Bubba Denied Ending Eight-Year Winless Drought As Taichi Kho Captures International Series Morocco

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Bubba Watson has been denied ending a long eight-year winless drought after Hong Kong’s Taichi Kho birdied the last hole to secure victory in the Asian Tour’s International Series Morocco.

The two players were tied at 18-under playing the last and with the 25-year-old Kho holing out for a birdie ‘4’ in a round of a five-under 68.

Watson, whose last win was at the 2018 PGA Tour’s Travellers Championship, somewhat struggled with a closing round of a three-under 70 on the par-73 championship layout.

Kho turned professional in February 2023, making his first start as a professional at the Singapore Classic on the European Tour.

A month laster, he won the weather-shortened World City Championship on the Asian Tour. The tournament was played at the Hong Kong Golf Club (Kho’s home club). He shot two rounds of 64 and a final-round 70 to win by two shots ahead of Michael Hendry.

The win also marked the first victory by a Hong Kong player on the Asian Tour. Additionally, he secured a place in the 2023 Open Championship. Kho was named as the Asian Tour Rookie of the Year for the 2023 season.

Kho’s victory in the Moroccan capital of Rabat is his second success on the Asian Tour.

Rabat, Morocco: Taichi Kho of Hong Kong pictured with the winner’s trophy on Sunday, June 14, 2026 during Round Four of the The International Series Morocco at Royal Golf Dar Es Salam (Red Course). Picture By Ian Walton/Asian Tour.

Overnight leader Watson was level with Kho after making a birdie from the bunker on the 17th hole but pulled his second shot from the fairway towards the LED screen, and could not make his up-and-down from there.

Kho finished on 19-under par total to get his hands on the US$360,000 winning cheque, which elevates him to No2 in the Asian Tour Order of Merit behind Australia’s Travis Smyth, and to No3 in The International Series Ranking.

It also helped the Hong Kong golfer get over the pain of losing in a playoff on the Japan Golf Tour in the previous week. No wonder Kho was misty eyed and emotional after the win.

“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,” said Kho.

“Golf’s a funny game. It really gives and takes, and I was very fortunate the last couple of weeks to be on the good side of it. I have a lot of gratitude towards the game itself, the people around me, the people who make it possible.”

While winning the title was a massive high for Kho, the fact that he also beat one of his childhood heroes in the process added to the joy

“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,” said Kho, who said he did not think of the victory until he birdied the last hole.

“I didn’t even think of winning until the last putt dropped! Golf is a really psychological game, and I think one thing that I continue to learn is that a lot of thoughts are going to go through your mind, whether they’re good or bad, and it’s my ability to be able to play freely and play to my instincts through those thoughts.” said Kho.

“That is what really made the difference for me.

And fair credit to Bubba who gave it his best, not only delighting the fans but also full of praise for Kho.

“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,” said Watson.

“It shows the game of golf is in a great spot, and it was fun to watch how well he played today,” said the 47-year-old Captain of the RangeGoats GC on LIV Golf.

“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.”

Well said Bubba and well played.

The Thai duo of Suteepat Prateeptienchai (69) and Jazz Janewattananond (72) were tied third at -15. It could have been even better, but Suteepat made a bogey-bogey finish, and Jazz dropped a shot on the last.

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



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