Hong Kong’s Taichi Kho birdied the par-5 18th hole to win the US$2 million International Series Morocco by one shot over two-time Masters champion Bubba Watson. The 25-year-old finished at 19-under par at Royal Golf Dar Es Salam in Rabat, collecting the US$360,000 winner’s cheque and securing his first International Series title and second Asian Tour victory.

The win lifted Kho to No. 2 on the Asian Tour Order of Merit behind Australia’s Travis Smyth and to No. 3 in The International Series Ranking.

How the final holes of the International Series Morocco unfolded 

Kho was four-under through 10 holes in the final round, with five birdies giving him sole possession of the lead. But overnight leader Watson, 47, drew level after holing out from the bunker for birdie on the 17th.

On 18, Watson pulled his second shot from the fairway toward the LED screen and could not get up and down. Kho’s birdie on the same hole sealed it. Watson signed for a final-round 70.

Kho made three bogeys across four rounds on a demanding course, and the victory helped ease the sting of a playoff loss on the Japan Golf Tour the previous week.

“The child inside me was jumping up and down”

Kho, who made history for Hong Kong by winning golf gold at the 2023 Hangzhou Asian Games, was emotional after the round.

“It’s been a long year. It’s had a lot of hardships and a bit of adversity. Through it all, I think I really grew as a person. I realised the work I put in surpasses any results,” Kho said.

“I was so pumped up on the golf course. I think playing with Bubba is like a dream come true. I remember watching him win two Masters when I was a little kid. For me to be going neck and neck with him for five hours today, the child inside me was jumping up and down.”

Kho said he blocked out thoughts of winning until the decisive putt dropped. “My last four-footer winning putt felt like a truly impossible putt. I did not know how it was going to break. The putt felt so long, and the hole felt so small, but there was a part of me that knew I had the ability to be free in that situation.”

Watson’s praise

Watson, captain of the RangeGoats GC on LIV Golf and still chasing his first title since the 2018 Travelers Championship, was gracious in defeat.

“I played great. I played as well as I could. Taichi beat me by one, and it was great to see a young player like that perform so well. He actually told me after the round that he used to watch me growing up, so that was pretty special. I told him he’s a great player. If he keeps doing what he’s doing, he’s going to have a great career.”

Rest of the leaderboard

Thailand’s Suteepat Prateeptienchai (69) and Jazz Janewattananond (72) shared third at 15-under. Jazz, winner of the inaugural International Series Morocco in November 2022, bogeyed the last from a fairway bunker to miss out on solo third.

Australian Elvis Smylie, winner of LIV Golf Riyadh earlier this year, fired six birdies in his last seven holes for a 66 to join South Africa’s Ian Snyman (67), Zimbabwe’s Kieran Vincent (67), and Japan’s Takanori Konishi (71) in a tie for fifth at 14-under.

Hero image: Ian Walton/Asian Tour