Tyrrell Hatton has the ability to win one of golf’s majors if he manages to rein in his emotions, according to Ewen Murray.
Hatton has enjoyed plenty of success in his career, winning six European Tour titles, once on the PGA Tour and twice as part of Team Europe at the Ryder Cup. His star quality was evident when LIV Golf gave him a deal worth £50million to join in January.
But the Englishman is yet to claim victory at a major and Sky Sports commentator Murray thinks it is the mental side of his game that is letting him down. Hatton will compete at the US PGA Championship at Valhalla this week and could be among the contenders.
Former Scottish golfer turned commentator with Sky Sports Murray told The Express: “I think Tyrrell is one of the best players in the world. There’s a player there that has no weaknesses golf-wise. But I don’t know if we’re ever going to see how good Tyrrell can be because he gets in his own way.
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“I don’t think you can perform at the very top level and be as volatile as he can be at times. He’s won big tournaments and won them well, like the PGA Championship at Wentworth, the Dunhill Links, and the six-way play-off he won in Turkey under the floodlights. I’m just saddened that he has weaknesses in other departments. To soften my criticism, and I’ve said this on air, if you take 50 percent away from what he is you may have 50 per cent of the golfer.
“But I think it’s the furore that it causes. People start talking about it, it starts going on the Internet, the social media platforms, and I just don’t think you need that.
“I know that sometimes if you change the person you also change the golfer. I just think that what he does, none of it is necessary. If Tyrrell could take all that stuff away and say, ‘Right, I’m here to play golf’, he’s a match for anyone.
Tyrell Hatton of Legion XIII reacts to his shot
Tyrell Hatton is sometimes guilty of letting his emotions affect his game.
“I’ve got a really high regard for the way he plays consistency-wise, technical-wise, he’s a good driver, a good iron player, he has holed a lot of putts under pressure when he’s had to. He’s got the whole package apart from the other stuff that is holding him back.”
Hatton has insisted that his decision to join LIV Golf wasn’t just a financial one, with the advice from Jon Rahm crucial. “I spoke to so many people in that week, almost to the point of wanting to have someone to make the decision for me. It was hard. You don’t know what’s the right decision,” he said.
“I knew that if I stayed and played PGA Tour, if I play how I have been for the past seven, eight years, then I should stay within the top 50 and give myself the best chance of making the Ryder Cup and playing in all the majors and that’s what I want to do.”
