Five Irish Open takeaways: Against all the odds, Galgorm got the job done

America's John Catlin tees off on the 17th at Galgorm Spa & Golf Resort, Ballymena. Picture: INPHO/Tommy Dickson

He who dares wins 

It is not exactly a heartwarming story, John Catlin’s hard-headed calculation that leaving his native United States to play the Asian Tour was more economically viable to earn prize money than the PGA Tour. Yet after five years away from home, he has cracked the world’s top 100 by picking up two European Tour wins in his last three starts. His approach in the final round at Galgorm Castle was also laudable, two shots back of leader Aaron Rai with four to play, he went for broke. Three birdies later he was top of the leaderboard, the pressure applied to Rai and the chasing pack. The pressure told and there was Catlin, king of the Castle.