New Zealand’s Ben Campbell, who triumphed at last year’s Hong Kong Open, sank a 20-foot birdie putt in the first playoff hole to defeat American John Catlin, who had led for three rounds, and secure his second International Series title and second Asian Tour victory at the US$2 million Asian Tour International Series Morocco.
Heading into the final round of the Asian Tour International Series Morocco, Campbell was one shot behind the 54-hole leader Catlin. The pair engaged in a fierce battle, with Campbell trailing by three strokes with just three holes to play.
However, Campbell showed resilience, draining an eagle putt on the 17th hole to narrow the gap to one stroke. On the 72nd hole, both Campbell and Catlin had a chance at a 10-foot birdie putt. Campbell confidently rolled in his birdie attempt, while Catlin failed to convert his, leading to a playoff after both players finished with matching scores of 71 (-2) and 72 (-1), respectively, for a total of 277 (-15).
In the first extra hole, Campbell once again demonstrated his putting prowess, making a 20-footer for birdie to defeat the playoff specialist Catlin and replicate his success from last year’s Hong Kong Open in the International Series.
“It’s a great finish,” Campbell said after the match. “I didn’t play my best golf today, but I kept telling Mike (his caddie) that I needed to find something and stay patient. Yeah, I hit it a bit right on 16, but I had a good sand shot there. I told Mike if I could get a birdie-eagle, you never know what might happen. And I did, then made that putt in the playoff – it’s always awesome.”
For Catlin, a six-time Asian Tour winner, this marked his first playoff loss on the circuit. Despite the setback, his runner-up finish in Morocco provided solace, solidifying his position atop the Asian Tour Order of Merit and climbing to the top of the International Series rankings, positioning himself for a spot in next year’s LIV Golf League.
“I mean, you’ve got to tip your hat,” said Catlin. “This guy probably made about 130 feet of putts in the last three holes. All you can do is shake his hand and say, ‘Well done.'”
Caleb Sarratt, the youngest player in the LIV Golf League at 20 years old, carded a 71 to share third place with Spain’s rising star Eugenio Chacarra (73), both finishing at 280 (-12).
Li Yanzhi closed with five birdies, four bogeys, and two double bogeys for a 76 (+3) in the final round, securing a total score of 291 (68-75-72-76, -1) and a share of 42nd place.
(Asian Tour AsianTour)
