Modest Hatton reaches new heights in burgeoning golf career

Tyrrell Hatton found it surreal when he looked at golf’s world ranking and saw himself at a career-high No. 5, above the likes of Rory McIlroy, Bryson DeChambeau and Brooks Koepka.

“I don’t see myself as anything special,” the Englishman said on Tuesday. “Just going about my business, doing my own thing.”

A golfer once best known for his loud and often self-deprecating outbursts on the course is now better regarded as a proven winner on the European Tour.

In its most high-profile events, too.

The latest big victory in the 29-year-old Hatton’s burgeoning career came in Abu Dhabi last week, when he outplayed McIlroy in the final round to win by four shots and claim a sixth title on the European Tour. The last three have come in the space of 14 months and have all been Rolex Series events — including the flagship BMW PGA Championship at Wentworth in October.

Throw in his breakthrough win on the U.S. PGA Tour at Bay Hill last March, before the coronavirus outbreak led to a three-month pause in golf, and Hatton clearly belongs in the conversation about the world’s best players. Even if he doesn’t think so.

“I wouldn’t say I’m uncomfortable with the position I’m in,” said Hatton, who looks a shoo-in for a place in Europe's team for the Ryder Cup in September. “I just don’t see myself as anything different. It’s not something that I really worry about.”

It was a low-key celebration, for Hatton anyway, after his win in Abu Dhabi on Sunday. Three beers within the European Tour’s bubble and then a short trip to Dubai on Monday for the second stop of the “Gulf Swing” — the Dubai Desert Classic starting on Thursday.

He’ll play in Saudi Arabia next week before the WGC at The Concession and then the Florida Swing on the PGA Tour ahead of the Masters, where he’ll bid to win his first major title.

Hatton was composure personified as he reeled in McIlroy in Abu Dhabi at the weekend, showing that his renowned temper and angry commentaries after shots do not stop him from delivering on the big occasion when it matters most.

He was one of the stars of the European Tour’s latest hit on social media — the “Angry Golfers” video released last week which poked fun at some of the tour’s big names for the emotions they show on the course.

Aside from maybe Jon Rahm, Hatton might be the most hot-headed European player around but he just says it’s a way of “destressing.”

“It’s just a reaction and I’ve always been that way, talking about the bad shots,” Hatton said in a video call. “I’m quite calm and don’t get too pumped up over the good ones. I don’t think I fist-pumped once on Sunday in Abu Dhabi.

"I feel like I’m pretty chilled in that sense, but more vocal if I hit a loose one … I can still be moaning going into the next shot. But somehow I manage to concentrate enough that I can still hit a good shot even if I’m a bit flustered from the one before.”

Collin Morikawa, who won the U.S. PGA Championship last year, is in the field in Dubai in what will be the American's second appearance in a regular European Tour event. The first came in December at the season-ending DP World Tour Championship, which was also staged in Dubai.

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Steve Douglas is at https://twitter.com/sdouglas80