RABAT, Morocco — Filipino golfers Miguel Tabuena, Justin Quiban and Carl Jano Corpus stayed in the hunt after opening with identical even-par 73s Thursday in the first round of the US$2-million International Series Morocco presented by Visit Morocco at the prestigious Royal Golf Dar Es Salam in Rabat.
The Filipino trio is tied for 60th place, comfortably inside the projected cut line but trailing early leader Pavit Tangkamolprasert of Thailand by eight shots after the Thai veteran fired a flawless 8-under-par 65 on the challenging par-73 Red Course.
Tabuena appeared headed for one of the better rounds among the Filipinos after a hot start that saw him collect three birdies through his first 11 holes. But momentum slipped away late as the former Asian Tour star struggled on the closing stretch, dropping four bogeys while managing just one birdie over his final seven holes, forcing him to settle for an even-par round.
Justin Quiban also battled inconsistency but stayed steady enough to post a matching 73, carding four birdies and four bogeys in a round marked by missed scoring opportunities.
Young Filipino standout Carl Jano Corpus, continuing his rise in international competition, also finished at level par after producing three birdies against three bogeys, keeping himself in solid position heading into the second round.
Meanwhile, Lloyd Jefferson Go, the fourth Filipino in the elite field, carded a 1-over-par 74, remaining within striking distance as the tournament heads into Friday.
Leading the field is 37-year-old Thai star Pavit Tangkamolprasert, who delivered a bogey-free masterpiece to grab the solo lead. Pavit, who finished runner-up to Travis Smyth at International Series Japan earlier this year, looked sharp from the start with four birdies on his opening nine, then closed in spectacular fashion by rattling off four consecutive birdies over his final four holes.
“I feel like today everything was right for me,” Pavit said. “I haven’t really played well in the last few events, but I kept grinding and reminded myself this is The International Series — a big opportunity.”
Australian Travis Smyth, fresh off two wins this season and currently leading the Asian Tour Order of Merit, stayed close at 6-under 67, tied with South Korea’s Younghan Song.
Also making noise were American Andy Ogletree, a three-time International Series winner, who surged to 5-under 68 after a dramatic eagle-birdie finish, while defending champion Scott Vincent opened with 70 and LIV Golf star Bubba Watson carded 69.
With three rounds left in one of the Asian Tour’s premier elevated events, the Filipino contingent remains well-positioned to climb the leaderboard and push for weekend contention.