Tyrrell Hatton destroyed a tee box, received a stern reprimand from an official then, after fighting a headbutt before the final day of the Dubai Desert Classic, declared: “I don’t want to not be boring. like everyone else. »
Love him or hate him – or adore his golf and his desperation in the face of his tantrums – the Englishman is anything but boring. The 33-year-old is a seething contradiction, as he can exasperate at the same time as he fascinates. And at a time when the archetypal modern golfer impresses dwindling viewers with the monotony of impeccable ball striking while pushing the same viewer over the edge with the monotony of his characters, Hatton is the poster child for the ’emotion. Good and bad.
This third round at the Emirates Golf Club was a real headache. Totally determined to collect as many Ryder Cup points as possible in his final regular qualifying tournament, the LIV man shot a 69 to move to 12 under and on the heels of New Zealand favorite Daniel Hillier (70) .
Moving day. Except the thing Hatton moved the most was the wrong marker on the par-three seventh tee who received the full Basil Fawlty treatment after his ball dared to fly 50 feet beyond the pin. He could have looked to the sky and blamed the 30 mph gusts, but there was something more substantial to rage about. So we spoke to him afterwards. Sorry, but not sorry.
“Hopefully I can be a little more patient when I need to be and still keep that fire going,” Hatton said. “Because if I lose this, I’ll be boring, like everyone else.”
“Yes, I was told about what happened when I signed my card. I have no problem with what was said. I mean, I’m aware that it’s not the right thing to do. But in the heat of the moment, when you’re frustrated, you just do things you probably wish you didn’t do. But I’m not going to let it bother me for the rest of the day. I mean, if it’s the worst thing I do as a human, then it’s not that bad.
Classic Hatton. His favorite golfer growing up was Colin Montgomerie and, just like the great Scot, he wears his heart on his sleeve – and in all the blue air that gathers around him. He swore and heckled all day, railing against the conditions and yet somehow he still managed to establish himself as the heavy favorite to win his second Tour title during his last five starts.
Hatton’s three other appearances in this race were a third, a fifth and a sixth. He is desperate to automatically earn his way to a third Ryder Cup appearance and in this mood – and what mood it happens to be – he could be unstoppable.
It’s two shots back for Scotsman Ewen Ferguson in third and seven behind on six under after a 69, Rory McIlroy is trying to win this event for the third time in a row.