“John has fit in quite nicely,” said Anirban Lahiri, “and I think he’s comfortable now, and that’s a good thing for us.”

DeChambeau is not surprised.

“Watching him play in Nashville, I just saw how great his game is,” the captain said. “And I’ve known how great of a player he is even from junior golf days. We played a lot of junior golf together, played the California State Amateur in 2013, I believe. That’s how long it goes back to.”

For Catlin, getting a taste of LIV Golf has confirmed his desire to make the league his primary objective for 2025. 

Currently 42nd in points at 13.28, Catlin would likely move into top 24 Lock Zone with a victory this week, possibly even a podium finish depending on how others fare. But even if he does move up the standings, he would fall back in the ensuing weeks if this were his last start.

Of course, if he continues to play – and play well – he could claim one of those guaranteed top-24 spots for next season.

Meanwhile, he leads the International Series points standings on the Asian Tour by a healthy margin (more than 150 points over Ben Campbell). The points leader at the end of the season earns a LIV Golf spot for 2025.

Just three events have been played, though. On Thursday, the Asian Tour announced its final two International Series events, both in Thailand to take place in October. After next month’s event in England, the final six tournaments are set for late in the year during an eight-week sprint to the finish culminating in Saudi Arabia the first weekend in December. Those fields are likely to be enhanced by current LIV Golf players who are either relegated or in the Open Zone without a contract.

“I think I have a great chance of winning that,” Catlin said of the International Series. “That’s high on my priorities. I definitely want to be out here after seeing it. I think it’s awesome. I’m going to give it everything I’ve got.”

For now, he’s giving everything he has to the Crushers. Even if he earns a spot for 2025, the Crushers don’t expect to have an opening on their roster for him. So, in essence, while he’s playing for one team, he’s trying to impress other teams who may have vacant roster spots after this season.

“It’s been a pretty crazy run,” Catlin said. “It’s been nice to be able to see the hard work I’ve been putting in kind of paying off. These guys have been awesome. They’ve made this transition to LIV really easy. Been very supportive, and hopefully I can keep it going. Hopefully I can keep playing well and see what the future holds.”