Bryson DeChambeau's reaction to major LIV Golf problem speaks volumes after injury blow
Charles Howell III has been sidelined for the last three events due to a left tibia fracture, but Bryson DeChambeau has urged him to take no risks in his recovery as he nears a return
Bryson DeChambeau has told his LIV Golf teammate Charles Howell III to not rush his comeback from a broken leg, despite nearing a return.
The 45-year-old, a member of DeChambeau's Crushers team, is set to miss out on this weekend's action at the JCB Golf and Country Club in Uttoxeter due to the left tibia fracture he sustained back in June. In his stead, reserve player John Catlin has stepped up and impressed with his performances.
Catlin, who leads the Asian Tour International Series Order of Merit, debuted with a 24th-place finish in Houston, followed by a career-best payday in Nashville where he came seventh. Two weeks ago, he secured 23rd place in Andalucia.
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With Catlin, aged 33, filling in admirably for Howell, DeChambeau has advised the three-time PGA Tour winner and last year's LIV Golf Mexico titleholder to take all the time he needs for recovery.
Ahead of LIV's next event at Greenbrier in West Virginia from Aug. 16-18, team leader DeChambeau said: "We don't want him to come back too early to hurt anything and want to make sure he's fully ready to go, so when he does come back, he's comfortable and has the support from everybody that he needs.
"If he comes out Greenbrier and doesn't feel comfortable, I'm more than willing to say, 'Dude, take your time. You need to be healthy.' It's important.
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"This is one of the first injuries of his career, so it's a little scary for him. But he wants to come back, and I said, 'We've all had our fair share of injuries, and you've got to do this right.' We want him to be feeling 100 per cent."
Catlin ended in a tie for 16th place at The Open Championship at Royal Troon last week, stating that his main goal is securing a full-time playing spot on LIV for next season. Catlin, who often competed against DeChambeau in his junior years growing up in California, currently holds a significant lead in the Asian Tour International Series Order of Merit, with the series winner earning a 2024 LIV membership.
Crushers' star Anirban Lahiri commented that Catlin has "fit in quite nicely", while two-time US Open champion DeChambeau added: "Watching him play in Nashville, I just saw how great his game is. 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."
Catlin said: "I think I have a great chance of winning [the Order of Merit]. 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."
"It's been a pretty crazy run. 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."
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