May 22, 2018
Sacramento Native John Catlin Nabs First Asian Tour Win
Current NCGA member and two-time NCGA Amateur Match Play Champion, John Catlin, captured his first Asian Tour victory last Sunday May 20, by winning the Asia-Pacific Classic. A native of Carmichael, California, Catlin fired a 16-under-par 272 to win by two strokes. The tournament, which took place at St. Andrews Golf Club in Henan, China, vaulted Catlin up to number 207 in the Official World Golf Ranking.
Catlin’s final round score of 69 included five birdies and two bogeys to earn the $54,000 winner’s check. As Catlin told press following the round, “This victory validates all the hard work that I’ve put in since missing the cut in Manila in 2016. Winning on the ADT (Asian Development Tour) is nice, but the main Tour is a step up and as we all know, this is the main Tour on the continent. So, to be able to get into the winners’ category on the Asian Tour is huge.”
Catlin earned status on the Asian Tour by finishing 3rd on the 2017 Asian Development Tour money list, where he previously won the 2017 PGM EurAsia Perak Championship in Malaysia and the 2016 Combiphar Golf Invitational in Indonesia. Prior to turning professional, Catlin won back to back NCGA Amateur Match Play Championships in 2010 and 2011 at Spyglass Hill GC. Other notable victories from his amateur days include the 2011 and 2012 Memorial Amateur in Sacramento, the 2012 Monterey City Amateur and the 2011 Sacramento City Amateur.
-Ian Dahl, NCGA Staff