DDF Irish Open
From bubble-buster to twotitle Race to Dubai contender.
he’s the pantomime villain made good. Indeed, the way this ( hopefully) never to be repeated Race to Dubai season has transpired anything but to script thus far, don’t be surprised if John Catlin goes from suddenly charming support act to a leading role by the time the final curtain falls at Jumeirah Golf Estates.
The 29-year- old American was an unknown character to most until being slapped with a “forced WD” at the English Championship in August after breaking the European Tour’s COVID-19 protocols. That illconsidered meal out with his caddie, at a restaurant outside the tour’s course and designated hotel bubble, could have been all she wrote in 2020.
But Catlin, immediately repentant for his “error of judgement”, quietly went about ensuring a far more positive narrative will accompany him to the UAE in December.
He went wire- to- wire to claim his maiden European Tour title at Valderrama in early September and backed up the classy Andalucia Masters win with victory in the rescheduled Dubai Duty Free Irish Open three weeks later.
Catlin did it tougher in County Antrim in late September, fighting back from a two shot deficit to Jazz Janewattanan standing on the 14th tee Sunday to eventually sign for a closing 64 at Galgorm Spa & Golf Resort and a two stroke victory over Englishman Aaron Rai. Janewattanan, who won the MENA Tour’s Mahasamutr Masters in May 2017, had to settle for a share of third with Aussie Maverick Antcliff, a shot further back.
The victory earned Catlin €199,750 to take his season earnings to a smidgeon over €424,000. Significantly, it catapulted the American 22 places up the Race to Dubai standings to 14th at the time of press. There are ample events for the University of New Mexico alumnus to wriggle his way further into the frame for the bonus greenbacks at JGE when the 2020 Race to Dubai climaxes at the DP World Tour Championship from December 10-13. But that is for the future. In the immediate aftermath of becoming just the third American to capture the DDF Irish Open, one of the European Tour’s blue-ribbon events first contest in 1927, Catlin was happy to bask in the moment.
“It’s hard to describe how special this feels,” said Catlin who joined Ben Crenshaw and Hubert Green, champions in 1976 and 1977 respectively.
“That’s incredible company to be in. It’s an honour to have my name on the trophy with those great players and the likes of Rory McIlroy, Jon Rahm, Colin Montgomerie, Ian Woosnam. Seve Ballesteros and Nick Faldo. So much hard work during lockdown has gone into this moment. It was my goal to win again at the start of the week, so to achieve that is truly special. With five holes to play, I kinda had nothing to lose. I was going after every flag and was able to hit a couple in there close.
“Winning at Valderrama has given me massive confidence.
You never know if you are going to win, but winning there has freed me up. I can look myself in the mirror and tell myself honestly that, having won once, I can do it again.”
And so he did. And maybe he will again. Stranger things have happened in 2020. This intriguing Race to Dubai script remains a work in progress courtesy of the sub-plots being produced by the likes of Catlin, the bubble buster turned celebrated champion. Stay tuned, folks.
IT’S HARD TO DESCRIBE HOW SPECIAL THIS FEELS.”