LIV Golf League reserve player John Catlin moved into his familiar position on top of the leaderboard today after an opening round 7-under 66 gave him the lead, along with New Zealand’s rising star Kazuma Kobori at the International Series Morocco (US$2 million).
Catlin, the Asian Tour Order of Merit leader, has filled in for the injured Charles Howell III on Crushers Golf Club in the last two LIV Golf events in Houston and Nashville. He finished T7 in Nashville after rounds of 66-66-70.
In Morocco this week, Catlin started hot once again. He had an eagle, five birdies and no bogeys and is still playing at the exceptionally high that saw him win the International Series Macau presented by Wynn and the Saudi Open presented by PIF in back-to-back events this year.
“Just very solid,” said Catlin, who is also second on The International Series Rankings. “Hit a lot of really good shots. Actually left a few out there, it could have been even better, but I am very, very pleased with how I played. I am looking forward to the next three days.”
Catlin, 33, is a six-timer winner on the Asian Tour and is enjoying arguably his finest season. Before his T7 in Nashville, he finished T24 at LIV Golf Houston.
“It’s just hard work and sticking to the process,” Catlin said. “I am continuing to learn from the failures from the past in order to get better. I think that’s all you can ever do.”
Filipino Miguel Tabuena is one shot back after a 67 on the par-73 Red Course at Royal Golf Dar Es Salam in the capital Rabat.
Scott Vincent of Iron Heads Golf Club is T4 along with fellow LIV Golf members Eugenio Chacarra (Fireballs GC) and Jinichiro Kozuma (Iron Heads GC).
Other LIV Golf players in the field are Pat Perez (4Aces GC, T17), Wade Ormsby (reserve player, T29), Caleb Surratt (Legion XIII, T42), Graeme McDowell (Smash GC, T42), Kieran Vincent (Legion XIII, T42), Peter Uihlein (RangeGoats GC, T80) and Brandon Grace (Stingers GC, T99).
Kobori, 22, who is tied with Catlin for the lead, is New Zealand’s great hope for the future and is playing in his first International Series event. He was unwell earlier in the week and was thrilled to have produced the goods on day one.
“Unfortunately I got a bit ill on Tuesday and Wednesday, so I only got to play yesterday,” Kobori said. “I would’ve liked to have played it a bit more but hopefully I’ve still got three more rounds to play in which I am really looking forward to.
“Honestly, I don’t know how I managed it because I didn’t even touch a club Tuesday. You should have seen the shots I was hitting on the range this morning but that being said, and once I got underway, I started to hit it quite nicely. Yeah, I don’t know it all just came together when I needed it to.”
He turned professional at the end of 2023 after a brilliant amateur career that saw him claim the individual title at the Eisenhower Trophy and the Australian Amateur earlier in the year. In 2019 he also won the New Zealand PGA Championship on the PGA Tour of Australia – the circuit where he won three successive titles earlier this year for his maiden wins as a professional.
Miguel Tabuena, who is solo third, finished fifth in the Kolon Korea Open two weeks ago for his best finish of the season on the Asian Tour. He had got his game back on track by going back to a set of clubs and a putter he had used before and this week, much to his relief, he has picked up where he left off.
“I had no idea why I experimented (with new clubs),” Tabuena said. “It’s great to be to be hitting it well again. It’s very good to be holding that old putter that I had used for the last three years. It seems to be coming along. It’s not quite there. I had a few mental errors but there’s three days to go and it does look like it’s working now.
“I took advantage of the calmer conditions in the morning but I’m pretty tired. I’m still jetlagged. I actually have my whole team here this week.”
One of those team members is on his bag.
“It was great,” Tabuena said. “We were having fun the whole time. It’s my sister-in-law on the bag, Kayla. And it’s a bit different, but it seems to be working. I’m loving every second of it.”
Thailand’s Phachara Khongwatmai and Sarit Suwannarut, Australian Travis Smyth, Swede Charlie Lindh, Yeongsu Kim from Korea and Indian Rayhan Thomas, who recently turned pro, all returned 69s.
The defending champion Jazz Janewattananond from Thailand fired a 73.
This week’s event is the eighth of the season on the Asian Tour and the third of 10 stops on The International Series.
(Photo courtesy of Paul Lakatos/Asian Tour)