Tyrrell Hatton held his nerve to win the Dubai Desert Classic by one stroke on Sunday and earned himself a rave review from Rory McIlroy.
Hatton held off Daniel Hillier at the Emirates Golf Club to claim his eighth DP World Tour title in dramatic circumstances.
The Englishman went to the 18th two shots ahead of Hillier but the New Zealand native, who led by one shot going into Sunday, birdied the last to leave his rival with a tricky par putt to win.
That was no problem for the 33-year-old, who drained his shot from five feet to win by one stroke and avoid a playoff.
“It feels amazing,” Hatton said after his big win.
“This is one of the events that you would like to have on your CV. It’s such an iconic event for the DP World Tour.
“To add my name to the list of the amazing champions that have been before me, and to have my name on that trophy now, it’s a dream come true.”
While the Dubai Desert Classic ended in triumph for Hatton, he also turned heads again with his behaviour on the course.
The hot-headed LIV Golf star was filmed damaging a tee box marker following a third-round shot on Saturday, and was spoken to by tournament officials about the outburst.
He has a reputation for fiery antics, having snapped a club during the DP World Tour Championship last year.
Hatton conceded that his latest outburst in Dubai shouldn’t have happened, but suggested he ‘doesn’t want to be boring like everyone else’.
“Hopefully I can be a little bit more patient out there when I need to be and still maintain that fire,” he said.
Hatton went on to secure victory in Dubai after his outburstGetty“Because if I lose that, then I’ll just be boring, like everyone else.”
That assessment is one that Rory McIlroy agrees with too.
The World No.3 believes Hatton and his temper can be a ‘massive asset’ to Europe’s Ryder Cup team as they hunt victory in hostile territory in New York later this year.
“He’s got balls. He’s become very consistent. You know, he does things his own way,” McIlroy said of Hatton.
“He plays within his capabilities. He hits the ball very straight. He doesn’t try to shape it really one way or another.
“And he also doesn’t give a flying fig what anyone else thinks, which is a really good attribute to have in the game.
mcIlroy has described Hatton as an ‘asset’ to Europe’s Ryder Cup teamGettyView Tweet: t.co/cx7D4jn2Oe
“He’ll be amazing in New York. He’s proved that over the last three Ryder Cups.
“He’s a massive asset for the European team.”
With a win in Dubai, Hatton banked £1.3million in prize money, and crucial Ryder Cup ranking points as he seeks an automatic berth in Luke Donald’s European side.
He has made no secret of his desire to play at Bethpage Black come September.
“I really want to be on that team,” Hatton admitted.
“I’ve automatically qualified for the previous three Ryder Cups, and I’d love to be able to keep that streak going.”
Hatton will be in action as the 2025 LIV Golf season gets up and running in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia on February 6.
Meanwhile, McIlroy will headline the field for the 2025 AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am which gets underway next Thursday.
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