Rayhan Thomas is making waves at the International Series Morocco after an impressive performance on the opening day at Royal Golf Dar Es Salam.
Despite having only played one full practice round on Monday, he is within striking distance of the LIV Golf-bound John Catlin, trailing by just three strokes.
What a start!
Thomas demonstrated the poise and skill of a seasoned professional on the Asian Tour and not a rookie in his fiist event, swiftly mastering the course and conquering the challenging Bentgrass greens.
Frozen Rope
His precision off the tee allowed him to take on tight pin positions and maintain composure when he rarely got out of shape. A standout moment came on the 15th hole when a wayward approach shot left him with minimal room to maneuver. However, the 24-year-old executed a remarkable up-and-down with remarkable calmness.
Drive for show and a car!
Thomas further showcased his prowess by taking on the drivable 287-yard par-four 16th hole, landing in a greenside bunker but effortlessly securing an eagle without even reaching for his putter.
“I drove the ball well off the tee today,” added Rayhan. “My experience playing on Bentgrass during my time at Oklahoma State University enabled me to quickly adapt to the greens and understand the importance of finding fairways to control spin.”
Tough front nine
Having started his opening round from the 10th tee, the front nine had been providing the harder challenge for players all day, but Rayhan’s accuracy off the tee enabled him to close out with a 69, though he might be frustrated, as a few birdie putts skirted past the hole on more than one occasion.
Hovland explains why Oklahoma State gave Rayhan the right tools to turn pro
“I wouldn’t say I left too much out there, it was a fair balance, having got up and down a few times,” Rayhan calmly reflected on the round. “I agree it would have been great to have sunk one of the opportunities on seven, eight and nine. But that is golf and lets hope a few more drop tomorrow.”
Rayhan gets his second round underway tomorrow afternoon and will be keen to take on more pins. Who knows he may go one better on the 16th and become the first player to record a hole in one and win a $50,000 Audi A5.
Fight for the keys
“I had no idea we could win an Audi on 16, until I was reminded by Alex (Worldwide Golf) at the start of the round, though I did promise to split the prize if I aced the hole!,” laughed Rayhan.
If Rayhan continues to knock on the door of the leaders, there will no doubt more International Series starts coming his way.
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