KEEP YERHATTON
Hothead rookies Tyrrell and Jon won’t ruin my Ryder dream SAYS THOMAS BJORN
Thomas Bjorn is backing his hotheaded rookies Jon Rahm and Tyrrell Hatton to keep their cool in the red-hot Ryder Cup atmosphere. The European captain admits the pair’s petulant antics and on-course tantrums have worried him in the past. That was until he met them and gauged their true personalities. Rahm’s infamous blow-up at the 2017 US Open and this summer’s Open at Carnoustie have resulted in the Spaniard working to try to tame his anger issues. Englishman Hatton has also been told to “grow up” by former pro Gary Evans after his behaviour in the final round of last year’s British Masters. However, Bjorn has made an effort to get close to both men over the past year with his European captaincy on the horizon. And having come to know and respect their characters, the Dane believes in their ability not to suffer a meltdown in the heat of golf ’s highest pressure atmosphere. Bjorn said: “Jon, a little bit like Tyrrell, gets that kind of image from what everybody sees what they see on TV. “I see what they see on TV. But unlike most people, I kind of laugh because I’ve experienced Tyrrell in a team room at the EurAsia Cup. “I experienced him in the players lounge on tour. “I’ve experienced Jon when you sit and have dinner with him and in conversation – it’s a completely different side of him. “If the character that is portrayed on the golf course was the same one I saw in the team room then I would be worried – but they are the complete opposite. “He and Tyrrell are wonderful people to be around. They are warm, funny and mix well.” Such is the unique intensity of the Ryder Cup stage that it’s impossible to predict how any of Bjorn’s five European rookies will react to their first taste of the action at Le Golf National in three weeks’ time. All the