Daily Mirror (Northern Ireland)
Hatt’s off to Tyrrell for a gritty show of courage
IT was great to get this year’s column off to a flyer with Tyrrell Hatton’s gritty 50/1 win at the Arnold Palmer Invitational.
It was the Englishman’s first triumph on the PGA Tour and he showed real character to get the job done in extremely challenging conditions.
Bay Hill played incredibly tough and the windy weather in Florida blew a number of top names off course.
To see Hatton, who climbs to 22nd in the world, shoot 73 and 74 over the final two rounds and still come out on top was remarkable.
He is actually the first golfer to win a PGA Tour event with a pair of overpar scores at the weekend since Geoff Ogilvy at the 2006 US Open.
In the gusty conditions, Bay Hill played like the toughest of US Open tracks.
Watching how the tournament played out just reinforced the argument that the only way to combat technology is the elements.
Firm greens and a swirling breeze negate the power game.
Big hitters who have a high, towering ball flight struggle to adapt. It’s a great leveller.
Hatton’s first ever win in the States backed up his fourth European Tour success at the Turkish Open in November and further boosts his Ryder Cup credentials.
It also provided the perfect riposte to former USA Ryder Cup captain Paul Azinger, who had thrown a few derogatory comments in the direction of the European Tour the previous week.
I’m delighted it was Tyrrell who came good on US soil and had Azinger eating humble pie because he’s a tough cookie and plays with his heart on his sleeve.
I like Hatton as a player and I know one of the biggest influences on his career is his dad Jeff, who also acts as his coach and mentor.
Jeff’s greatest strength is that he knows to keep things simple and stay in the background.
Tyrrell told me at last year’s Irish Open that he asked his dad to go to Pebble Beach for the US Open because he thought it might be cool for him to be there.
But when his dad realised his son didn’t need him for technical help, he decided against travelling. He didn’t want to be a distraction.
In a world of overbearing parents chasing a glint of reflected glory, how refreshing that Jeff Hatton parks his own profile for the benefit of his son.
Tyrrell also has a great ‘old school’ caddie in Mick Donaghy, who knows the game inside out.
Mick says it as it is – no fluff, just the truth – and they’re great for each other.
Golf can be a very simple game but sometimes the most difficult thing is keeping it simple.
Hatton and his team do that and their approach was rewarded in style at Bay Hill.