When it comes to the best players on the planet right now, it is difficult to argue that Tyrrell Hatton is not at least in the conversation after his victory at the Dubai Desert Classic this past week.
Tyrrell Hatton marked his 200th start on the DP World Tour by winning the Dubai Desert Classic. The result saw the Englishman make an impressive statement ahead of the 2025 LIV Golf season.
In many ways, Hatton could make a case that he has been one of LIV’s most underrated signings. He became the first Legion XIII player to win on LIV in Nashville last year, while he followed that with victory at the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship.
But Hatton’s quality as a player is not the only talking point coming out of Dubai. Once again, the 33-year-old has come in for criticism, with Hatton smashing a tee marker during his third round in frustration.
How Tyrrell Hatton would react if a playing partner criticised his behaviour
He is no stranger to letting his anger boil over. Hatton was chastised for snapping a club at the DP World Tour Championship last year.
Of course, it has been a part of his game throughout his career. In fact, in 2018 on the Sky Sports Golf Podcast, Hatton suggested what it would probably take for him to change his ways as he was asked whether it is part of what makes him so good.
“If I use it in the right way, and I don’t affect my playing partners, because that’s a big thing, obviously if I’m losing the plot, I’m losing the plot at myself for maybe something I think’s unfair with the bounce or whatever, but if I really start to affect my playing partners, that for me, I’d feel horrific,” he said.
“If someone came up to me at the end of the round and said, ‘you’ve put me off today’, I would genuinely be absolutely devastated because the last thing I want to do is affect anyone I’m playing with. I’m just trying my best, and I show my frustration more than other people, but I feel like I’m a conscious person so I don’t want to upset people, I don’t want to annoy them. But sometimes I guess you forget about that in the heat of the moment.”
What was said about Hatton’s actions at the Dubai Desert Classic
There are inevitably going to be players who do not enjoy playing alongside Hatton. But there is probably not a single player out there that every other person on tour would gladly sign up to play alongside.
It seems that many of his peers agree that Hatton’s frustration is directed at himself rather than anyone else. Laurie Canter insisted that he enjoys playing alongside Hatton. Some perhaps even view his antics as entertainment.
While there is a line, Hatton’s game has turned him into one of the best players in the world – he is eighth in the world rankings despite not playing a PGA Tour event for a year. So it is hard to see much changing anytime soon.
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