LIV hopeful that impressed Bryson DeChambeau moves step closer to Saudi league

John Catlin, a three-time DP World Tour winner, is inching closer to a full-time move to LIV Golf after securing second place in the Asian Tour’s International Series event in Morocco.

Catlin was vying for his third win in four Asian Tour starts in Morocco but fell short by one shot, finishing behind Ben Campbell at Royal Golf Dar Es Salam. The American experienced a bittersweet moment as he lost the title in a one-hole playoff against Campbell.

Both players were tied at 15-under-par after four rounds of golf in North Africa, with New Zealander Campbell managing to catch up to Catlin’s one-shot lead from the previous round.

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Although Catlin managed to birdie the playoff hole at the par-five 18th, Campbell outdid him with a spectacular eagle, three. Despite the close call, it was another commendable week for Catlin on the Asian circuit, which propelled him into a clear lead in the International Series Order of Merit.

The player who tops the season-long standings at the end of the campaign will earn a promotion to the LIV setup for 2025, a path that HyFlyers star Andy Ogletree successfully navigated last year. Catlin hopes to follow in his fellow American’s footsteps and made significant strides towards this goal on Sunday.

Heading into this week’s tournament, he was second in the Order of Merit list, trailing only Carlos Ortiz, who is already a member of the LIV roster. However, Catlin’s runner-up finish over the weekend propelled him to the top spot, continuing his impressive form in 2024.

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Catlin is no stranger to the breakaway league. His recent performance caught the attention of US Open champion Bryson DeChambeau, who enlisted the Asian Tour star as an injury reserve for his Crushers GC team. Catlin stepped in for Charles Howell III at LIV Houston and LIV Nashville, making a particularly strong impression in Nashville.

After finishing seventh in Nashville and getting a taste of the Saudi-backed series, Catlin is eager to make a permanent return in 2025. “[The international Series] is definitely priority one for me now,” Catlin said ahead of this week’s event at Royal Golf Dar Es Salam.

“Having experienced the LIV Golf events, they are really cool. We are very well looked after and playing that caliber of field for that kind of money is something we all want. That is priority one and I am looking forward to what will unfold over the next eight events.”

Bryson DeChambeau, the golf sensation, is no stranger to John Catlin’s prowess on the green. “He’s a fantastic golfer,” DeChambeau praised last month. “I grew up playing some golf with him in northern California, and we had some battles early on in our careers, in junior golf even. He’s a stellar player. He’s shot in the 50s and won a few times this year now.”