THE 152ND OPEN

July 20, 2024

John Catlin

Mixed Zone

Q. Can you talk a little bit about the end of your round yesterday and the round today.

JOHN CATLIN: Those first 12, 13 holes yesterday were an absolute bear. I mean, it was hard to make pars. Like every par you made kind of felt like a moral victory. Then it calmed down a little bit, and I was able to take advantage and make some birdies in the closing stretch. Then I just continued that momentum off the start today.

Q. You were looking at the board yesterday and the cut number, it was touch and go for a while, right?

JOHN CATLIN: I was pretty much on that number, just inside it all day. So I just kind of kept staying steady, kept staying steady, kept making pars. I knew 6 would be enough, so I just kind of kept plotting along, kept plotting along. You make a couple birdies and give yourself a bit of a cushion. But, yeah, it was good.

Q. Fantastic start today?

JOHN CATLIN: Yeah, hooped a long one on the 2nd. That was probably going about eight feet by, but it caught the middle and went under and made a few more, which was nice.

Q. I was just looking at where you've been and where you're going and all that stuff. Does anybody travel more miles than you in a year, do you think?

JOHN CATLIN: I'm sure there probably is. Yeah, I mean probably not many, but I'm sure there are. I'm sure there are guys that travel more.

Q. Not many?

JOHN CATLIN: No, no, I do what I have to. I always have. I've never been shy about whatever it takes to be successful. If there's an opportunity and I feel like I'm capable of doing it, I'm going to be there.

Q. What was your motivation in going to Europe first?

JOHN CATLIN: I actually went to Asia first, and then I played really well in Asia, which earned me a Europe card.

I figured more World Golf Ranking points, pathway to the PGA Tour. A lot of guys had done it that way. So that was kind of the draw, the appeal for me. I played for basically six years, this year being my sixth, yeah.

Q. I looked at your record, and there was obviously some struggling going on in 2023. What was that specifically that you were struggling with?

JOHN CATLIN: A little bit of the game, a little bit of the mind. It doesn't take much, you know. It's fine, fine margins out here. Me and my coach put in a lot of work, and we were able to tighten things up. I feel like I'm playing much better and in a much better state mentally.

Q. It wasn't anything specific?

JOHN CATLIN: No, it wasn't just one thing, like I was always missing it left, I was always missing it right. A little mistake here, the momentum goes a little bit, 3 or 4-over, you miss a cut. I couldn't get off that ship. It was nice to take a little bit of time off, work on the game, and come back stronger.

Q. How would you describe your relationship with your coach?

JOHN CATLIN: He's more of a best friend, but he's an amazing coach. I wouldn't be the golfer or the person I am if it wasn't for him.

We've got 13 wins together, and standing here at The Open Championship is something truly special, and I don't think I'd be here if it wasn't for his tutelage. It's a pretty special relationship.

Q. Heading back to Asia, was that just a result of you lost your card in Europe?

JOHN CATLIN: Yeah, and I went back to Q-School, and I didn't earn a full card back. Because of the nature of pro golf unfortunately, I wasn't able to play any Asian Tour events, so I lost my card. I had to go back and earn it back at Q-School. I was able to do that, and the rest is history, as they say.

Q. You've been everywhere.

JOHN CATLIN: I have. I have been.

Q. Still have ambitions of playing the PGA Tour?

JOHN CATLIN: I'm just taking it one day at a time. I'm taking the opportunities that I've got. I've played well this year on Asian Tour, which is a feeder to the LIV. I'm taking those opportunities as they present themselves.

I fought hard for invites on the DP World Tour. Unfortunately, they went with a different avenue. So I had to keep doing what I could do. I had to keep playing Asian Tour and keep playing well. It opened up the LIV door.

Q. Is that your top priority right now, to make the LIV?

JOHN CATLIN: At the moment, I would say yes. I would say that is my top goal. You just never know, right?

Q. Who knows what's going to happen?

JOHN CATLIN: I don't know. I don't know what's going to happen. Like I told myself all year long, I just want to keep playing good golf. Whatever door that opens up, I'm going to take that door.

Q. Take me through the Postage Stamp today.

JOHN CATLIN: Wow, that back pin is difficult, and it was tough because it was straight into the wind. You know the one place you really don't want to miss it is right because that's where a lot of guys are making big numbers from.

If you hit it in that coffin bunker, like I did, you've got to get a little bit lucky. If you end up on the left side of that bunker and you don't have a backswing, all of a sudden it can get dicey.

I pulled it slightly. The wind was a little more out of the right than I thought, but I was literally dead centre of the bunker, perfect lie, and I had plenty of green to work with and it was slightly back into the wind. I actually thought I could maybe hole it, and I almost did.

It's a heck of a short par-3, I can tell you that. For it only being 120 yards, it definitely makes you think.

Q. For tomorrow, what's the mindset now? You're only six, seven back.

JOHN CATLIN: Just keep doing what I'm doing. It's obviously all in Shane's hands at the minute. I got to go out and do something pretty special to even be in the conversation. Just go out and have fun. Just playing good golf, like I've been saying.