Pat Perez issues timely reminder to Dustin Johnson with LIV Golf future in doubt

Pat Perez has shown his worth to his LIV Golf captain Dustin Johnson after the out-of-sorts star banked his first top-10 of the season at the Asian Tour’s International Series event in Morocco.

With the LIV setup taking a break before their European swing later this month, Perez opted to head out onto the Asian Tour in a bid to find some much-needed form ahead of next week’s event at Valderrama. Perez is sitting precariously above the LIV drop zone, which could see him lose his spot on the breakaway circuit if he finishes in the bottom four.

Staring relegation in the face, Perez helped his chances of moving away from the drop zone at LIV’s last event in Nashville, where he put in his best performance of the 2024 campaign so far by finishing in a tie for 14th.

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There is no doubt the American will need more of the same in the final four events of the regular season if he is to avoid the drop, and the trip away from the breakaway league to Morocco appears to have only helped that. Perez continued his return to form at Royal Golf Dar Es Salam.

The former PGA Tour star ended the week on the Asian Tour in a tie for eighth shooting nine-under-par across 72 holes. His best performance of the week came on Saturday in round three, as Perez made seven birdies on the way to carding an impressive five-under 68.

This left him four shots off the pace heading into the final round, and while he failed to chase down the leading pack on Sunday, a one-over 74 saw him finish inside the top-10 in North Africa. The event on the Asian-based circuit was littered with players from the LIV setup, who able to compete on the International Series via an alliance between the two tours.

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And despite the likes of Perez and co competing, it was New Zealand’s Ben Campbell who prevailed after beating John Catlin in a playoff. Despite the near-miss, it only strengthened Catlin’s pursuit to earn promotion to the LIV setup, after moving into pole position of the International Series’ Order of Merit.

Catlin’s recent run of form caught the eye of one of LIV’s biggest names in Bryson DeChambeau, after the US Open champion called on the Asian Tour star as an injury reserve for his Crushers GC team. Catlin came in to replace Charles Howell III at LIV Houston and LIV Nashville and impressed.

Competing in the latter, Catlin finished in a tie for seventh, and after getting a taster of life on the breakaway league, has set his sights on earning a full-time spot on the LIV roster by winning the International Series Order of Merit.

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