The breakaway circuit does not allow any more than 54 golfers to play its events and thus, getting into is quite a challenge. There are no Monday qualifiers or sponsors exemptions on LIV Golf, but then how did John Catlin get himself to play five LIV Golf events? The 33-year-old made his debut in the disruptive league in 2024 as a reserved player.

This means that Catlin could play only when there is one less player on the field for any emergent reason. He played the last five events, four with Bryson DeChambeau’s Crushers GC and the Greenbrier event with Brooks Koepka’s Smash GC as Graeme McDowell was suspended for one event after violating anti-doping policy.

That’s why Catlin cannot be at the $25 million LIV Golf Chicago in Bolingbrook Golf Club. However, he chose his next destination as the Amgen Irish Open. The 33-year-old missed the cut at the 2023 edition and before that was T4 in the event. Catlin posted on his Instagram that he was grateful to be back and thanked his fans for showing all the times he teed up at the Irish Open.

As Catlin diverts his attention to the DP World Tour event, he also wishes to become a permanent player on LIV Golf. And that seat could only be guaranteed through the Asian Tour, which he might be at the risk of losing.

John Catlin chases LIV Golf’s 2025 membership

As a reserved golfer on the breakaway circuit, John Catlin has fired some good finishes including three top 25s in Houston, Nashville, and Andalucia. And his remarkable form has not been limited to just LIV Golf. The 33-year-old started the Asian Tour with a T3 finish at the IRS Prima Malaysian Open.

In the next four starts, Catlin won the International Series Macau, Saudi Open presented by PIF and was a runner-up at the International Series Morocco. All of his incredible performance catapulted him to be the first-ranked golfer Order of Merit and the International Series Rankings. The latter will give the leader of the ranking 2025 LIV Golf card and that might be Catlin. However, on the second spot, Ben Campbell, another LIV Golf reserved player, is Catlin chasing closely.

There are only 146.92 points difference between the two players before they meet again on the Asian Tour. As the point difference is not as big, there is a high chance that Campbell would capitalize on the next chance and get the lead on the International Series Rankings. It would take only two more months for either Catlin or Campbell to get the LIV Golf card. Will Catlin lose it out to Cambell? Share it in the comments.