The American John Catlin (-19), who comes from winning a month ago the International Series in Macao, has made it almost impossible for the Spaniard David Puig (-10) to fight for what would be his second victory of the season in the Asian Tour and his more than likely passport to compete next month in the PGA Championship, the second major of the season. On a Friday with many red scores at the Riyadh Golf Club, it was the golfer from Sacramento, in California, who best squeezed his round, to establish a lead in the classification of no less than eight strokes.
In China, Catlin, a player trained in the PGA of Canada who exploded in Asia with five titles and who even has three victories in the DP World Tour, one of them in the Estrella Damm N.A. Andalucía Masters of 2020, achieved the first 59 in the history of the Asian tour. Four weeks later he has not reached a record of that caliber, but with his impressive 62, with nine birdies and no mistake, he has allowed himself to sign the best round of the day in the tournament and open a huge gap with the Thai Kiradech Aphibarnrat (-11), who occupies the second place alone.
“The train doesn’t stop… 3 birdies and an eagle!”
Kiradech Aphibarnrat moves into the top 5.https://t.co/QQChqRqIrM#whereitsAT #GolfandMore #SaudiOpen pic.twitter.com/8pZcQjAHjs
— Asian Tour (@asiantourgolf) April 19, 2024
Puig, whose goal this week was to win to get into the top 100 of the world ranking and opt for an invitation to play the PGA Championship at the Valhalla Golf Club, today has not been able to maintain his high production of birdies from the first two competition days. With five and three bogeys, for a result of 69 strokes (he made 67 on Wednesday and another 67 on Thursday), he has had to settle for a third place tied with the Australians Wade Ormsby (-10) and Scott Hend (-10) and the Chinese Li Haotong (-10).
The one from La Garriga will have tomorrow a last chance to fight for the victory, although it will not only depend on what he is capable of doing but on whether Catlin, who snatched the victory in Macao in the playoff, has a bad day and opens the door in a tournament that he has very well on track. Carlos Pigem (-1), with 72 strokes today, is the second Spaniard in the table, in the 43rd place tied. While Eugenio López-Chacarra (PAR), with 73 today, is in the 50th tied, in the lower area among those who managed to pass yesterday’s cut.
