LIV Golf reserve player Catlin in Claret Jug conversation

Timing is of the essence in golf. Just ask John Catlin. It was approaching 3:20 p.m. on an increasingly dreary Saturday afternoon in Scotland that the Asian Tour Order of Merit leader rolled home a 2-foot putt for par on Royal Troon’s 18th green.

By the time Catlin had signed his scorecard and headed off to fulfill media obligations, the skies had darkened menacingly and light rain was turning into unpleasant, relentless drizzle.

As tournament leader Shane Lowry made his way to the first tee for his 3:45 p.m. start, Catlin could not resist a wry smile.

“My timing’s pretty good,” said the American, dry and sheltered having safely negotiated this treacherous links layout before the heavens opened.

On the back of a blistering start during which he made birdies at four of the first seven holes, Catlin was able to complete his round in 2-under 69.

That gave him a 54-hole total of 2-over 215 and left him in a share of 30th place as the leaders set out for their third rounds. With the weather deteriorating, he was hopeful those ahead of him would move into reverse, allowing him to creep up the leaderboard. Sure enough, 90 minutes later he was up to joint 23rd. And as the scoring conditions worsened with the late wave midway through the final nine holes, he stood T16.

Then when play finally concluded, Catlin found himself T15 entering the final round.

Did he feel he still had an outside shot at holding aloft the famous Claret Jug on Sunday?

“Just keep doing what I’m doing. It’s all in Shane’s hands at the minute. I’ve got to go out and do something pretty special to even be in the conversation,” added the journeyman pro, who has had a pretty special season to date.

After securing his starting spot in the 152nd Open Championship by virtue of finishing in a share of third place in the season-opening IRS Prima Malaysian Open, Catlin posted back-to-back triumphs in the International Series Macau presented by Wynn followed by the Saudi Open presented by PIF.

A fortnight ago he was pipped in a playoff by New Zealander Ben Campbell at the International Series Morocco.

This week has served to underline Catlin’s status as an elite professional golfer, even if he remains disarmingly modest.

“I’m just taking it one day at a time," Catlin said. "I’m taking the opportunities that I’ve got. I’ve played well this year on the 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 the Asian Tour and keep playing well. It opened up the LIV door. Like I’ve 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.”

After an opening 76 here, Catlin needed to show his mettle in the worst of the Day 2 conditions to give himself a chance of making the cut.

And he did just that, grinding out 13 pars in his first 14 holes before making birdie putts at three of the four closing holes to sign for a 70 and finish inside the cut.

“Those first 12, 13 holes yesterday were an absolute bear. It was hard to make pars. Every par you made 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.

“I was pretty much on that (cut) number, just inside it all day. I just kept staying steady, kept making pars. I knew 6-over would be enough, so I just kind of kept plodding along,” said Catlin, who continued that momentum at the start of round three.

Catlin is one of five Asian Tour members who succeeded in making the cut this week, along with fellow American Andy Ogletree (HyFlyers GC), Chilean Joaquin Niemann (Torque GC) and the Korean duo of Minkyu Kim and Jeunghun Wang.

While Catlin and Wang booked their places here through the IRS Prima Malaysian Open, Kim earned his passage as a result of his victory in the Kolon Korea Open, the event from which Younghan Song also qualified.

Song was paired with reigning Asian Tour Order of Merit champion Ogletree in the third round at Royal Troon.

Both struggled to assert themselves, Song carding a birdie-less 77 and Ogletree managing just one birdie in an error-strewn 79.

Photo credit: Oisin Keniry/R&A/R&A via Getty Images)