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Caleb Surratt is making waves as the youngest player in the LIV Golf League, having already clinched three team titles. The 20-year-old is excited to take on a new challenge as he tees up for the first time on the Asian Tour at the International Series Morocco this week.
Last year, the American youngster turned heads by winning three out of four points on his Walker Cup debut, the storied amateur match-up between teams from the United States and Great Britain & Ireland.
This impressive performance caught the attention of LIV Golf, leading Surratt to turn professional and sign with Jon Rahm’s Legion XIII team at the start of the season.
Surratt quickly found his stride, with two impressive top-15 finishes in his first two tournaments, in Mayakoba and Las Vegas, where he finished tied for 13th and joint 15th, respectively. His strong showing in the season-opening Mayakoba event helped Legion XIII win the team title, marking a fairytale start for the American. The team followed up with victories in Miami and Nashville, the most recent event, played two weeks ago.
The former University of Tennessee student is stepping into the unknown at the International Series Morocco.
The tournament, taking place on Royal Golf Dar Es Salam’s Red Course from July 4-7, is the third of 10 elevated events on the Asian Tour. These events provide a direct pathway to the LIV Golf League for a field of 156 players, including top talent from the Asian Tour and the best local and regional players.
The International Series also offers LIV Golf roster players a chance to fine-tune their games while competing for big money purses against elite fields at world-class destinations.
Major champions such as Brooks Koepka, Patrick Reed, Charl Schwartzel, and Louis Oosthuizen are among the LIV Golf League big names who have previously featured in the International Series.
Surratt will use the four days in Rabat to prepare for LIV Golf Andalucia in Spain the following week, the ninth event of the season. He will be joined by several LIV Golf League stars, including Range Goats GC’s Peter Uihlein, Graeme McDowell of Smash GC, Stinger GC’s Branden Grace, and Eugenio Chacarra of Fireballs GC.
He said: “I am excited. It is a privilege because I have never been to Morocco before. To be honest I have not really been abroad too much at all, so I am really excited for it and will prepare my best for it. I have heard nothing but awesome things about The International Series and the golf course in Morocco. I am excited to be making my debut there.”
The International Series might be new to Surratt, but it is certainly in his sights. Compatriot Andy Ogletree graduated onto the LIV Golf League and earned a spot with Phil Mickelson’s Hi-Flyers GC this year after winning the 2023 rankings race.
Surratt’s Legion XIII teammate Kieran Vincent also claimed one of three golden tickets to the big time at the LIV Golf Promotions event.
The Zimbabwean, the International Series Vietnam 2023 champion, received a bye into the second round of the four-round tournament and held his nerve in a thrilling playoff to earn his place alongside Kalle Samooja of Cleeks GC and Jinichiro Kozuma of Iron Heads GC.
Surratt has been impressed by the standard of players graduating from the Asian Tour. He said, “Obviously the cream is going to rise to the top and that is a great thing for a tour to produce, you cannot fake it. They (the Asian Tour) are clearly doing something right.”
“Part of the whole deal is even just learning how to travel as it is harder to go from country to country and adapt rather than state to state, and that’s part of the experience The International Series provides. The players know how to adapt, and I am excited for that.”
He may have traded his studies at the University of Tennessee for a shot at the big time, but Surratt is still enjoying an education of sorts. An All-American, SEC champion, and freshman of the year in 2023, he is learning from captain Rahm and other big names week in, week out.
He said: “Especially for a younger player like myself, to be able to go out and play with these guys directly out of college has been life changing. The amount of information I have learned and the amount of confidence I have gained, being able to compete with these guys, is second to none for me.”
Speaking specifically about his captain, he added: “To be able to come straight from college and be one of Jon Rahm’s right-hand men, on a daily basis, is vital for my learning. It is cool to be able to get comfortable around him, because if you can get comfortable and compete with him you can do it with anybody.”
The International Series Morocco takes place from July 4-7 at Royal Golf Dar Es Salam in Rabat. It is the third event on the International Series calendar and the eighth event of the Asian Tour season.
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