John Catlin Makes LIV Golf Hole-In-One At Famous JCB Golf Club Par 3

During the second round of LIV Golf UK, the Crushers GC substitute made an ace at the iconic 17th hole at JCB Golf and Country Club

John Catlin hits a wedge shot
(Image credit: Getty Images/X:@LIVGolfLeague)

The par 3 17th at JCB Golf and Country Club is a visually stunning, and intimidating, hole that plays 60-feet downhill and at 240-yards. To many, it would drive fear into their game but, for John Catlin, he managed to ace it on Saturday!

Once again, Catlin was playing as a replacement for Crushers GC's Charles Howell III, who continues to recover from injury, and at the 17th, Catlin showed what he is capable of, as his approach pitched on the right side of the green and spun in for the seventh hole-in-one in LIV Golf history.

Causing a big reaction up on the tee box, the American high-fived his playing partners Patrick Reed and Ian Poulter, with Poulter also present for Chase Koepka's iconic ace in Adelaide, just last year.

Teeing off at the 12th in the shotgun start format, Catlin had bogeyed his opening hole, with another at 16th putting the 33-year-old two-over for the day and three-over for the tournament... However, it was the 17th where his fortunes would change!

Striking an iron at the treacherous island green, we had already seen the likes of Anthony Kim go close on Saturday and, at the par 3, Catlin's ball landed just over the right hand bunker, with the shot catching one of the slopes and finding its way into the bottom of the cup.

John Catlin poses with the 2024 International Series Macau trophy

Catlin currently leads the Asian Tour's Order of Merit

(Image credit: Getty Images)

As mentioned, it's the seventh ace of LIV Golf's history, with Catlin joining the likes of Matt Wolff and many others to produce a hole-in-one. Unfortunately, for those in attendance, the ace wasn't made at the Party Hole which, had it been, someone would have netted a cool $100,000.

Either way, it didn't matter for Catlin, whose fine form in 2024 continues. Currently, he is coming off a strong week at The Open and, earlier in the week, the 33-year-old revealed that his main goals this season are to win the Asian Tour Order of Merit and lock down a LIV spot for 2025.

Certainly, with golf like we saw at the 17th, he will be in a fine position to do that, with Catlin battling for LIV Golf qualification via the Asian Tour's Order of Merit, as well as also being in with a chance to qualify for LIV Golf via the League itself. Although a substitute, Catlin could finish inside the top 24 of LIV Golf's rankings and, if he were to do that, he would secure a spot in the LIV Golf League for 2025.

Matt Cradock
Staff Writer

Matt joined Golf Monthly in February 2021 covering weekend news, before also transitioning to equipment and testing. After freelancing for Golf Monthly and The PGA for 18 months, he was offered a full-time position at the company in October 2022 and continues to cover weekend news and social media, as well as help look after Golf Monthly’s many buyers’ guides and equipment reviews.

Taking up the game when he was just seven years of age, Matt made it into his county squad just a year later and continues to play the game at a high standard, with a handicap of around 2-4. To date, his best round came in 2016, where he shot a six-under-par 66 having been seven-under through nine holes. He currently plays at Witney Lakes in Oxfordshire and his favourite player is Rory McIlroy, despite nearly being struck by his second shot at the 17th during the 2015 BMW PGA Championship.

Matt’s current What’s In The Bag?

Driver: Honma TW747, 8.75°

Fairway Wood: TaylorMade Rocketballz Stage 2, 15°, 19°

Hybrid: Adams Super Hybrid, 22°

Irons: Mizuno MP54, 5-PW

Wedges: Cleveland 588 RTX 2.0 Tour Satin, 50°, 56°, 60°

Putter: Cleveland TFI 2135 Satin Cero

Ball: Titleist Pro V1x