Sir Nick Faldo is thrilled Tyrrell Hatton is playing in the Betfred British Masters this week, but he couldn’t resist taking a jab at LIV Golf.
Hatton is competing in his first DP World Tour event since joining Greg Norman’s Saudi-backed tour in January. He signed up for Jon Rahm’s Legion XIII side back then.
Both Hatton and Rahm have kept their DP World Tour memberships and want to play in four sanctioned events to stay eligible for Ryder Cup selection.
Hatton can participate this week because he’s appealing against fines and suspensions from playing in LIV Golf events that clash with DP World Tour tournaments. The British Masters marks the start of the qualifying race for Luke Donald’s European team to face the Americans at Bethpage Black next year, making it a crucial event for earning points.
Faldo’s Remarks:
Faldo expressed his joy over Hatton’s presence, saying, “Wants to come play a proper tournament.” He also praised Hatton’s determination to make the Ryder Cup team despite not earning any points from LIV Golf events. “I’m delighted – he had such a significant part of the last Ryder Cup,” Faldo added. “There is a path for them to do it.”
Fans might think it’s interesting how players balance between different tours while aiming for big tournaments like the Ryder Cup.
Regardless of opinions on LIV Golf, Hatton has had a successful debut season there. He won at Nashville in June and sits second with Rahm’s Legion XIII team. Financially, it’s been great too; he’s fifth on the LIV Golf money list with $10.6 million from 12 events.
His performance in Majors has been mixed: T9th at The Masters, T26th at the US Open, T63rd at PGA Championship, and missed cut at The Open. With no Official World Golf Ranking points from LIV events yet, Hatton hopes late-season European events will boost his Ryder Cup chances and help him qualify for 2025 Majors.
A strong finish this year could add The Open to his schedule alongside an already secured invite to next year’s Masters due to his T9 finish at Augusta. He plans to compete in Spanish Open and Alfred Dunhill Links Championship aiming for Playoff spots on DP World Tour.
But first things first—he needs a solid performance at The Belfry to kickstart his Ryder Cup bid.
What do you think about these developments?
