Gaganjeet Bhullar produced a 4-under 69 to surge to T27 and stand as the leading Indian heading into the final round of the US$2 million International Series Morocco presented by Visit Morocco at Royal Golf Dar Es Salam in Rabat.
Bhullar’s third-round move mattered for India’s contingent as the 11-time Asian Tour winner found form on a demanding layout, giving himself a chance to finish strongly on the final day of the Asian Tour’s elevated event.
Bhullar’s third-round 69: birdies, one bogey, and a clear plan
On the challenging course, Bhullar traded four birdies against a lone bogey to sign for 69 and climb the leaderboard before the closing round. He said he struck the ball well and highlighted his accuracy off the tee, noting he hit 14 of 17 fairways and created multiple birdie looks.
“I felt I hit the ball really well today; I probably hit 14 out of 17 fairways. I gave myself so many birdie opportunities, made five birdies, and dropped one shot on the last. Other than that, it was a good ball striking day, putted well, and it was one of those rounds where I was right there, and with a few more good breaks, it could have gone the other way,” Bhullar commented.
Looking ahead to the final round, Bhullar said he intends to keep things simple and repeat what has worked through 54 holes. “I’m going to try and stick to the routine and process in the fourth round as well, the stuff I’ve been doing over the last 54 holes, just going to do the same thing, and hopefully walk away with a good round,” he added.
Elsewhere among the Indians, Ajeetesh Sandhu slipped to T47 after a volatile third round. Despite making six birdies, Sandhu’s card also included five bogeys and a double bogey, leaving him 1-over for the day. Karandeep Kochhar, meanwhile, finished the third round with a 2-under 71 and made five birdies.
Watson takes the lead after late wobble on the Red Course
At the top of the leaderboard, 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 RangeGoats GC on LIV Golf, looked in control early on the par-73 Red Course as he made five birdies in his first 13 holes.
Watson then made back-to-back bogeys on the 14th and 15th holes before responding with a birdie on the drivable par-4 17th. He closed with a 4-under-par 69 to hold a narrow one-shot advantage.
Watson’s closest challengers after three rounds were Thailand’s 2022 champion Jazz Janewattananond, who shot 67, and Hong Kong’s Taichi Kho, who posted 68. Their finishes contrasted: Jazz ended birdie-eagle, while Kho parred the final two holes and found water off the tee on the 17th.
Japan’s Takanori Konishi recorded a bogey-free 66 and joined Thailand’s Pavit Tangkamolprasert (72) in tied fourth at 12 under. Julien Sale (68) of France and Thailand’s Suteepat Prateeptienchai (70) were tied sixth at 11 under.
Watson’s round included a notable statistical split: he did not find many fairways (eight of 15) but still hit 15 greens in regulation. One birdie he valued most came from 12 feet on the 10th hole, shortly after Tangkamolprasert had slam-dunked his second shot for an eagle on the par-4 10th.
Kho’s 68 featured six birdies and a lone bogey, continuing a strong run that included a runner-up finish on the Japan Golf Tour last week before travelling to Rabat.
What to watch on the final day in Rabat
International Series Morocco presented by Visit Morocco is the third leg of the elevated events on the Asian Tour and is being played in Morocco for the fourth time. With Watson holding a one-shot lead and multiple players in close pursuit, the final round sets up a decisive finish at Royal Golf Dar Es Salam.
For the Indian challenge, Bhullar’s jump to T27 makes him the key name to watch on Sunday, with Sandhu and Kochhar also looking to close with strong rounds and improve their positions.
