There is one particular moment that stands out for Tyrrell Hatton as he reflects on a Saturday stroll around Augusta National with Tiger Woods.
The combustible Briton was paired with Woods for the third round of last year’s Masters and had, on the whole, enjoyed an unusually serene four hours. Hatton found the green on the 18th and had a putt for a two-under round of 70. He was soon signing for a 73.
“Playing with Tiger and being the age that I am, it was pretty cool to walk the fairways with him around Augusta,” Hatton tells Standard Sport.
“Apart from my four-putt on the last, that was a moment to forget. I mean Tiger actually laughed about it which was funny. I think he felt maybe even sorry for me.”
Even after taking the scenic route to that particular hole, Hatton beat Woods by nine shots, and he returned the following day to shoot a 69 and finish in a tie for ninth.
That was the 33-year-old’s best Masters result in eight appearances, having previously only made the top 30 once at a course he has struggled to crack.
“It was nice to at least double my tally for rounds in the 60s,” Hatton laughs. “Up to that point on the Sunday, I think my rounds in the 60s and rounds in the 80s were on par with each other. It was one-all. It was nice to at least be positive in that sense.
“The Masters has generally been a golf course that I’ve struggled at for various different reasons. But it’s still a special place to be and this is going to be my ninth. When you get the invitation letter in the post, the kid inside you is still very excited. It’s a special thing to receive.”
Special maybe, but that does not mean Augusta has been exempt from Hatton’s ire.
He has previously declared he “absolutely hates” the 15th hole. In 2022, he gave the first green the middle finger and used his putter to mimic shooting the 13th on his way to making an eight. Summing up that particular week, Hatton said: “I'm just trying to ideally get off the golf course as fast as possible.”
Winning the Masters comes with a lifetime exemption into the tournament, but Hatton still duelling with those particular holes well into his 60s does not feel like much of a reward.
“I don’t think that will ever change,” he says. “If I’m playing golf at that age or even if I can’t, I’ll still be getting frustrated for other people. That’s just me.”
Hatton played the 15th and 18th holes in eight-over par last year, but the course as a whole has not proved to be a comfortable fit.
“Naturally if I’m hitting the ball pretty well, it’s going left to right,” Hatton explains. “There’s several holes there that suit people that hit a draw.
“Even certain tee shots that you wouldn’t even think would be that much of an issue, in terms of my visuals and start lines, it just seems narrow.
“People think Augusta is quite a wide open course. I don’t feel that way. Sure there’s a couple of tee shots where you can get away with some misses, but generally speaking you have to drive the ball really well.
“All the times that I’ve been there, last year was the best I could have driven it and I finished ninth.”
With all that considered, will he drive up Magnolia Lane genuinely believing he can contend?
“I’m yet to do that at the Masters, that’s for sure,” he says. “Any tournament that I go, naturally I’m there to try and win. The majors are no different. It would be nice if I could give myself a chance to win one of them.”
Hatton’s opportunities for world ranking points have been limited since his move to LIV Golf last year. He is still, though, ranked 18th in the world, higher than any other LIV player, as a result of wins at the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship and Hero Dubai Desert Classic over the past six months.
He also has a PGA Tour win to his name, claiming the Arnold Palmer Invitational in 2020, and he cruised to victory at LIV Golf Nashville last summer. It is curious, then, that his major record is comparatively poor, with last year’s Masters bringing his first top-ten finish in one of golf’s biggest events since the 2019 Open.
“I don’t really put too much thought into it, other than when I get asked questions about it,” Hatton says.
Once you’ve played in one Ryder Cup, you never want to miss another one
“I’m not trying any different from one week to the next. Golf is such a strange game. You can be on a terrible run of form and then all of sudden go and win one week out of nowhere.
“You can be playing great going into one of the majors, and then it just doesn’t click two days and all of a sudden you’re having the weekend off.”
The majors do this year carry increased significance for Hatton, who has his eyes firmly set on the Ryder Cup at Bethpage in September.
Hatton currently sits second in the European qualification standings, with the top six guaranteed a place on the team in New York, but there are no points on offer at LIV events.
“The majors this year are the only events now I’ve got to earn Ryder Cup points before the qualification ends,” Hatton says.
“The last three Ryder Cups I’ve played in, I’ve qualified automatically. I’d be lying if I said it wasn’t a big motivation for me to keep that streak going. That’s going to be pretty hard to do.”
Have his conversations with captain Luke Donald indicated there is added pressure on LIV players to qualify automatically? “That’s for Luke to decide,” Hatton says. "He’s got six picks, ultimately, he’s going to want to be choosing guys who are the most in-form.
“Just because you’ve played well in the past doesn’t mean that if you don’t make the team automatically you’re guaranteed a pick.”
Like Jon Rahm, Hatton has appealed fines imposed on him by the DP World Tour as a result of his move to LIV, which enables him to continue competing on events on the European-based tour and therefore retain his membership, making him eligible for the Ryder Cup.
No deadline has been set for hearing those appeals, with it appearing to suit all parties to push that back until after this year’s event.
“It’s still ongoing,” Hatton says of the appeal. “I imagine it will be ongoing for a period of time. It’s not something that I’m too worried about until there’s a date announced for it.
“As it currently stands, everyone kind of has a rough idea of what’s going on. We’ll see how it plays out.”
Hatton was on winning teams in Paris and Rome, either side of a record-breaking defeat at Whistling Straits in 2021. The Europeans have not won on American soil since 2012, one of only two away victories this century, and the desire to be among the New York dozen this year burns bright.
“Once you’ve played in one Ryder Cup, you never want to miss another one,” Hatton says.
“I’d love to be on that team at Bethpage. Winning a home Ryder Cup is very special, but if you’re able to be a part of an away win, that might top it.
