Indian golfers Ajeetesh Sandhu, Gaganjeet Bhullar, and Karandeep Kochhar successfully made the cut at the halfway stage of the US$2 million International Series Morocco, presented by Visit Morocco, at the Royal Golf Dar Es Salam in Rabat, Morocco.
Top Indian Performer
Ajeetesh Sandhu played a bogey-free 3-under 70 in the second round to emerge as the top Indian in the field. He is now 4-under and tied for 25th overall. Meanwhile, Gaganjeet Bhullar slipped to a tie for 47th after recording four bogeys in the second round. The 11-time winner on the Asian Tour also carded five birdies but ended with a 1-over 74 on the challenging layout.
Karandeep Kochhar also finished at T-47 after shooting a 1-under 71 in the second round.
Leaderboard Update
Two-time Masters champion Bubba Watson joined Thailand's Pavit Tangkamolprasert at the top of the leaderboard. The 47-year-old American put on a masterclass of shot-shaping and putting to overcome the challenges of the Royal Golf Dar Es Salam's Red Course. A seven-under par 66, the lowest round of the day, helped him catch Pavit, who closed with a three-under par 70 to tie at 11-under 135 total.
Watson, captain of the RangeGoats GC in LIV Golf, hit 15 of 18 fairways and made eight birdies against a solitary bogey. The leading duo was one stroke ahead of Korea's Younghan Song (69, -10). An exciting leaderboard is shaping up in the Moroccan capital as Australia's Travis Smyth (70), International Series Japan champion and current Asian Tour Order of Merit leader, moved into a tie for fourth place at nine-under par alongside defending champion Scott Vincent of Zimbabwe (67) and the in-form Taichi Kho of Hong Kong (69).
The Thai duo of Jazz Janewattananond (67), champion of the inaugural International Series Morocco, and Suteepat Prateeptienchai (69) were tied at eight-under.
Watson's Performance
Watson, who last won on the PGA Tour at the Travelers Championship in June 2018, has shown glimpses of his old form lately. Friday was vintage Bubba. His ball-striking was good, but his putting was even more solid as he went around the course in just 26 putts.
“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,” said Watson.
Pavit did not have the best start as two bogeys in the first eight holes left him one-over par, but just like the opening round when he made four birdies in his last four holes, he managed to pick up strokes on the 17th and 18th holes for his three-under-par 70. Mehdi El Fakori was the only Moroccan player to make the cut with rounds of 74 and 70.
International Series Morocco presented by Visit Morocco is the third leg of the elevated events on the Asian Tour and is being played in Morocco for the fourth time.
