Hatton has the world at his feet

LESS than a year ago Tyrrell Hatton was ranked outside the world’s top 120 players. This morning, the 25-year-old Englishman lies 17th after his latest impressive outing in finishing fourth in the Honda Classic on Sunday.

Hatton’s rise mirrors that of Danny Willett a year ago, which culminated in his triumph at the Masters.

No one would seek to pile pressure on the High Wycombe man’s shoulders by suggesting a similar outcome in April, but you do feel that at some point soon he will achieve something that will catapult him into the limelight.

At The Open last July he was overshadowed by Andrew ‘Beef’ Johnston, despite the fact that Hatton finished higher than his compatriot in fifth place. He was pipped by Matthew Fitzpatrick at the DP World Tour Championship in November and then by Sergio Garcia in Dubai last month.

The one certainty is that if Hatton continues to put himself in contention it will not be long before he has his own day in the sun and is no longer one of Britain’s best-kept sporting secrets.