Rabat – Thailand’s Pavit Tangkamolprasert and American golf star Bubba Watson entered the weekend tied for the lead at the International Series Morocco presented by Visit Morocco after impressive performances during Friday’s second round at Royal Golf Dar Es Salam.
Pavit backed up his opening-round 65 with a three-under-par 70 to reach 11-under-par overall, joining two-time Masters champion Watson atop the leaderboard heading into Saturday’s third round.
The Thai golfer overcame an early setback after slipping to one over par through his first eight holes before mounting a strong recovery. Birdies on the ninth hole and a late surge on the 17th and 18th helped him secure a share of the lead.
“It was a good comeback today. I didn’t start my round well, made some mistakes, but I still tried to keep it in the fairway and hit it in the right positions,” Pavit said in a press release shared with Morocco World News (MWN).
The 37-year-old, a two-time Asian Tour winner, highlighted a birdie on the challenging ninth hole as a key turning point that helped rebuild momentum after an earlier bogey on the par-five eighth.
While pleased with his position on the leaderboard, Pavit admitted he is equally excited about being paired with Watson in Saturday’s third round. The Thai golfer recalled watching the American compete at the 2012 Thailand Golf Championship after missing the cut himself.
“Looking forward to play with him. I always want to play with the world’s best golfers,” Pavit said. “I like how he drives the ball because I saw him playing when I was young, and he could curve the ball. It was interesting.”
Watson surged into a share of the lead after carding a seven-under-par 66, the lowest round of the day. The captain of LIV Golf’s RangeGoats GC showcased his trademark shot-making and strong putting, carding eight birdies and just one bogey while hitting 15 of 18 fairways.
“Today was good. I made a few putts and just kept the round going,” Watson 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.”
Korea’s Younghan Song remained firmly in the title hunt after carding a second-round 69 to sit just one shot behind co-leaders Bubba Watson and Pavit Tangkamolprasert at 10-under-par.
Fellow Korean and Korean GC captain An Byeong Hun also booked his place for the weekend after bouncing back from a difficult opening round. The youngest-ever U.S. Amateur champion and two-time DP World Tour winner recovered from a first-round 74 with a composed three-under-par 69 on Friday at Royal Golf Dar Es Salam.
Making his debut appearance at the International Series Morocco, An has drawn inspiration from the “White Tiger” — a symbol of strength, courage, and determination in Korean tradition that embodies the identity of Korean GC. His steady second-round performance ensured he safely made the cut and remained in contention heading into the weekend.
Read Also: Thai Golfer Pavit Leads After Opening Round at International Series Morocco
A group of players remains within striking distance at nine-under-par, including defending champion Scott Vincent, Australia’s Travis Smyth, and Hong Kong’s Taichi Kho.
Former International Series Morocco champion Jazz Janewattananond and fellow Thai Suteepat Prateeptienchai are tied at eight-under-par heading into the final two rounds.
Among the home contingent, Moroccan golfer Mehdi El Fakori was the only local player to make the cut after rounds of 74 and 70.
“Being here this week is a great opportunity for me. I joined with the ambition to prepare properly and compete alongside players at a very high level. Representing my country at an event like the International Series Morocco is a source of great pride,” said El Fakori.
“I would like to thank the Royal Moroccan Golf Federation for giving me this opportunity. Playing in a tournament of this level alongside some of the best players in the field is an important step in my development. It motivates me to keep working hard and make the most of this week,” he added.
The International Series Morocco, being held in Morocco for the fourth time, has once again attracted a strong field featuring 18 LIV Golf players and some of the Asian Tour’s leading performers.
With several contenders separated by only a few strokes, the battle for the title remains wide open as the tournament heads into the decisive weekend rounds in Rabat.
