Despite his recent hiccup at the Link Hong Kong Open, where he shockingly missed the cut, John Catlin’s ambition to clinch a berth in the 2025 LIV Golf League hasn’t wavered.
The American golfer, leading the International Series Rankings, found himself in a spot of bother after opening the door for his closest contenders.
Heading into the Hong Kong tournament, Catlin was perched atop the leaderboard with a hefty 240-point lead over the spirited Canadian, Richard T Lee, winner of the BNI Indonesian Masters. Lee, fuelled by recent finishes of T9, T2, and a win, surged into second place, making the race tighter than a Sunday backnine.
With the Hong Kong event dishing out 360 points to the victor, the stakes were sky-high, and defending champion Ben Campbell, sitting comfortably in fourth and just a swing away from the top, seized the lead at the halfway mark.
Catlin’s round featured a mix of six birdies and a few frustrating bogeys for a two-under 68. Reflecting on his play, Catlin noted, “That was a lot better than yesterday, a lot more tidy and lot of very good golf shots.
It is just one of these courses if you are just a little off, it exposes you and I didn’t have my best. It is what it is.”
Looking ahead, the excitement builds as 450 points await the winner at the upcoming International Series Qatar, with a whopping 1,000 points on the line at the season finale, the PIF Saudi International powered by SoftBank Investment Advisers.
Catlin remains optimistic, especially with fond memories of his triumph at the Saudi Open presented by PIF earlier this year.
“”I’ll go and work on some things and tidy some things up. I have played Doha Golf Club three of four tournaments and I know it pretty well, and I have already had some success at Riyadh Golf Club.
“It is all in a lifetime, sometimes you make a few mistakes and you learn from them and you move on.” Catlin asserted confidently. I’ve still got plenty to play for, I know where I want to be and I know what I have to do, it’s all about going out there and doing it.”
For the latest updates on the race for the LIV Golf League spots and more about The International Series, swing by www.internationalseries.com.
