Rabat [Morocco], June 14 (ANI): India’s Gaganjeet Bhullar performed 4-under 69 to leap to T27 earlier than the ultimate spherical of the US$2 million International Series Morocco introduced by Visit Morocco on the Royal Golf Dar Es Salam in Rabat.
The 11-time winner on the Asian Tour traded 4 birdies towards a lone bogey within the third spherical on the difficult course. Meanwhile, Ajeetesh Sandhu slipped to T47; regardless of carding a powerful six birdies, his spherical was undone by 5 bogeys and a pricey double bogey, leaving him at 1-over for the day, in accordance with a press launch.
‘I felt I hit the ball rather well at present; I most likely hit 14 out of 17 fairways. I gave myself so many birdie alternatives, made 5 birdies, and dropped one shot on the final. Other than that, it was a very good ball hanging day, putted effectively, and it was a kind of rounds the place I used to be proper there, and with just a few extra good breaks, it might have gone the opposite manner,’ commented Bhullar.
He added, ‘I’m going to try to persist with the routine and course of within the fourth spherical as effectively, the stuff I’ve been doing over the past 54 holes, simply going to do the identical factor, and hopefully stroll away with a very good spherical.’
Karandeep Kochhar completed the third spherical with 2-under 71, hitting 5 birdies.
Meanwhile, Bubba Watson overcame a late hiccup to take sole possession of the lead. The 47-year-old American, a two-time Masters champion and skipper of the RangeGoats GC on LIV Golf, appeared to be on cruise management on the demanding par-73 Red Course of Royal Golf Dar Es Salam as he made 5 birdies in his first 13 holes.
However, towards the run of play, Watson made back-to-back bogeys on the 14th and fifteenth holes earlier than getting one shot again on the drivable par-4 seventeenth gap.
Watson, in search of his first win because the 2018 Travellers Championship on the PGA Tour, closed on four-under-par 69, eking out a slim one-shot benefit over Thailand’s 2022 champion Jazz Janewattananond (67) and Hong Kong’s in-form Taichi Kho (68). The two gamers in second place skilled contrasting fortunes over the closing stretch. Jazz completed birdie-eagle, whereas Kho might solely par the final two holes, together with discovering water off the tee on the seventeenth.
Japan’s Takanori Konishi shot a bogey-free 66 as he chases a primary win exterior his residence nation and joined Thailand’s Pavit Tangkamolprasert (72) in a tied fourth place at 12 beneath. Julien Sale (68) of France and Suteepat Prateeptienchai (70) of Thailand have been tied sixth at 11-under.
Watson didn’t hit many fairways (eight of 15) however nonetheless managed to hit 15 greens in regulation. The birdie he cherished most was from 12 toes on the tenth, which got here after Pavit had broken the opening moments earlier when he slam-dunked his second shot for an eagle on the par-4 tenth gap.
Taichi, who completed runner-up on the Japan Golf Tour final week earlier than travelling to Rabat, had six birdies and a solo bogey in his 68.
International Series Morocco introduced by Visit Morocco is the third leg of the elevated occasions on the Asian Tour and is being performed in Morocco for the fourth time. (ANI)