Former U.S. Open champion Graeme McDowell will tee it it up in Morocco Image Credit: Supplied
Dubai-born Rayhan Thomas and the UAE’s Ahmad Skaik will go up against multiple LIV Golf League stars at the International Series Morocco next week at the Royal Golf Dar Es Salam’s testing Red Course.
Smash GC’s Graeme McDowell, Stingers GC’s Branden Grace, RangeGoats GC’s Peter Uihlein and Legion XIII’s Caleb Surratt are slated to compete, as well as multiple Asian Tour champions Scott Hend, Gaganjeet Bhullar and Jazz Janewattananond, the 2022 champion.
International Series Morocco is the third of ten elevated events on the Asian Tour calendar that offer a pathway onto the LIV Golf League, while also giving local and regional talent an opportunity to play elite-level golfers from around the world.
Ayoub Lguirati is part of a select group of home favourites flying the flag for the region and the local hero is hoping to reproduce his impressive form from two years ago when he tees it up on the next week. He is one of seven Moroccans in the world-class field.
Ahmad Skaik is one of the UAE’s best amateur golfers Image Credit: Ahmed Oto
In the 2022 edition, Lguirati was the sole Moroccan to make the cut, and he went on to impress with a superb T28 finish.
“The tournament is very important for us as local golfers, it is amazing to have this event in Morocco because it opens a lot of opportunities outside the country, especially on the Asian Tour and Asian Development Tour, “ Lguirati said. “As players we get the opportunity to really learn every day from those around us. After my experience in 2022, and learning from the players in the field then, I am a lot better in my process. I am calm and more relaxed, I try to respect my strategy and play my game and be more patient.”
The 29-year-old is joined in the field by local professionals Othman Raouzi and Ayoub Id-Omar, as well as promising amateurs Hugo Mazen Trommetter, Aissa Elkhadri, Adam Bresnu and Soufiane Dahmane.
The Saudi trio of Othman Almulla, Saud Al Sharif and Faisal Salhab will also be representing the region.
All will be hoping to follow in Lguirati’s footsteps. His impressive finish in Rabat last time out paid major dividends, in the form of an invite to International Series Egypt in Cairo the following week.
Another impressive display, and a T37 in Cairo, then gave Lguirati a spot at the season-ending BNI Indonesian Masters presented by Tunas Niaga Energi, where he once again made the cut and finished T38 in a star-studded field.
Lguirati, who currently plies his trade on the Asian Development Tour, is hoping that home advantage will count for something.
“We have some really talented players from Morocco and the region this year, a nice mix of professionals and amateurs, and this is a terrific opportunity for all, we have a good team of Moroccan players,” Lguirati said. “Playing the Red Course at Royal Golf Dar Es Salam is a big advantage for the Moroccan players as it is a home course for us. It is a very difficult course, the greens especially are very tough, so it is good for us to have the course knowledge and home advantage.”
International Series Morocco takes place July 4-7 at the Royal Golf Dar Es Salam Red Course in Rabat. It is the third event on The International Series calendar and the eighth event of the Asian Tour season.
