John Catlin made history on Saturday, becoming the first player to shoot 59 or better in Asian Tour history.
Catlin shot 11-under 59 on the par-70 Macau Golf and Country Club in the third round of the 2024 International Series Macau event, storming into the lead on 18-under 192 to lead Jason Kokrak by two shots heading into the final round.
The bogey-free round marked the first sub-60 score in Asian Tour history, with the four-time Asian Tour winner Catlin making birdie on the 239-yard, par-3 17th before draining a curling 20-foot eagle putt on the final hole to secure the historic round.
“Yeah, I’m pretty much speechless,” said Catlin, whose X handle includes the number 59.
“It's pretty, crazy. It hasn't totally sunk in yet. Wow. Yeah, the emotions are hitting me for sure. Just everything I've been through over the last two years. To be here. It's pretty special.”
The third round on the 6,647-yard course was played with preferred lies due to inclement weather the night prior. Even though the conditions may have been ripe for a sub-60 round, Catlin never believed he would do it -- even though all of his passwords include the dream 59 number in them.
Catlin has struggled for the last several seasons after winning back-to-back DP World Tour events in 2020 and earning a third title in 2021. He lost his DP World Tour status after last season, returning to the Asian Tour. The American was particularly emotional when thinking about the difficulties of the last several seasons.
“Yeah, it's really difficult. You know, you sacrifice a lot, you put in a lot," Catlin said. "I definitely want to thank my coach Noah Montgomery. He's been with me now for 10 years and he really helped me through it. I don't know where I'd be if I didn't have him in my corner and we just kept pushing. We just kept pushing. And yeah, to be here right now is pretty special.”
