Pavit Tangkamolprasert, the 37-year-old Thai and two-time Asian Tour winner, shot a bogey-free eight-under-par 65 to lead the US$2 million International Series Morocco by two shots after the opening round at Royal Golf Dar Es Salam in Rabat. It reversed the outcome from International Series Japan earlier this year, where Australian Travis Smyth beat Pavit to the title. This time Smyth was giving chase, his 67 leaving him tied for second with South Korea’s Younghan Song.

A group of five players shared fifth on 68: American Andy Ogletree, Hong Kong’s Taichi Kho, Thai Sadom Kaewkanjana, Denmark’s Lucas Bjerregaard and American Grant Haefner, who played the entire round with rented and borrowed clubs after his bag failed to arrive at the airport. Defending champion Scott Vincent of Zimbabwe opened with a 70, while LIV Golf’s Bubba Watson shot 69.

Four, Five, Four

Pavit controlled the par-73 Red Course. He made four birdies on his opening nine (the back nine of the layout), followed with five straight pars, then closed with four consecutive birdies to reach eight under.

“On a course like this, with tricky greens and tough pin positions, you need to be in the right spots to have birdie chances, and I hit my irons really well,” 

The round ended a stretch of inconsistent form. Pavit said he had struggled since the GS Caltex Maekyung Open at Namseoul, where he opened with a 66 before fading.

“I just kept grinding, kept my chin up, and reminded myself that this is The International Series. It’s a big opportunity,” he said. “Today everything just came together.”

Smyth Comfortable in Rabat

Smyth, the current Asian Tour Order of Merit leader with two wins in 2026, said the tree-lined Red Course plays to his strengths. He also spent time on LIV Golf this season, deputising for the injured Paul Casey with Bryson DeChambeau’s Crushers GC.

“I love the challenge of having to shape the ball both ways and hit different trajectories. This course really suits that style of play. With the tree-lined fairways, it forces you to be creative, which I enjoy.”

He added that his Japan win earlier this year had eased the mental burden of competing in elevated events. “Since that win, and then going on to play well in Singapore and having some great experiences with Crushers GC in LIV Golf, I’ve felt much more relaxed,” he said.

Ogletree’s Late Surge

Ogletree, the 2023 Asian Tour Order of Merit winner and a holder of three International Series titles, was one under through 13 holes before an eagle-birdie finish brought him to five under. He holed a putt of 50 to 60 feet for eagle on the eighth, then birdied the par-three ninth.

“My caddie actually said, ‘Let’s finish eagle-birdie here, keep your head up. Maybe my caddie needs to start calling the shots a little earlier.”

The International Series Morocco, the third elevated event on the Asian Tour this season and the fourth edition of the tournament, runs through Sunday at Royal Golf Dar Es Salam.