Pro Thrown Out Of English Championship After Restaurant Visit

John Catlin has been removed from this week's field after breaching the European Tour's Covid-19 protocol

Pro Thrown Out Of English Championship After Restaurant Visit
(Image credit: Getty Images)

John Catlin has been removed from this week's field after breaching the European Tour's Covid-19 protocol

Pro Thrown Out Of English Championship After Restaurant Visit

American pro John Catlin has been thrown out of this week's English Championship after leaving the European Tour bubble and visiting a restaurant.

He and his caddie Nathan Mulrooney breached the tour's Covid-19 protocol in visiting the restaurant yesterday.

It was a local restaurant to this week's venue Hanbury Manor but European Tour players can only stay in the hotel or go to the golf course.

The European Tour says that the duo has been "withdrawn from the tournament with immediate effect as a result."

Catlin said: “I apologise to my fellow players and everyone involved with the tournament this week for this error of judgement. I understand the European Tour’s decision and accept the sanction.”

Related: Poulter slams "pathetic" WGC leaderboard

Catlin will be replaced in the tournament by South African Wilco Nienaber.

The European Tour's protocols are very strict and players and caddies must stay together and only travel together.

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Sami Valimaki's caddie Kyle Roadley recently told us that players and caddies are not even allowed to stop for petrol on their way to the golf course.

Catlin finished T51st at last week's Hero Open in his only start on the UK Swing so far.

It remains to be seen whether he will be teeing it up next week.

The American has won four times as a pro with three wins coming in 2018 on the Asian Tour.

He also won the 2019 Thailand Open on the Asian Tour.

Related: PGA Championship betting tips 2020

The European Tour's third event of the UK Swing takes place at Hanbury Manor this week with the English Championship.

The tour then heads to Wales for the Celtic Classic and Wales Open before the UK Championship at The Belfry.

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Elliott Heath
News Editor

Elliott Heath is our News Editor and has been with Golf Monthly since early 2016 after graduating with a degree in Sports Journalism. He manages the Golf Monthly news team as well as our large Facebook, Twitter and Instagram pages. He covered the 2022 Masters from Augusta National as well as five Open Championships on-site including the 150th at St Andrews. His first Open was in 2017 at Royal Birkdale, when he walked inside the ropes with Jordan Spieth during the Texan's memorable Claret Jug triumph. He has played 35 of our Top 100 golf courses, with his favourites being both Sunningdales, Woodhall Spa, Western Gailes, Old Head and Turnberry. He has been obsessed with the sport since the age of 8 and currently plays off of a six handicap. His golfing highlights are making albatross on the 9th hole on the Hotchkin Course at Woodhall Spa, shooting an under-par round, playing in the Aramco Team Series on the Ladies European Tour and making his one and only hole-in-one at the age of 15 - a long time ago now!


Elliott is currently playing:


Driver: Titleist TSR4

3 wood: Titleist TSi2

Hybrids: Titleist 816 H1

Irons: Mizuno MP5 5-PW

Wedges: Cleveland RTX ZipCore 50, 54, 58

Putter: Odyssey White Hot OG #5

Ball: Srixon Z Star XV