Golf: John Catlin making his way in the game

Hard work, travel, investment, talent and patience have all paid off for Catlin

US golfer John Catlin won last week's $1.25 million Dubai Duty Free Irish Open at Galgorm Spa & Golf Resort, Northern Ireland, on the European Tour's 2020 Race to Dubai, his second European Tour victory in a month, but this does not tell us the whole story of this California born golfer who has travelled the world in search of his dreams.
After a strong amateur career attending the University of New Mexico, Catlin turned professional in 2013 and played his first season on the PGA Tour Canada.
He then packed his bags and clubs and committed to play full time on the Asian Development Tour accumulating two wins in the process between 2016-2017.
This graduated him to the Asian Tour where in 2018 he won three times as well as taking the 2018 Asian Tour Player of the Year Award!
With this further success he gained European Tour access to the 2019 season.
Catlin became a four-time winner on the Asian Tour with victory in the 2019 Thailand Open.
He began 2020 without European Tour playing privileges having finished 155th on the 2019 Race to Dubai.
The development professional golf tours all around the world, including the likes of the MENA Tour, the European Tour's Challenge Tour, the Korn Ferry Tour for the PGA Tour, the Asian Development Tour, the Alps Tour, the Pro Golf Tour, the EuroPro Tour, and the Nordic League all have relationships with some of the bigger tours on the pyramid of the International Federation of PGA Tours.
This essential career development road map has hit an inevitable bump in the road in 2020 with Covid-19, but should hopefully be all back on track sooner rather than later as professional golf returns to a new norm.
On connecting with the CEO and Commissioner of the Asian Tour, Cho Minn Thant said of Catlin, "We congratulate John Catlin on his achievements, not only in the last few weeks on the European Tour but his performances on the Asian Tour over the last five years or so. Catlin, still in his 20's, has a fine future ahead of him and we are rightly proud of his professional golf career progression through the Asian Tour career model. John now sits at 84th in the OWGR and 14th in the European Tour's Race to Dubai."
Looking back so far on Catlin's journey to date, at the end of 2014 he stood at 1067 in the Official World Golf Ranking, at the end of 2019 was at 196 and now just a few months later, has risen to well inside the top 100 Ranking!
Invites to the likes of World Golf Championships and golfs' majors now seem just around the corner.
With Catlin entered for the next two events on the European Tour, both part of the ROLEX Series; the Aberdeen Standard Investments Scottish Open and the BMW PGA Championship with $7 million prizefunds at both events, for players like Catlin and co, each week can be even further life changing.
Catlin is a model of an ambitious young golfer following his dreams and playing around the world, previously referred to as a journeyman, in search of playing opportunities and World Ranking points.
We will all watch his continued progress over the next few weeks and months of this breakthrough season as well as the years to come.
Hard work, travel, investment, talent and patience have all paid off for Catlin!
fairwayviewskt@gmail.com
This Week's Events.
PGA Tour
Thursday 1 - Sunday 4 October, 2020
Sanderson Farms Championship
Country Club of Jackson, Mississippi, USA.
Prizefund $6,600,000
European Tour
Thursday 1 - Sunday 4 October, 2020
Aberdeen Standard Investments Scottish Open
The Renaissance Club, North Berwick, Scotland
Prizefund $7 million, ROLEX Series event.
TV Times
Aberdeen Standard Investments Scottish Open
Live/TV Times
Dubai Sports Channel (UAE Time)
Thursday 1st October, Round 1 / 14.30 - 20.30
Friday 2nd October, Round 2 / 14.30 - 20.30
Saturday 3rd October, Round 3 / 15.00 - 20.30
Sunday 4th October, Round 4 / 14.30 - 20.00