Rabat, Morocco: With just three bogeys in four days on a difficult golf course, Hong Kong’s Taichi Kho added another feather to his cap when he secured his first International Series win and second Asian Tour title at the US$2 million International Series Morocco presented by Visit Morocco.

Kho, the 25-year-old who made history for his country by winning its first-ever gold medal in golf at the Hangzhou Asian Games in 2023, was four-under-par through 10 holes with five birdies to take sole possession of the lead, but struggled to find the sixth that would have given him the breathing space.

That birdie finally came when it was needed most – on the par-five 18th. Overnight leader and two-time Masters champion Bubba Watson (70), who was level with Kho after making a birdie from the bunker on the 17th, 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 to get his hands on the US$360,000 winning cheque, elevating him to second place in the Asian Tour Order of Merit behind Australian Travis Smyth, and third in The International Series Ranking.

It also helped him get over the pain of losing in a play-off on the Japan Golf Tour the previous week. No wonder Kho, who also lost out in extra time at the Asia-Pacific Amateur Championship in Dubai in 2021, was misty-eyed and emotional after the win.

Kho said: “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.

“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 just have a lot of gratitude towards the game itself, the people around me, the people who make it possible.”

The fact that he beat one of his childhood heroes in the process added to Kho’s joy.

“I was so pumped up on the golf course. 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. That is what really made the difference for me.

“My last four-footer winning putt felt like a truly impossible putt. I did not know how it was going to break. The putt felt so long, and the hole felt so small, but there was a part of me that knew I had the ability to be free in that situation. That’s what really helped me hit a good putt. It’s a real mental battle out there.”

Despite missing out on his first title since the 2018 Travelers Championship, Watson was delighted with his efforts the whole week, and was complimentary of Kho.

“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. 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.”