CATLIN’S 59 MAKES ASIAN TOUR HISTORY
John Catlin shot the first sub-60 round in Asian Tour history yesterday, firing an 11-under-par 59 in the third round of the International Series Macau. The American eagled the par-5 18th to reach the magic number, which moved him to 18 under in the US$2 million event.
On another day of low scoring, Jason Kokrak carded an eight-under 62 to sit just two shots off the lead, with Lucas Herbert from Australia and South African Jbe Kruger in a tie for third at 15 under.
“I’m pretty much speechless,” Catlin said. “It hasn’t totally sunk in yet. Just everything I’ve been through over the last two years, to be here, it’s pretty special.”
Asian Tour player of the year in 2018, Catlin put together seven wins in three years between the circuit and the DP World Tour, but he has struggled over the past 24 months and lost his card on the European Tour last year. He needed an invitation to play in Macau and said he would not have been there if not for his coach, Noah Montgomery.
“You sacrifice a lot and you put in a lot,” Catlin said. “I definitely want to thank my coach, he’s been with me now for 10 years and he really helped me through it.”
Catlin got off to a blistering start in his third round, draining six birdies for a front nine of 28 on the par-70 coastal layout at Macau Golf and Country Club. He sank three more on the 11th, 13th and 17th before his beautifully judged eagle on the 564-yard 18th.
“I didn’t realise I shot 28 on the front nine, so the magic number wasn’t really in my head until the 17th,” Catlin said. “It’s a 239-yard par three, downhill 41 yards, so you’re not really trying to make a birdie.
“It actually got a little closer than I was trying. I was able to bury that one and I figured, well, three down the last. And just hit two beautiful shots in there. The putt was a big left-to-right swinger and I just happened to get the pace and the line right.”
The 59 was the second of the year, after Joaquin Niemann shot the same score at the opening LIV Golf tournament of the season in Mexico. Still, sub-60 rounds are extremely rare, with only 16 previously recorded on the men and women’s main tours. There have been 12 on the PGA Tour, one on the LPGA Tour and European Tour, and two on LIV Golf.