Two-time Masters champion Bubba Watson shot a seven-under-par 66, the lowest round of the day, to join Thailand’s Pavit Tangkamolprasert at the top of the leaderboard at the halfway stage of the US$2 million International Series Morocco presented by Visit Morocco.

Watson and Pavit were tied at 11-under 135 after two rounds at Royal Golf Dar Es Salam’s Red Course in Rabat, one stroke clear of Korea’s Younghan Song (69). Several contenders remained close behind them, setting up an open weekend at the third elevated event on the Asian Tour calendar.

Watson’s 66: Fairways and Putts

The 47-year-old American, captain of the RangeGoats GC in LIV Golf, put together a precise round. Watson hit 15 of 18 fairways, made eight birdies against a single bogey, and needed just 26 putts to navigate the Red Course’s demanding green complexes.

Watson, whose last PGA Tour victory came at the 2018 Travelers Championship, has shown signs of his old form in recent months. Friday’s round showed the shot-shaping ability that earned him two Green Jackets.

“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,” 

“From there, it was just about making putts. My caddie read a lot of lines really well, and luckily, I trusted him and hit the ones he was seeing, so a few of them dropped.”

Watson credited his caddie’s green-reading but also pointed to the course itself as the test that separates scoring rounds from mediocre ones.

“You have to be a strong ball striker. You can’t fake it around here,” he said. “But on this golf course, the greens and the green complexes are the biggest challenge. They’re really good, but they’re also very difficult. Around here, the putter is key.”

The Red Course, a par-73 layout stretching 7,633 yards, has hosted this event four times now. Watson’s assessment echoes the general view: ball-striking gets you into position, but the greens decide how low you go.

Pavit Holds On Through a Rocky Start

Pavit took a more uneven route to the co-lead. The 37-year-old, a two-time Asian Tour champion, dropped two bogeys in his first eight holes to fall to one-over for the round. From there, he steadied himself and found the birdies he needed late, picking up strokes on the 17th and 18th holes to post a three-under 70.

In the opening round, Pavit made four birdies over his final four holes. He pointed to a specific moment on Friday that turned his day around.

“I think the turning point was the birdie on the ninth hole, which is a tough par three. I bogeyed on the easy par-five eighth, so the birdie on ninth was very important to gain some momentum.”

“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. I know that if I played to the same standard, I can make a comeback.”

The Thai golfer was looking forward to the weekend pairing with Watson and recalled watching the American play in Thailand years ago. Pavit had missed the cut at the 2012 Thai Golf Championship at Amata Springs but stayed to watch Watson compete.

“I have some pictures of Bubba from back then when I saw him playing at Amata Spring when I was young. I like Bubba, I like how he drives the ball. He could really curve the ball.”

The Chasing Pack

Song, alone in third at 10-under after a second-round 69, is the most immediate threat to the leading pair.

Behind him, a tie for fourth at nine-under featured three players with contrasting credentials. Australia’s Travis Smyth (70), the International Series Japan champion and current Asian Tour Order of Merit leader, brought current form. Zimbabwe’s Scott Vincent, a defending champion at the event, fired a 67 to climb into contention. Hong Kong’s Taichi Kho posted a 69 to round out the group.

At eight-under, two more Thais were close behind. Jazz Janewattananond, champion of the inaugural International Series Morocco in 2022 and a seven-time winner on the Asian Tour, shot 67 on Friday. Suteepat Prateeptienchai signed for a 69.

With seven players within three shots of the lead, the weekend draw offers a mix of LIV Golf star power, Asian Tour pedigree, and former champions at this venue.

Local Interest and Weekend Outlook

Mehdi El Fakori was the only Moroccan player to survive the 36-hole cut, posting rounds of 74 and 70. He will carry the host nation’s hopes into the weekend at an event that has become a fixture on the Asian Tour’s elevated schedule since its 2022 debut.

The International Series Morocco is one of a set of upgraded events on the Asian Tour launched following investment from LIV Golf. Players earn points toward the LIV Golf League through the series, which adds an extra competitive layer beyond the $2 million purse and the $360,000 first-place prize.

For Watson, the weekend is a chance to contend for a title that would mark his first individual tournament victory in eight years. For Pavit, it is an opportunity to add a flagship International Series win to his Asian Tour record. And for the half-dozen players stacked behind them, the margins are slim enough that a strong Saturday move could change everything at Royal Golf Dar Es Salam.