Hatton’s LIV switch leaves Donald Ryder Cup plans in turmoil
Hatton will pocket a rumoured €60m for the move to the LIV Tour
TYRRELL HATTON’S move to the LIV circuit will be rubber-stamped imminently in what will cause a fresh headache for European Ryder Cup captain Luke Donald.
Hatton, who confirmed earlier this month that he had held conversations with LIV, is expected to be named in the field for their season-opener in Mexico, which begins on Friday.
It will be another blow for the PGA Tour and DP World Tour and a further complication for Donald on the back of Jon Rahm’s departure in December.
Rahm remains eligible to play in the 2025 match in New York because he has not relinquished his DP membership and Hatton is sure to do likewise, but under the European circuit’s current rules they will accrue fines and suspensions for each LIV event they contest.
If those regulations are not changed, it is difficult to envision how either golfer could possibly satisfy the selection criteria of playing four DP tournaments in a season.
Rory McIlroy previously called for a change to those rules in the wake of Rahm’s exit and it is plausible they will be altered as part of the merger negotiations between the traditional tours and the Saudi Arabian Public Investment Fund, which bankrolls LIV. Those talks are believed to be close to completion.
As for Hatton, who will pocket a rumoured €60m for the switch, the perception is he had nothing to lose by cashing in, now that the PGA and DP circuits are exploring ways to work with LIV.
However, the world No 16 will face the short-term pain of haemorrhaging spots in the global rankings, as LIV have not yet been awarded points for their events. That could have a serious impact on which majors he is able to contest in 2025.
On the course, Hatton will join Rahm’s newly-formed Legion VIII, reprising their fruitful partnership from the Ryder Cup in Rome.
LIV’s winter recruitment effort has also included as-yet-unsuccessful moves to sign Rome veterans Tommy Fleetwood and Nicolai Højgaard, though their capture of Polish golfer Adrian Meronk is set to be announced this week.
Meronk, who was voted the DP World Tour player of the year by his fellow pros just last week, finished second to McIlroy at the Dubai Desert Classic earlier this month.
Meronk had previously been linked to a defection but denied the move, continuing to play on the DP World Tour over the past two weeks.
But the World No 39 pulled out of this week’s Farmers Insurance Open, which began last Wednesday, citing illness.
There have also been reports that former prodigy Anthony Kim is eyeing a return to professional golf after a dozen years away from the sport.
Kim reportedly has been in discussions with LIV, the PGA Tour, and sponsors about playing in his first professional tournament since 2012, when he was 26 years old.
Now 38, Kim has been ramping up training sessions for a return, according to Golf.com.
Kim’s return to the fairways has been discussed for over a decade, as he left the sport as one of its most popular, and mysterious, players.
Multiple injuries forced Kim to withdraw from three events in 2012, and he has rarely been seen in the public eye since. In June 2012, he had Achilles tendon surgery and was expected to be out for a year. Those 12 months have turned into the 12-year wait.
At his height, Kim was the No 6 ranked golfer in the world. In 2008, he became the first golfer under the age of 25 since Tiger Woods in 2000 to win two PGA Tour events in the same season.