Asian Tour Book 2024

ASIAN TOUR HOMECOMING BRINGS OUT THE BEST IN MR 59 W hen John Catlin departed for Europe in 2020 to try his hand on the DP World Tour, there was concern that the Asian Tour would rarely get to see one of its most successful players. When he proceeded to win two events in September, in Spain and Ireland – in the midst of the global pandemic and strictly controlled tournament bubbles – and another the following year in Austria, the likelihood of return trips seemed even more slim. There’s absolutely no doubt that the American would not have forgotten the Asian Tour, which he regularly spoke highly of when playing in Europe. It is the tour where it all started for him and where he realised his potential. He won three times on the Asian Tour in 2018, was voted the Player’s Player of the Year that year and won again in 2019. He also claimed Asian Development Tour titles in 2016 and 2017. He'd arrived in Asia in 2015 short on cash and looking for inspiration and he certainly got what he was looking for. His experience was helped in a big- way by setting up camp in the popular and peaceful seaside town of Hua Hin, Thailand – which became his second home. However, the goal of getting into the top 50 in the world and playing Majors meant opportunities to head East were limited. Golf does throw curveballs though and that was the case in 2023 when he surprisingly failed to keep his playing privileges in Europe after an unusually inconsistent season. His exemptions from those three victories had also expired and he was left to work out where he would play in 2024. It was a simple decision for him to head back to Asia although he faced the daunting task of needing to navigate the Final Stage of the Tour’s Qualifying School, as he also had no playing status in the region. Helped by the fact that the school was staged in Hua Hun, so he could stay at ‘home’, Catlin comfortably made it through claiming the 19th card from the 35 on offer. It was the start of what proved to be 22