Whatever you think of Tyrrell Hatton, there is little doubt about his status as one of the best golfers in the world.
Sunday’s brilliant victory at the Hero Dubai Desert Classic places his name on a trophy held by many of the game’s greats; Tiger Woods, Rory McIlroy, Ernie Els and Severiano Ballesteros, to name a few.
The Majlis Course at Emirates Golf Club has a knack for identifying champions of the highest quality and it is fitting that Hatton is the latest recipient.
Yes, his tumultuous speeches make him unpopular in many circles. His tantrums over the perceived injustices that are so integral to the game of golf often cast him in an unfavorable light.
Despite the valuable victory, Hatton showed the worst of his character during a third-round 68 last Saturday when a marker on the seventh tee bore the brunt of his wrath.
Other observers are upset by his decision to join the separatist LIV tour, taking Saudi money to put him at odds with the golf establishment.
But on Sunday, we had to think more about his continued excellence. Joining LIV has not diminished his talents.
“I don’t need to change”
His inner fury was channeled into a calm and ruthless final round performance that made him arguably the best English golfer around. He hit clutch putt after clutch putt to clinch this prestigious trophy.
The 33-year-old from High Wycombe has little margin for error when trying to realize lofty ambitions while playing on a tour that does not allow him world ranking points.
He’s definitely not one of those LIV players who went there to play less golf.
During the last season of the Saudi-funded league, Hatton did everything he could to maintain his world ranking and keep it at the forefront for the Ryder Cup.
Indeed, he could well qualify for the team right away despite a very limited DP World Tour schedule and no PGA Tour eligibility.
He retained major eligibility and the win propelled him back into the world’s top 10 – a remarkable feat in the current circumstances of a fractured men’s professional game.
Hatton won the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship at St Andrews in the autumn, finished fifth at the Asian Tour’s Saudi International event, second in Abu Dhabi and sixth at the DP World Tour Championship.
Earlier this year he was undefeated for Great Britain and Ireland in the Team Cup – his participation is another indicator of his strong desire to play in a fourth consecutive Ryder Cup in September.
And then came his victory last week in Dubai, won on a difficult course with hard, harsh greens and punishing desert winds. In golf terms, his display of 15 under par was of the highest class – even if some of his behavior was not.
It’s no wonder McIlroy insists he shouldn’t change his ways. They clearly work. “He knows me well enough now to know what I am like and what type of person I am,” Hatton said after lifting the trophy.
“I mean, a lot of people don’t like the way I’ll be on the golf course. Some people might like watching it. But it’s up to those people.
“People who know me as a person and what I stand for, I think I’m a pretty honest person. It’s up to other people to have their opinion. But I’m just being myself.
“Yeah, I guess I agree with Rory that I don’t need to change.”
“We all know golf is a pretty stupid game”
Hatton deserves to be in the conversation when we look at the contenders for this year’s four majors.
They start with the Masters in April. Danny Willett (2016) and Sergio Garcia (2017) are Desert Classic winners who won the famous Green Jacket in the same year.
Hatton, like Garcia, was often distracted by Augusta National’s unique methods. The Englishman’s ninth place last year was his best Masters in eight attempts.
But his game should match up well as he is a very consistent and solid ball striker who has a very solid short game. These attributes should land him in the majors more often than has been the case in his career thus far.
Fifth at the 2016 Open is his best major result in 38 attempts, but he has never been better equipped to improve on that record.
“I don’t treat them any differently as to how I feel when I play on a Thursday or Friday and during the weekend,” Hatton explained.
“You have weeks where you race and play well for a while, and for one reason or another the majors haven’t fallen on the right week for me yet.
“I would love for one of the majors this year to fall on the right week. But I will continue to do whatever it takes to feel ready to play well in a major and try to get my game in as well good shape and feel as comfortable as possible.
“It’s certainly not for lack of trying. As we all know, golf is a pretty stupid game, how you can miss any number of cuts and come out of nowhere and win the following week. C “It’s about perseverance and doing your best.”
This victory came against a decent field and on a testing course that offers parallels to his 2020 triumph at the Arnold Palmer Invitational at Bay Hill, which remains his best victory to date.
But as he says, this one “stands up” among his finest career moments. This undoubtedly lays the foundation for a potentially professional year. “I’ve been fortunate to win some big events and with a world-class field,” Hatton said.
“The majors are just that. So if I give myself the opportunity, then of course you have to back yourself to think that you can go on and win.
“And doing it on ridiculously hard courses, and even on courses where the setup is a little more forgiving, you still have to go out there and hit the right shots and make putts.
“So yeah, hopefully this year I’ll do better in the majors.”
