Tyrrell Hatton finished five strokes clear of Rory McIlroy at the DP World Tour Championship, his ninth DP World Tour title; Hatton also finished runner-up last week in Abu Dhabi and ends the season third in the Race to Dubai standings Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player Tyrrell Hatton has set his sights on a Ryder Cup return and challenging for majors next season after storming to a five-shot victory at the DP World Tour Championship. Hatton pulled clear of the field on the final day at Jumeirah Golf Estates, firing a six-under 66 to go one better than last week’s runner-up finish at the Abu Dhabi Aldar Championship and claim a ninth DP World Tour title. The win sees him end the DP World Tour season third in the Race to Dubai rankings, behind Rory McIlroy and Eugenio Chacarra, having entered the two season-ending play-offs outside of the top 50 after predominantly playing on LIV Golf this year. Hatton’s victory also lifts him to second in the European Ryder Cup rankings, ahead of next year’s centenary contest at Adare Manor, with the Englishman determined to be part of Luke Donald’s side once again in Ireland.
“It’s an important time to try and earn Ryder Cup points,” Hatton said after victory. “This [winning] helps a lot. I want to be on that team in a year’s time. The last two weeks have been great, so I’m really proud of that.” On the prospect of playing alongside Race to Dubai winner McIlroy in next year’s Ryder Cup team, he added in his press conference: “Rors [McIlroy] has had a pretty special career.
“He’s going to go down as the best European golfer in history by the end of his career. I mean, he’s first European to win the Grand Slam. He’s now tied Monty [Colin Montgomerie] winning eight Race to Dubai titles. Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player “He’s an unbelievable professional, and someone that you want around in the team room at the Ryder Cup.
It’s cool that I’ve been able to share four Ryder Cup teams with him and hopefully be able to make it five in Adare [Manor].” Hatton posted top-seven finishes in two of the four majors this season, sharing third as McIlroy won The Masters before ended tied-seventh at the US Open, a record he is keen to build on next year alongside playing on the DP World Tour. “In the last few years, my performances in majors have definitely got better,” Hatton said. “Why that is, I don’t know. I’ve not tried any differently – golf is just a weird game like that.
“I’d love to give myself a chance to win one. Like everyone out here playing in those tournaments, you dream of winning majors. Since I was a little boy, that’s something I’ve wanted to do. “I would love that to happen, and I’ll work hard towards trying it make that happen.
Time will tell if it works out.” Hatton’s victory is a fourth in six DP World Tour events for a former LIV Golf players, following on from Adrian Meronk at the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship, Chacarra at the DP World Tour India Championship and Rahm in Abu Dhabi. “For the Ryder Cup team and points, you want guys like Tyrrell [Hatton] and Jon [Rahm] and that calibre of player to make the team automatically, so that Luke wouldn’t have to waste a pick on them, essentially,” McIlroy explained. Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player “I always see these things through the lens of the Ryder Cup and it’s great that they are back on the DP World Tour. It’s great that they don’t have the noise that they were dealing with over the past few months.
They can just focus on their games and get back to what they love doing.” On how impressive Hatton’s victory was former Ryder Cup captain Paul McGinley told Sky Sports: “He has been playing a lot here in Europe in the last few years and we’ve seen this kind of quality from him. This time he happened to get over the line, after a couple of second-place finishes here before. “He’s a fantastic golfer, and that’s the bottom line. It’s easy to focus on his histrionics on the golf course, his body language and the moaning and groaning that goes on, but take that aside and just watch the quality of play that he has.
“You look at his chipping, putting, iron-play and driving, you look at all of those things, then you factor in that he’s got a great heart and a real understanding of how to play this game – he is the real full package.” The new DP World Tour season begins at the BMW Australian PGA Championship from November 26-29, held at The Lakes GC in Sydney. McIlroy will next be in action at the Capital.com Australian Open from December 3-6 in Melbourne, with both events live on Sky Sports. Get the latest Sky Sports deals or stream golf and more sport with no contract.
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