Ifrane – The fifth edition of the Michlifen Atlas Pro-Am wrapped up yesterday, September 20, with the second and final official round at the Michlifen Golf & Country Club, followed by the prize-giving ceremony and closing gala.
Played over 36 holes on the Jack Nicklaus Signature Course, this year’s tournament brought together 22 teams of professional and amateur golfers.
The closing day settled the final standings across the professional, gross, and net competitions, alongside individual prizes for performances including longest drive and nearest to the pin.
Jean de Wouters takes the professional title
Belgian professional golfer Jean de Wouters finished at the top of the professional standings with a score of five under par, ahead of Othmane Raoutzi at one under. Marc Sabria and Said Ouahmane were listed at par in the third-prize position.
For de Wouters, the victory added another dimension to what was already his second visit to Michlifen. “Obviously, very happy about the win,” he told MWN Lifestyle magazine after the tournament. De Wouters had previously visited the destination without playing the Pro-Am and said returning for the competition confirmed his impressions of the venue.
“It’s just magic,” he said. “The golf course is amazing, it’s one of the best I’ve ever played, I think.”
Beyond the course itself, de Wouters highlighted the surrounding experience at Michlifen, comparing the hotel and mountain setting to resorts in the French Alps and Switzerland. “The people are so nice, so welcoming, so warming. It’s perfect,” he added.
Team competitions settle the final standings
The team competitions also produced close final standings. Team Pinta Mustapha, alongside Hassan Benzekri, Majid Benjelloun, and Kena Boutaleb, took first place in the gross competition with 164 Stableford points.
In the main net classification, Team Said Ouahmane secured first place with 178 Stableford points, alongside Mustapha Nid Taleb, Mohamed Bojanoui, and Youssef Sadeq. Team Nourdine Hallhoul followed with 177 points, with Fabien Marchal, Stephan Dodin, and Patricia Renard, while Team Allen Cnajrc placed third with 171 points alongside Edmond Le Court, Franck Vargas, and Nicolas Duchateau.
Fabien Marchal discovers Michlifen
For amateur golfer Fabien Marchal of Royal Golf de Marrakech, the event marked a first experience of the Michlifen Atlas Pro-Am. Speaking to MWN Lifestyle magazine during the competition, Marchal praised both the sporting challenge and the setting.
“It’s an exceptional course,” he said, noting that the landscape felt almost unexpected for Morocco. “You feel like you’re in Switzerland,” he added, referring to the mountain environment that has long earned Ifrane its “Little Switzerland” nickname.
Marchal also highlighted the reception and organization of the tournament, saying participants had been “very well welcomed” throughout the event.
Clara Moyano Reigosa returns for her first Pro-Am
Spanish professional golfer Clara Moyano Reigosa was another golfer returning to Michlifen, although this year marked her first participation in the Pro-Am itself.
Her previous trip two years earlier had been defined by far harsher conditions, with snow, fog, wind, and freezing temperatures severely limiting how much golf she could play. This time, she found a markedly different experience.
“It was actually a good opportunity for me to come back and actually play the Pro-Am — better weather, nice people, good group,” Moyano Reigosa told MWN Lifestyle magazine.
She described Michlifen as “a really good golf course, challenging, good conditions,” while also pointing to the quieter environment and facilities as part of its appeal. “They let you do whatever you want, make you feel like home,” she said.
Longest drive and nearest-to-the-pin winners
The closing ceremony also recognized individual performances beyond the main standings. Mounia Ajkiyouche won the women’s longest drive, Tareck El Bali took the amateur longest-drive prize, while de Wouters added the professional longest-drive award to his overall victory.
Nearest-to-the-pin prizes went to Mounia Ahkitouche on Hole 7, Sanae Dulait on Hole 9, Medhi El Zemmouri on Hole 14, and Mouchine Lemseffer on Hole 17.
The awards brought the competitive portion of the fifth edition to a close before participants gathered for the evening gala. After two official rounds and a weekend built around professional-amateur pairings, the tournament concluded by looking ahead to its sixth edition in 2027.
The closing ceremony also featured a tribute to Ahmed Ouhmouz of Atelier Vert, recognizing his contribution alongside the wider teams involved in the tournament. The event also paid tribute to staff across the golf course, restaurant, transfers, housekeeping, technical services, and hotel operations, acknowledging the people behind the organization of the fifth edition.
The awards also recognized individual performances, with Mounia Ajkiyouche taking the women’s longest drive, Tareck El Bali winning the amateur category, and Jean de Wouters claiming the professional longest-drive prize.
