David GonzalezJohn Catlin won the English Open supported by HotelPlanner after a seven-hole play-off at the Vale Golf Club, finally shaking off Norway’s Kristian Krogh Johannessen in the sort of extended duel that turns tidy scorecards into psychological paperwork.
This was not so much a finish as a test of nerve, patience and the ability to keep walking back to the tee without muttering something unprintable into a glove. Catlin, already a proven collector of national open titles, added another to the cabinet after making birdie at the seventh extra hole, following six matched pars between two players who had spent the day refusing to blink.
Catlin Finds The Birdie That Finally Ends It
Catlin and Johannessen finished regulation play locked at 18 under par on 270, with the American signing for a closing 67 and Johannessen producing a fine 66.
The Norwegian did his best to make off with the trophy in regulation, birdieing the 16th and 17th holes to pull level. Catlin, though, is not exactly new to this sort of unpleasantness. He has been through play-offs before, and rather than fold under the repetition, he settled into the grind.
After five further visits to the 18th hole and two more trips down the ninth, Catlin finally found the putt he needed.
“That was some battle out there and to come out victorious is something I’m really proud of,” he said.
“I kept battling and finally one of the putts went in, which happened to be on the seventh play-off hole. To add the English Open to the other national opens I’ve won is very special.”
A Fifth National Open Title For A Specialist In Surviving Trouble
There are golfers who win when everything is polished and obedient. Then there are golfers who win when the afternoon starts looking like a committee meeting with bunkers. Catlin belongs firmly in the second group.
The 35-year-old has now claimed five national open titles, adding the English Open to victories at the Austrian Golf Open, Dubai Duty Free Irish Open, Thailand Open and Saudi Open.
He had also previously come through play-offs at the Austrian Golf Open on the DP World Tour and the Thailand Open on the Asian Tour, which may explain why he looked less like a man trapped in a sporting loop and more like one who had read this script before.
“I’ve had a lot of past experience in play-offs which really helped today,” Catlin added.
“My coach has helped me handling pressure and when you’re in those battles that’s what you have to do. You must go out and perform and having those experiences in the past was huge and helped me get over the line.”
English Open Returns With Proper Theatre
The English Open supported by HotelPlanner returned to the golfing calendar for the first time in 24 years, and it did not exactly sneak back in wearing beige. A seven-hole play-off is a fairly emphatic way to announce that a tournament still has a pulse.
Catlin now joins a previous winners’ list carrying serious golfing weight, including Colin Montgomerie, Seve Ballesteros, Ian Woosnam and Darren Clarke. That is not bad company. In fact, it is the sort of company that makes a trophy feel heavier before anyone has even poured anything into it.
“Any time you’re playing in a national open is special,” he said.
“To have my name alongside the previous winners of this tournament is extra special. This one is extra sweet after everything I’ve been through the past two years, to get the win is really satisfying.”
Road To Mallorca Boost For Catlin
Beyond the trophy and the understandable relief of no longer having to replay the same holes into the evening, the win carries meaningful ranking value.
Catlin’s first HotelPlanner Tour victory lifted him 231 places to 18th on the Road to Mallorca Rankings. Johannessen, after his season-best performance, climbed 94 places to 22nd.
At the top, the leading three remained unchanged. MJ Daffue continues to lead the Road to Mallorca Rankings, with Spain’s Pablo Ereno second and England’s Will Enefer third.
Brown And Längfors Share Third
Behind the play-off protagonists, England’s Barclay Brown closed with a 67 to share third place on 13 under par alongside Sweden’s Per Längfors, who signed for a 68.
German Alexander Knappe, with a 69, and American Jhared Hack, after an excellent 65, finished a further shot back on 12 under.
It was a leaderboard with enough movement to keep the arithmetic lively, though by the end all eyes belonged to Catlin and Johannessen, marching through extra holes with the grim commitment of two men trying to settle a parking dispute using wedges.
HotelPlanner Tour Heads To Pléneuf Next
The HotelPlanner Tour now moves on to Pléneuf for the Blot Play9 at Golf Bluegreen de Pléneuf Val André, taking place from June 25-28.
Catlin will head there with a trophy, a rankings surge and another reminder that patience remains one of golf’s most underrated weapons. One birdie was all it took in the play-off. It just happened to need six stubborn pars and an awful lot of walking before it arrived.
