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Aidric Chan at Morocco Rising Stars Marrakech tournament at Samanah Golf Club: Image Credit - RMGF

AIDRIC Chan carded a final round 65 to secure a one-shot victory at the Asian Development Tour's Morocco Rising Stars Marrakech tournament, held at Samanah Golf Club in Marrakech, Morocco.

With the win, the 21-year-old from the Philippines claimed one of the two available spots for next month’s International Series Morocco. The victory also virtually assures him of graduating to the Asian Tour next season.

Chan finished on 18-under-par 270, narrowly edging out Karandeep Kochhar, who finished second on 17-under-par 271. “I couldn’t be more grateful to be in this position. I started the day with a birdie, and my wedges instantly clicked. I did bogey the second hole, but today, I felt that every time I held a wedge, I was getting it close to the flag and then holing the putt. That felt really good,” said Chan following his win. The Filipino star opened the tournament with a superb eight-under-par 64, followed by an even-par 72 in the second round. In the third round, he returned a solid three-under-par 69. Starting the final round two shots behind overnight leader Luca Cianchetti, Chan, who was on 11-under-par, shot an impressive seven-under-par 65 which propelled him to the top of the leaderboard to claim top honours. Morocco’s Ayoub Lguirati was the highest-placed local player, finishing tied for 13th on 12-under-par 276. This was the first edition of the two Moroccan Rising Stars Marrakech events. The second tournament is scheduled to tee off on Thursday at Marrakech’s Al Maaden Golf Resort.

Jointly sanctioned by the Arab Golf Federation and staged in collaboration with the Hassan II Golf Trophy Association and the Royal Moroccan Golf Federation, these back-to-back events represent a significant milestone for the Asian Development Tour, marking its first-ever stop on the African continent. The top two players on the combined prize money list from the two events will earn places in the US$2 million International Series Morocco, set to take place at Royal Golf Dar Es Salam in Rabat, the Moroccan capital, from 3–6 July.