One of the toughest questions to answer when it comes to LIV Golf concerns how playing in the league impacts a player’s major championship hopes, with the tour still in its infancy.
LIV Golf has had a couple of major champions in the last few years. Brooks Koepka won the PGA Championship in 2023, while Bryson DeChambeau was victorious at the US Open the following year.
What did not help the debate was the underwhelming form of Jon Rahm in the four biggest events of 2024 following his own move to LIV. The Spaniard only had an impressive finish at The Open Championship at Royal Troon.
LIV is still fighting for its credibility. It was noted that news of Joaquin Niemann’s special invite to the Masters made no mention of his achievements on LIV. So it does feel fairly important for the league in 2025 that at least one of their players triumph at the Masters, the PGA Championship, the US Open or The Open.
LIV Golf star backed to contend for first major title at the Masters
But perhaps the player best placed to do that is someone who is actually yet to win any of the majors.
The DP World Tour season properly got going this week at the Dubai Desert Classic, with the likes of Rory McIlroy, Tommy Fleetwood and Rahm amongst those involved.
But ultimately, it was Tyrrell Hatton who got the job done on his 200th DP World Tour start. And speaking on Sky Sports after the Englishman’s win, Dame Laura Davies suggested that he is looking ready to take that next step.
“He’s got his game in the right place now, he’s got his world ranking, that’s one thing he wanted to do. The next step now, having won this championship, which he covets, is a major championship,” she said.
“And is he ready to win a major championship? Absolutely. And I tell you what, Augusta National, the way he’s driving it, you’d have to think it’s absolutely going to suit him, because he’s long enough. He hits it both ways if he wants to.”
Tyrrell Hatton’s underwhelming major record
What will potentially surprise many is that Hatton’s record in the majors is actually incredibly poor for a player of his quality.
He has missed 14 cuts in 38 appearances across his career. He has also never finished higher than in a tie for fifth – which came at the 2016 Open Championship. Hatton has had just one top 10 finish in the majors across the last five years.
However, there are not too many players who have played better than the 33-year-old over the last eight months. And if his win in Dubai is a sign of what is to come, he will surely start to put together a much more impressive major resume in 2025.
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