Daily Mirror (Northern Ireland)
Cat who gets the cream..
IF you’re looking for a player to close out a tournament, look no further than John Catlin.
The American won the Austrian Open at the weekend – his third European Tour title in less than 12 months.
He also won four times in 18 starts on the Asian Tour, meaning he now boasts a remarkable return of seven wins from 31 starts.
That’s a 23 percent win rate. Outstanding.
Sunday’s success moves him up to 79th in the rankings and also gives him a chance to tee it up at next month’s USPGA Championship.
Catlin’s dramatic rise from 257th in the rankings in September 2019 – pre-covid pandemic – to where he is now has been impressive.
It has also been done the hard way because it has been achieved by playing in lower profile events with limited world ranking points.
You could argue a lower standard has increased the probability of Catlin cashing in, but that would do a disservice to his ability to get the job done down the straight.
The 30-year-old has also adapted to a challenging terrain over the past year and gone on to prove he has the mental strength and ability to compete on the biggest stage.
I’ve always said the golfing education you gain from playing on the Asian Tour is invaluable because it exposes you to the harsh realities of professional golf.
Catlin got to cut his teeth in Asia before moving to Europe and it’s proof that sometimes access to regular competitive golf is the key to developing.
Find a tour and build from there.