On a day in which Tyrrell Hatton had to scrap his way to his third Alfred Dunhill Links Championship crown, it was not at all surprising to see the Englishman vent his frustration at various points during the final round at St Andrews.
Tyrrell Hatton just did about enough to win the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship at St Andrews. The 32-year-old had a three-shot lead at one stage, but ultimately needed to make a birdie on the last to beat Nicolas Colsaerts by one shot.
Hatton and Colsaerts were two of five players who finished in the top 10 to shoot 70 or higher on Sunday at the Old Course. The conditions, particularly on the back nine, were much tougher than they had been over the first three days.
But Hatton had showed more than enough class to leave himself at the top of the leaderboard heading into the final round. Hatton tied the course record at St Andrews with his 61 on Saturday, while he had only made one bogey in the tournament before teeing off on Sunday.
Dame Laura Davies lauds Tyrrell Hatton after Dunhill Links victory
Hatton was frustrated on the greens at Kingsbarns on Friday, and it was clear once again, that he was not happy on the putting surfaces at the Old Course. But speaking on Sky Sports (broadcast on 6/10; 17:29) after his win, Dame Laura Davies insisted that he is much better with the flat stick than he often gives himself credit for.
“He’s just an all-round great golfer. You can’t say there’s a weakness in his game, he drives it lovely, he’s long enough, I know he moans about his putting constantly, but he’s a really good putter,” she said.
“And when it comes to pressure shots like we just saw there from half an hour, 20 minutes ago, he’s just got everything. And if you take away that fire that irritates a lot of people, he might not be the player he is.”
Ticket to New York surely booked
Hatton arguably showed what a big loss he was to the DP World Tour when he decided to join LIV Golf earlier this year. He had a tremendous year on LIV, winning once in Nashville, and he has now tied Legion XIII teammate Jon Rahm for wins in 2024.
In fact, it could be argued that Hatton has now had a better year than Rahm considering the prestige of the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship. LIV is arguably heading in the right direction, but their tour remains a work in progress, so it is hard to argue that Rahm’s two victories are more valuable.
Certainly, if there was any doubt left, there is surely no question at all now that Rahm and Hatton will be on Luke Donald’s Ryder Cup team, whether they qualify automatically or receive a captain’s pick. Not only have they been huge assets to LIV, but they also have an established partnership which could really thrive in the Bethpage cauldron.
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