Asian Tour Book 2024

Nevertheless, it was an incredible first half of the season for Catlin who was running away with both the Asian Tour Order of Merit and The International Series Rankings – which rewards the winner with a much sought-after place on the LIV Golf League. Mid-way through the season he reached another high point when he finished tied 16th at The Open – his best finish in a Major. His fine result in the Malaysian Open, which was part of the Open Qualifying Series, earned him entry into the game’s oldest Major, and he certainly seized the opportunity. His second half of the season did not mirror the first. Many were hoping for it to be the same, as it would have been incredible to sit back and watch. Fatigue no doubt played a part but he still recorded two more second placed finishes, including at the Black Mountain Championship. Countryman MJ Maguire did a Ben Campbell on him at Black Mountain and beat him in extra time after holing a succession of putts at the very end. Catlin was a truly worth first-time winner of the Asian Tour Order of Merit, plus The Kyi Hla Han Award for Player of the Year. He was unfortunate not to have also claimed The International Series Rankings having led right up to the second from last event, in Qatar, before the race became wide open with so many players in contention. He eventually finished fourth on the rankings. Campbell, helped by winning in Morocco, claiming second place in Hong Kong – where he was defending champion – and fourth place in the season-ending PIF Saudi International powered by SoftBank Investment Advisers, the richest event on tour at US$5million, finished the year second on the Merit list, a career best. He came agonisingly close to winning the rankings. At the Saudi International event, he missed the sudden-death play- off, between Joaquin Niemann from Chile, Australia’s Cam Smith and American Caleb Surratt, by a shot. If he had made a couple more putts if could have so easily been him who won in Saudi and, like Niemann, also claimed the rankings. As it were, the Kiwi was later to be rewarded for his excellent season by being asked to join RangeGoats GC on the LIV Golf League in 2025. A joint 15th finish in their season-opening event in Riyadh showed it was a wise choice by the team’s captain Bubba Watson from the United States. Canadian Richard T. Lee also enjoyed an outstanding year, ending in third place on the Merit list – also his highest placing. In 11 years playing on the Asian Tour he’d only finished outside the top-50 on the Merit list once. At the BNI Indonesian Masters he ended a seven-wait for his third victory and put behind him a string of missed opportunities.