KOKRAK HOT IN RD. 3 AT INT'L SERIES MACAU

John Catlin made history and became the first player to shoot a 59 on the Asian Tour with a stunning round at the International Series Macau presented by Wynn, and a host of LIV Golf League stars are chasing him entering the final round.

The American, a four-time winner on the Asian Tour who has spent the last four seasons playing in Europe, carded a bogey-free 11-under 59 to take the lead after Round 3 at Macau Golf & Country Club.

He stands at 18-under for the week and leads by two over Smash Golf Club's Jason Kokrak, who shot 62. Ripper Golf Club's Lucas Herbert also shot 62 and is one back of Kokrak to join Jbe Kruger (66) from South Africa in a tie for third.

Spaniard David Puig of Fireballs Golf Club, who shared the lead at the start of day with Kruger, shot 68 on a day of tremendously low scoring and fell back into a tie for eighth at 13-under.

Catlin holed a brilliant big left-to-right breaking 20-foot eagle putt on the par-5 18th to seal the deal, after making six birdies on the front nine and three on the back.

His ecstatic reaction to holing the putt marked yet another memorable milestone for the 33-year-old Californian on the Asian Tour. He first made his name here by winning on the Asian Development Tour (ADT) in 2016 and 2017 before graduating to the main Tour where he won three times in 2018 and once in 2019.

Three victories followed in Europe soon after but having successfully passed through the Asian Tour Qualifying School in January it appears being back in the region has proved to be the correct career move.

“Yeah, I’m pretty much speechless,” said Catlin, who admitted later that he thought he would never break 60. “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.”

Just prior to his remarkable three on the last he also made birdie on the challenging 239-yard par-3 17th, where he holed an 8-footer. A 10-footer to save par on the 12th also proved crucial.

The American was able to benefit from calm conditions and preferred lies but that didn’t detract from shooting the first sub-60. A score of 60 has been shot on three occasions on the Asian Tour while a 59 has been carded once at both the Qualifying School and on the ADT.

When asked about his dip in form since last winning in Europe in early 2021, he said: “Yeah, it’s really difficult. You know, you sacrifice a lot, you put in a lot. 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.”

Catlin secured the 19th card at Qualifying School before going on to finish third at the season-opening IRS Prima Malaysian Open.

Kokrak knew he needed to go low and played aggressively.

“You have to," Kokrak said. "I mean it’s a golf course where if you’re in the fairway you have to attack it. The greens are soft, you have to attack this place with no wind. If it’s windy out there it can play a little tricky, but with it being calm we knew we had to go out there and shoot something low.”

Added Herbert: “John [Catlin] has won plenty of tournaments, I have won plenty of tournaments and a few other boys have played plenty as well, and we all know how to get it done. So hopefully I can get in with a sniff with nine to play, and do the best I can do and it should be a good battle out there.”

Last year’s Hong Kong Open champion Ben Campbell (63) from New Zealand, Frenchman Martin Trainer (64), a Qualifying School graduate, and Mexico’s Carlos Ortiz (65) of Torque Golf Club, who won the International Series Oman last month, are four behind Catlin, in a tie for fifth.

Thailand’s 20-year-old star Denwit Boriboonsub, winner of the season-ending events on both the Asian Tour and ADT last December, signed for a 62 and is in a group of players one shot back.

This week’s $2 million (U.S.) event is the fourth event of the year on the Asian Tour and second on The International Series.