American John Catlin’s stunning score of 59 on day two of the Asian Tour’s International Series Macua leaves just one of the world’s leading men’s tours still to register a sub-60 round.
Catlin, 33, had posted nine birdies coming to the last, the par-5 18th and knowing that he needed an eagle ‘3’ if he was to create a first in the 59-year history of the Asian Tour.
The former triple European Tour winner and also a four-time Asian Tour champion, and also now LIV attached, lined-up his putt and got the read perfect, rolling in the eagle putt in an 11-under-par 59 on the host Macau Country Club course.
Naturally, Catlin was estatic celebrating with caddy and playing partners and fellow Americans Patrick Reed and Andy Ogletree.
He leads the event on 18-under by two from American Jason Kokrak, who shot a 62. Lucas Herbert from Australia also returned a 62 and is a further stroke back along with joint overnight leader Jbe Kruger from South Africa, who came in with a 66.
“Yeah, I’m pretty much speechless,” said an emotional Catlin, who admitted later that he thought he would never break 60, even though all his passwords end with 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.”
So, what mens Tour is still without a 59 in under-50 competition?
The PGA Tour boasts 12 sub-60 scores including the first Al Geilberger the first at the 1977 Memphis Classic and the lowest being a 58 posted by Jim Furyk on the final day of the 2016 Farmers Insurance Open, and won by Scot Russell Knox.
England’s Ollie Fischer signed for the DP World Tour’s only 59 at the 2018 Portugal Masters.
In 2003 Masahiro Kuramoto became the first player to shoot 69 on the Japan Tour on day one of the Acom International. Seven years later on 2 May 2010, Ryo Ishikawa shot a 12-under-par 58 to win the Crowns touranment by five strokes.
The Sunshine Tour celebrated a first 59 with South African Peter Karmis posted a closing 59 to capture the 2009 Lombard Insurance Classic. Four years later countryman Colin Nel matched that score finising runner-up in the 2013 Nelson Mandella Championship.
Amercian sensation Bryson De Chambeau has the honour of being the first to record a sub-60 score on the LIV Tour, shooting a 58 to win last year’s LIV Golf Greenbrier. Earlier this year red-hot Chilean-born Joaquin Niemann posted a sensational last day 59 to capture the LIV Golf Mayakoba.
The only main men’s Tour yet to record a score of 59 is the Australasian Tour.
Former DP World Tour and PGA Tour player Peter Lonard just a few weeks agoa became for first ‘down under’ Tour played to record a 59 however that was in the over-50 Legends Tour
