Saqib Ahmed, Kartik Singh in Top 15 at IGPL Morocco Rising Stars 2026
Synopsis
With one round left at the USD 160,000 IGPL Morocco Rising Stars 2026, India's best hope rests with Syed Saqib Ahmed (T-14) and teen golfer Kartik Singh (T-11) — but Thailand's Tanapat Pichaikool, firing a course-best 64, holds a two-shot lead and is hunting his third ADT title.
Key Takeaways
Kartik Singh is Tied-11th at 8-under after a 1-under 71 in Round 3.
Syed Saqib Ahmed is Tied-14th at 7-under after a 2-under 70 on a windy day in El Jadida .
Thailand's Tanapat Pichaikool leads at 15-under 201 , two shots clear, after a 8-under 64 .
American Carson Herron fired the tournament's lowest round — a bogey-free 63 — to jump 32 places into Tied-4th.
The event is the fifth stop of the 2026 ADT season ; the same venue hosts next week's IGPL Bharath Classic .
Syed Saqib Ahmed and Kartik Singh kept India's hopes alive at the USD 160,000 IGPL Morocco Rising Stars 2026 in El Jadida, sitting inside the Top 15 heading into the final round at the Mazagan Beach & Golf Resort. The event is co-sanctioned by the Asian Development Tour (ADT) and the AM Green IGPL.
Indian Standings After Round 3
Teen golfer Kartik Singh carded a 1-under 71 to reach 8-under for the tournament, sitting at Tied-11th. One shot behind him, Bengaluru-based Saqib Ahmed — a former India junior No. 1 with a professional win to his name — shot a 2-under 70 in demanding windy conditions to sit at 7-under and Tied-14th.
Saqib's round featured a bogey on the first, back-to-back birdies on the fourth and fifth, and further birdies on the ninth, 12th, and 18th, offset by bogeys on the sixth and 10th. The 31-year-old was upbeat about his prospects. 'This golf course is suiting my eye. It is a very windy and long course, and I hit it further, so I have an advantage of sorts. I am having fun and enjoying playing here; hopefully I can continue to do that,' he said.
Other Indians Struggle Down the Leaderboard
It was a difficult day for the rest of the Indian contingent. Raghav Chugh shot a 72 but was undone by a triple bogey on the 16th, slipping to 5-under and Tied-28th. Trishul Chinnappa (72) sits at Tied-34th and Arjun Bhati (71) is Tied-38th.
Further down, Samarth Dwivedi (72) is Tied-40th, while Sachin Baisoya — who has one win on the AM Green IGPL this season — carded a 73 to sit at Tied-45th. Rashid Khan (74) and Milind Soni (73) are Tied-48th, and Kartik Sharma (75) is Tied-52nd.
Pichaikool Leads, Herron Fires Record Round
Thailand's Tanapat Pichaikool, chasing his third ADT title, fired a superb 8-under 64 to reach 15-under 201 total, taking a two-shot lead into the final round. The 26-year-old, who won the Toyota Tour Championship in Malaysia in 2024, narrowly missed his ADT full card last year after finishing 69th in the Order of Merit.
Argentina's Franco Scorzato sits second after a bogey-free 67, reaching 13-under. Another Thai, Runchanapong Youprayong, shot his second 67 of the week to reach 12-under in solo third. American Carson Herron — son of four-time PGA Tour winner Tim Herron — carded the tournament's lowest round, a bogey-free 9-birdie 63, to jump 32 places into Tied-4th alongside Spain's Agusti Quinquilla Madalena (73) and Italy's Michele Ortolani (66).
Tournament Context
This week marks the fifth stop of the 2026 ADT season. The Mazagan Beach & Golf Resort, located on Morocco's Atlantic coast, will also host next week's IGPL Bharath Classic, giving the Indian contingent an immediate chance at redemption.
Point of View
But a two-shot deficit to a red-hot Pichaikool — who has form and course confidence — makes a maiden win for either Indian a long shot. The broader story is the uneven performance of the Indian pack: most of the contingent is buried in the middle of the draw, suggesting that while India is producing competitive young golfers, the gap to ADT's elite Asian and South American players remains real. The back-to-back hosting of two IGPL events at Mazagan is a structural opportunity for Indian players to accumulate ranking points, but only if the final-round nerves hold.
NationPress
10 Aug 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
Where do Indian golfers stand at the IGPL Morocco Rising Stars 2026?
Kartik Singh is the highest-placed Indian at Tied-11th on 8-under, with Syed Saqib Ahmed one shot behind at Tied-14th on 7-under, heading into the final round at Mazagan Beach & Golf Resort in El Jadida, Morocco.
Who is leading the IGPL Morocco Rising Stars 2026?
Thailand's Tanapat Pichaikool leads at 15-under 201 after a third-round 64, holding a two-shot advantage over Argentina's Franco Scorzato. Pichaikool is chasing his third ADT title.
What is the prize money for the IGPL Morocco Rising Stars 2026?
The IGPL Morocco Rising Stars 2026 carries a total purse of USD 160,000. It is co-sanctioned by the Asian Development Tour and the AM Green IGPL.
Who is Syed Saqib Ahmed?
Syed Saqib Ahmed is a 31-year-old professional golfer from Bengaluru, a former India junior No. 1 with at least one professional win to his name. He is competing on the Asian Development Tour and the AM Green IGPL circuit.
What happens after the Morocco Rising Stars event?
The Mazagan Beach & Golf Resort will immediately host the IGPL Bharath Classic the following week, giving the same Indian contingent another opportunity to compete at the same venue on the 2026 ADT season calendar.
