round of 3-under 70, positioning himself as the top Indian golfer at the halfway mark of the US$2 million International Series Morocco, sponsored by Visit Morocco. After starting with a 1-under 72 in the first round, Sandhu now stands at 4-under, tied for 25th place. In contrast, Gaganjeet Bhullar, a four-time Am Green IGPL champion, fell to T-47 after scoring 74, despite a remarkable stretch of four consecutive birdies on the front nine. Another Am Green IGPL winner, Karandeep Kochhar, also made the cut with rounds of 72-72, placing him at T-47. Out of the ten Indian players who began the tournament, seven missed the cut, including notable names like Shauryra Bhattacharya, SSP Chawrasia, and Anirban Lahiri, who fell short by just one shot. Rashid Khan, Aryan Roopa Anand, and Udayan Mane were among those eliminated early.

Bubba Watson Climbs to Share Lead

In a thrilling turn of events, two-time Masters champion Bubba Watson has joined Thailand's Pavit Tangkamolprasert at the top of the leaderboard. The 47-year-old Watson showcased exceptional skill on the Royal Golf Dar Es Salam's Red Course, carding a remarkable seven-under par 66, the best score of the day. This performance allowed him to catch up with Pavit, who finished with a three-under par 70, bringing their total to 11-under 135.

Watson excelled by hitting 15 out of 18 fairways and achieving eight birdies, with only one bogey. Sandhu recorded birdies on the fifth, 11th, and 12th holes without any dropped shots. Bhullar, starting from the tenth hole, faced challenges with three bogeys and only one birdie during that stretch. He encountered a double bogey on the Par-3 second hole, putting him at 3-over at that point. However, he rallied with four birdies in four holes starting from the fifth but ended with a dropped shot on the ninth, finishing with a score of 74.

Strong Competition in the Field

Watson and Pavit lead by one stroke over Korea's Younghan Song, who shot a 69 to reach 10-under. Australia's Travis Smyth, the current Asian Tour Order of Merit leader and International Series Japan champion, tied for fourth at nine-under alongside defending champion Scott Vincent from Zimbabwe, who scored 67, and Taichi Kho from Hong Kong, who finished with a 69. The Thai duo of Jazz Janewattananond, the inaugural International Series Morocco champion with a score of 67, and Suteepat Prateeptienchai, who shot 69, are tied at eight-under.

Performance Insights of the Leaders

Watson's last victory on the PGA Tour was at the Travelers Championship in June 2018. His ball-striking was impressive, complemented by an excellent putting performance, requiring only 26 putts.

Pavit had a rocky start with two bogeys in the first eight holes, leaving him at one-over par. However, similar to his opening round, where he made four birdies in the last four holes, he managed to recover by scoring on the 17th and 18th holes, finishing with a three-under-par 70.

Tournament Highlights

Mehdi El Fakori was the sole Moroccan player to make the cut, finishing with rounds of 74 and 70. The International Series Morocco, presented by Visit Morocco, marks the third leg of the elevated events on the Asian Tour and is being hosted in Morocco for the fourth time.