Asian Tour Book 2024

RIYADH ROMP FOR COMMANDING CATLIN AMERICAN SEIZES ORDER OF MERIT LEAD S o, what on earth do you do for an encore after you’ve shot a 59 and won your previous tournament in a play-off? It’s a pretty daunting scenario, unless your name happens to be John Catlin and you’re enjoying the form of your life. It was on the third Sunday in March, that 33-year-old American Catlin bettered Spaniard David Puig in a sudden-death play-off at the International Series Macau presented by Wynn in what was the fourth leg of the 2024 Asian Tour schedule. Following a five-week break, the Tour resumed at the Riyadh Golf Club for the US$1 million Saudi Open presented by PIF. However, the lay-off did nothing to halt the momentum that had catapulted Catlin into the international spotlight. “I rested for a bit after Macau. I gave myself about a week off and then I got right back to grinding. There were some things I wanted to improve upon. I was able to do it and I feel like I am getting there. It’s a never-ending process ... there are always things we can do better,” he said, offering a glimpse into his mindset and pursuit of excellence. If his victory in Macau had been a tense nail-biter, Catlin’s wire-to-wire win in the Saudi Arabian capital was simply emphatic. He blew away his rivals with a stunning seven-stroke triumph that served to underline his status as one of the hottest golfers on the planet at this point in time. “I’m tired, but very, very happy,” said Catlin, after clinching his sixth victory on the Asian Tour and became the first player to win successive events on the circuit since Thailand’s Jazz Janewattananond in 2019. “I’ve never gone back-to-back. It’s pretty special to finish back-to-back events holding the hardware. It was just a special week and I feel very lucky to be the champion,” said Catlin, who posted a four- day aggregate of 24-under-par 260. The outcome was pretty much decided by the end of the third round at which stage Catlin held an eight-stroke advantage following rounds of 65, 67 and a course record nine-under-par 62. John Catlin [left and right] came close to becoming the first player to go 72 holes without dropping a shot on the Asian Tour. 52 SAUDI OPEN PR E SEN T ED BY P I F R I YA D H GO L F C L U B A P R I L 1 7 - 2 0 2 0 2 4 | P R I Z E MON E Y: U S $ 1 M I L L I ON