Michael ‘MJ’ Maguire, ranked 861st in the world, won his second professional title after beating John Catlin in a playoff at the Asian Tour’s Black Mountain Championship.
Maguire played an impressive final round with a seven-under 65, tying with Catlin at 23-under and forcing extra holes. The Florida native nearly clinched victory on the last hole when his bunker shot almost went in but stopped just short.
As Catlin missed his birdie putt, the game moved to a playoff. Maguire and Catlin couldn’t be separated after their first attempt down the par-5 18th hole at Black Mountain Golf Club in Thailand. However, Maguire triumphed on their second go, leading to joyous celebrations despite the rain .
Header Text: A Tough Battle and Rankings Update
Fans might think this was one of the most thrilling finishes they’ve seen! Although Catlin faced disappointment for losing another International Series event playoff this season, he still managed to extend his lead in both the Asian Tour’s Order of Merit and International Series Rankings. He remains ahead of New Zealand’s Ben Campbell by 1,659 points in the Order of Merit and by 284 points in the International Series Rankings as they head into next week’s tournament.
Meanwhile, Maguire has made significant strides himself. He’s now fourth in the Order of Merit and fifth in the International Series Rankings. This win puts him firmly in contention for bigger titles as the season progresses.
Elsewhere during this competition, golf influencer Luke Kwon had a challenging finish at Black Mountain Golf Club. Though he made it past the cut by two strokes, he struggled on Sunday with a two-over-par 74, ending six-under overall.
Kwon wasn’t alone; Taewook Koh (known as Taco Golf) also competed but finished T144th after rounds of 72 and 80. Next week at Thai Country Club for International Series Thailand, Canada’s Mac Boucher will join as one of sixteen special invites.
What do you think about these exciting developments?
