LIV Golf players surge at International Series Qatar in Round 1
DOHA, Qatar - Multiple LIV Golf League stars are in the mix at the International Series Qatar after Round 1 at Doha Golf Club.
Stinger GC Captain Louis Oosthuizen is T2 after a 6-under 66, as is David Puig, who was a member of Fireballs GC in 2024. Other players who competed on the LIV Golf League in 2024 who are competing this week include Eugenio Chacarra (T5), Peter Uihlein (T9), Scott Vincent (T9), Brendan Steele (T9), Anirban Lahiri (T20), Kalle Samooja (T20), Dean Burmester (T20), Jinichiro Kozuma (T34), Branden Grace (T34), Thomas Pieters (T34), Charl Schwartzel (T54), Patrick Reed (T54), Kieran Vincent (T87), Matt Jones (T98) and Sam Horsfield (T98). Anthony Kim, a wildcard player on LIV Golf in 2024, is T54.
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LIV Golf reserve player John Catlin, leader of both the Asian Tour Order of Merit and The International Series Rankings with just two tournaments to go, signed for a 2-under 70 to sit at T34. Catlin can put the Merit list title beyond the reach of others this week if results permit. His nearest challengers are Richard T. Lee, who is second in the rankings, and LIV Golf reserve player Ben Campbell who is third. Lee shot a 3-under 69 (T20) while Campbell shot a 2-under 70 (T34).
They are all chasing South African Ian Snyman, who shot 7-under 65 in Round 1. Snyman had one eagle, seven birdies, and one double bogey. He is on course to make his 12th straight cut on the Asian Tour and put himself in position to claim his first title on the circuit.
“My coach, Paul McKenzie, and I have been working on a few things and I also got some advice from David Frost – he is a former Asian Tour winner having won in Hong Kong,” Snyman said about Frost, who won the Hong Kong Open in 1994 and 29 titles around the world. "About five months ago we spent two days with David. We were trying to find some consistency, that was my main concern. Looks like we are getting there. Just need to get some low ones like we did today, which is exciting.
“The big thing we worked on with David was the takeaway. I always take the club back outside and get laid off at the top. He kind of helped me feel a way to get it straighter."
Snyman was cruising at 8-under with two to play but made double on the par-3 17th.
“Bit of a brain fart there," Snyman said. "I was over the ball, they [the officials] were trying to calm some people down behind the tee box, but instead of re-starting my routine I walked straight into my shot. I think I was mis-aligned and pushed it way right of the green.”
He duffed his chip and three-putted but bounced back on the par-5 18th, hitting his third to 2 feet.
Puig is making his first appearance on the Asian Tour since April. Since then, he has played on the LIV Golf League, three majors and the Olympics, where he represented Spain alongside Jon Rahm.
“Pretty solid, especially after a month off tournaments. Super, super proud of how I fought,” said Puig, winner of the season-opening Malaysian Open and runner-up in the International Series Macau presented by Wynn, where Catlin defeated him in a playoff. “Didn’t hit it that good but somehow managed to post a pretty good score. Hit a lot of greens in regulation, which is something I have been working on.”
His countryman Masaveu, just one year younger at 21, was even happier as today marked his debut as a professional in a Tour event.
“First tournament as a professional, so very happy,” said the Spaniard, who birdied the last three holes and has his dad, Rafa, caddying for him. “To be honest, I didn’t really think about this being my first event as a pro. The good thing is my coach Gonzalo [Gonzalo Fernandez-Castano] is also playing. We did a good plan. I just tried to stay focused on my emotions.”
Masaveu finished third in this year’s U.S. Amateur and was beaten by compatriot and eventual winner Jose Luis Ballester 3&2 in the semis.
The International Series Rankings, which will see the champion earn a place on next year’s LIV Golf League, will go down to the wire at next week’s US$5 million PIF Saudi International powered by SoftBank Investment Advisers.
(Photo by Paul Lakatos/Asian Tour)