Asian Tour Book 2024

JOURNEYMAN MAGUIRE ATTAINS STARDOM AT BLACK MOUNTAIN HEARTBREAK FOR CATLIN AFTER SECOND PLAY-OFF LOSS John Catlin [right] also lost in a play-off in Morocco A new star was born when American MJ Maguire became the latest champion by defeating Asian Tour Order of Merit and International Series Ranking leader John Catlin on the second extra-hole to clinch the US$2 million Black Mountain Championship. At Black Mountain Golf Club in Hua Hin in the first of two back-to-back International Series weeks in Thailand, Maguire made a superb birdie from the greenside bunker on the 587-yard, par-five 18th hole to shoot a seven-under-par 65 on Sunday, while Catlin (66) missed a 12-footer birdie attempt for an outright win. That tied them on 23-under par in regulation play. Back on the 18th for a play-off, Maguire matched a routine birdie from Catlin with a monster 20-footer putt from the fringe. In the second attempt to break the deadlock on the same hole, Catlin missed a 15-footer for par to hand over the title to his American compatriot. The 31-year-old from Florida, who shot up from 77th place to fifth in The International Series Rankings and fourth on the Asian Tour Order of Merit following the win, said: “Big weight off my shoulders. Kind of been close, kind of a journeyman, played on every Tour you can think of. Finally, to get a win on a big Tour like this, is huge!” “It was a fun battle down the back. We were kind of back and forth. I think I tied him on the seventh hole, and then we had a two-shot swing on nine. It was kind of big, but I knew two shots are nothing out here on this course, especially with the finish of a couple of holes we could reach by getting close to the green with drivers. “So, it was just staying close and just kind of being patient were my biggest things and then having to roll in a few nice ones.” India’s Gaganjeet Bhullar, joint leader at the start of the day with Catlin and paired in the final group, closed with a 72 and finished tied seventh at 19-under. Chinese-Taipei’s Max Lee Chieh-po matched Maguire’s 65 and missed the play- off by one, finishing solo third at 22-under. New Zealand’s Ben Campbell, already a winner earlier in the season at the International Series Morocco, shot the lowest round of 64 on Sunday tomove to tied fourth place at 20-under. Thailand’s Suteepat Prateeptienchai (66) and Italian Stefano Mazzoli (66) were tied alongside him. It was a second play-off loss in 2024 for Catlin, who was attempting to win three titles in a season for the second time in his career, and an emotional one as he has based himself in Hua Him for the past several years and considers Black Mountain as his home course. The International Series Macau presented by Wynn and the Saudi Open presented by PIF winner said: “I mean, I gave it everything I had, I went bogey-free. I thought I had it in the first play-off hole, and I thought I had it in regulation, and he just hit an amazing bunker shot and then holed about a 20-footer to extend the play-off. “It kind of feels like Morocco. Like I really didn’t do that much wrong, and here I am standing on the wrong side of it, so it is what it is.” The consolation for Catlin was that he 102 BL ACK MOUN TA I N CHAMP IONSH I P B L A C K MO U N TA I N GO L F C L U B , H UA H I N , T H A I L A N D O C TO B E R 1 7 - 2 0 | P R I Z E MON E Y: U S $ 2 M I L L I ON