Gaganjeet Bhullar had a varied performance at the US$2 million International Series Morocco, shooting a 3-under 70. Despite a strong start with four birdies in five holes on the front nine, he struggled on the back nine with three bogeys, finishing at Tied-18th. Bhullar, a four-time IGPL winner and the most successful Indian player in Asian Tour history, leads the Indian contingent at the tournament.
In the same event, Thai golfer Pavit Tangkamolprasert took the lead with an impressive 8-under 65, followed closely by Travis Smyth at 67. Among other Indian players, Karandeep Kochhar, Shaurya Bhattacharya, SSP Chawrasia, and Ajeetesh Sandhu finished at T-40 with 1-under 72 each. Anirban Lahiri carded an even par 73, while Rashid Khan, Shubham Jaglan, Aryan Roopa Anand, and Udayan Mane will need strong second rounds to stay in contention.
Bhullar, whose last Asian Tour win was in Indonesia in 2023, had a mixed round with moments of brilliance and setbacks. Karandeep Kochhar also had a roller-coaster round, starting with bogeys but finishing strong at 1-under. Pavit Tangkamolprasert showcased consistent play with a series of birdies, while Travis Smyth, a previous winner in Japan, continued his good form.
The tournament also saw notable performances from American Andy Ogletree, Hong Kong’s Taichi Kho, Thai Sadom Kaewkanjana, Denmark’s Lucas Bjerregaard, and American Grant Haefner. Defending champion Scott Vincent of Zimbabwe started well with a three-under 70. Bubba Watson and Doyeob Mun also had solid starts, while Sergio Garcia faced challenges with a 74.
