An impressive year with several accolades and a reputed status in the league. Sounds like enough to secure a spot, right? Well, not quite—at least not if you’re playing in LIV Golf. Time and again, the Saudi-funded league has made headlines for players struggling to hold onto their spots. Take Bubba Watson, for example. He ended up in the relegation zone for the 2025 season, leaving him in a tough spot. But hey, he did not have great performances in 2024. His were meager.

But John Catlin did not lack in skill display in 2024. The American golfer had a phenomenal year. Shockingly, he recently announced that he will only serve as a reserve for the LIV Golf 2025 season starting in February. 2024 was the same. He shared the news on X and expressed his excitement to compete on the Asian Tour and International Series. He also thanked his coach Noah Montgomery for all his hard work. If you’re wondering how Catlin’s year went, here’s a quick recap.

At LIV, he was needed for six events and three different teams. First, he filled in for the injured Charles Howell III on Crushers GC four times and his best finish was a T7 at LIV Golf Nashville. In those four events, Crushers GC finished T4, T2, T2, and solo third. At LIV Golf Greenbrier, Catlin stepped in for Graeme McDowell of Smash GC and well, the team won. Catlin last filled in for Legion XIII’s Jon Rahm at the Team Championship in Dallas. On Sunday when all players’ scores counted, Catlin shot 2-under 70 (the second-lowest score of the team’s four players) to help the team finish fourth.

He dominated the Asian Tour having won twice, getting runner-up on 3 occasions, recording a historic 59, and having 3 other top-10 finishes. He also won the Order of Merit and was named Player of the Year. Yet, despite all of that, he was overlooked for a full-time LIV contract. He handled the announcement with grace—his tweet was all gratitude and determination—but the golf community was not as diplomatic, with fans calling out the apparent injustice. A tweet by Flushing It summed up the frustration perfectly: “What a shame; he deserved it.” And they weren’t alone.

Before Caitlin teed up at the Riyadh GC for LIV Golf promotions, he was eagerly looking forward to it. “Whenever we tee it up, we are trying to win,” Catlin said. “That is why you put in all the hours, the practice, and you see what you have got when it comes down to those last few shots on Saturday afternoon. … I like my chances. I think it comes down to playing good golf, and I have done a lot of that this year, and hopefully I can keep doing it.” He played the course in April when he won the Saudi Open.

This incident could raise questions about LIV Golf. For a league that’s built on shaking up the traditional golf scene, cases like Catlin’s are making people question how they’re running the show. The selection process feels murky at best, and fans are starting to notice. How does someone who’s literally making history end up as a reserve?

Fans rally behind John Catlin

“It’s embarrassing honestly, he’s better than a good amount of players,” one fan bluntly stated. And it’s hard to argue with them. Catlin’s 2024 season speaks for itself—winning accolades, breaking records, and consistently outperforming. Yet somehow, that’s not enough.

Then there’s the million-dollar question: “Is it because others are contracted? Who decides these things now that the Shark has moved on?” Seriously, who’s in charge of making these decisions? With Greg Norman no longer steering the ship, the new CEO, Scott O’Neil is to take over before the new season starts. No one really knows how things may go from here. But from the looks of it, things may improve, especially as the CEO was seen attending TGL’s debut match, hinting at possible good relations. 

And fans aren’t buying it. “Agree flush. This is especially questionable given the lack of top player signings. What else did he need to show?” That’s the thing, right? Catlin’s proven himself on every possible level. The frustration kept coming: “That’s absolutely ridiculous,” another fan chimed in.

Fans are scratching their heads over Catlin’s omission, especially considering how LIV Golf’s recruitment is shaping up for 2025. Sure, they’ve brought in some new players, including Chieh-po Lee who won the LIV Golf Promotion, Yubin Jang, and Frederik Kjettrup, but without any big-name signings making waves, it’s hard to understand why someone like Catlin, with such an impressive season, didn’t make the cut. Honestly, it just makes the whole situation even more confusing. Another wrote, “I was really hoping to see you on liv full time this season.. best of luck in the next year.”

You see, this whole situation leaves a lot to be questioned about the league’s transparency and fairness. Catlin might be keeping it classy, but fans are making sure LIV knows they’re not happy.