International Series Morocco a ‘special opportunity’ for golf in the country, says local hero Lguirati

       - Six professionals and four amateurs will be representing Morocco in a star-studded field

November 2, 2022 – Rabat: Moroccan star Ayoub Lguirati is “honoured” to be among the ten local players representing their home country and gaining invaluable experience alongside the best in the game as they battle it out for glory at the International Series Morocco on the Royal Golf Dar Es Salam course in Rabat this week.

Ayoub joins fellow professionals Karim El Hal, Yassine Touhami, Othman Raouzi, Ahmed Marjan and Ayoub Id-Omar along with the amateur quartet of Adam Bresnu, Mohammed Nizar Bourehim, Hugo Mazen Trommetter and El Mehdi Fakori for the US$1.5 million event from November 3-6, the fifth of the Asian Tour’s new flagship series of elevated tournaments.

The Moroccan players will be gaining invaluable experience on the course in a strong field that includes current Order of Merit leader Scott Vincent of Zimbabwe and nearest challengers Sihwan Kim and Phachara Khongwatmai. All three are returning to Asian Tour duties after competing in the season-ending LIV Golf Team Championship on the Trump National Doral in Miami.

Lguirati said: “You cannot imagine the honour for me to be playing this event and representing my country. I am so delighted to play – especially on this course - the ‘Red Monster’ is a wonderful course, and it is important for Morocco to host tournaments like this.

“It is a special opportunity for the Moroccan players to test themselves against the best players in the world, and it is a wonderful opportunity to grow the game of golf and raise awareness of the sport in the country.

“We have some really great players here – His Royal Highness Prince Moulay Rachid and the Royal Moroccan Golf Federation are doing a great job developing the players over the years, and developing golf for everyone, and now you can see we have a really good field of local players this week in a big international tournament.”

With just four events remaining, including this week’s International Series Morocco, Zimbabwe’s Vincent is ranked first on the International Series Order of Merit (OOM) and fifth on the Asian Tour OOM. With lucrative purses still to play for, finishing top of both is a realistic possibility.

But despite the stakes being high, Vincent is staying typically grounded and not looking beyond the job at hand this week at Royal Golf Dar Es Salam.

“I try not to think about it,” he said.

“Obviously, it is there, and people talk about it. For me it’s not a priority, I am just trying to work on being present, being here. This is one of the steps in my career, this is where I am now.

“I am focusing on the very next thing I have to do. And, of course, any opportunity I have to come back and play in Africa it is a great thing.”

The International Series Morocco takes place at the historic Royal Golf Dar Es Salam, in Rabat, from November 3-6 and admission is free to spectators. The International Series then moves on to Egypt the following week, at Madinaty Golf Club in Cairo, from November 10-13.