The Ryder Cup pair have racked up large fines with the European circuit for playing in LIV Golf tournaments without conflicting event releases, and neither man has paid up yet despite Rory McIlroy calling for them to.

A report from Flushing It Golf on X citing multiple sources stated a deal could be in place for the DP World Tour to drop fines for Rahm, Hatton and other LIV Golf players who have memberships including Adrian Meronk, Tom McKibbin and David Puig.

"Multiple sources indicate that the DP World Tour will drop fines for members playing on the LIV Golf League for this season," Flushing It Golf said on X.

"All existing fines up until the end of 2025 will need to be settled, but releases will be granted to all members who apply for competing LIV Golf League events in 2026.

"In addition, the DP World Tour has the right to nominate events players must commit to."

The DP World Tour remains coy on the subject, telling Sports Illustrated it continues having "dialogue with individual members involved to explore and discuss options.”

Both Rahm and Hatton are in Riyadh this week for the opening event of the 2026 LIV Golf season, where they discussed the potential of a deal with the DP World Tour to keep their memberships active and remain eligible for the Ryder Cup.

Rahm didn't say much but did admit to media in Saudi Arabia that the DP World Tour was going to players 'individually' to make deals and called it a benefit for him, Hatton and the DP World Tour.

"I personally would say I don't know too much about the matter," Rahm said.

"Obviously I think at first, managers are going to be taking care of that early on.

"I don't know what the negotiations look like. Obviously they're going to players individually to make different deals.

"I don't know what it may be or what it's going to look like but I'm happy to see that looking for a path forward for LIV players to be able to play on both tours and not to get penalized.

"I think the example of players like Tom [McKibbin] or David Puig, who's now a winner on the European Tour, who just chose the best path possible as young players, shouldn't be penalized because of the politics of the game.

"The fact that they're looking at a positive way to figure it out, I think it's only good for us, and I think it's good for the DP World Tour, as well."

Hatton had less to say but also said a deal would be positive.

"Not much more to add than what he's just said. It sounds positive, so if things are moving in the right direction, that's good for golf," the Englishman said.

"Yeah, we'll let other people figure that out, and we'll just focus on playing golf this week."

Jon Rahm makes his first appearance since the Spanish Open in October this week, having had over three months off. He begins the season as World No.97 after sliding down the Official World Golf Ranking since joining LIV, although reports continue to state the league could be close to gaining points.

The two-time Major winner has won LIV's individual title in each of his two seasons in the league, pipping Joaquin Niemann to the season-long trophy both times.

LIV Golf Riyadh gets underway on Wednesday, with LIV debuting its new 72-hole format.

The pair, who have 18 DP Tour titles between them, are currently able to compete on the European circuit after appealing their fines and sanctions for playing in LIV events without conflicting event releases, with a date for the appeal to be settled currently unknown.

On the eve of the Dubai Desert Classic, Rory McIlroy called on the players to pay their DP World Tour fines to remain eligible for the European Ryder Cup team.

Westwood revealed in 2024 that he has outstanding fines of over $1 million for competing in LIV while still a DP World Tour member - and he insisted he will not pay them.

Taking to X, Westwood said McIlroy was "correct", and added: "The DP World Tour should set Jon and Tyrell's [Tyrrell's] appeal date for Mid February. Then nobody can have any complaints.

"Everyone will have been treated the same. If they lose their appeal they either have to pay the fines and can carry on or not pay the fines and resign and not be available for Ryder Cup. Then it will get interesting!!!"

The DP World Tour is expected to come out on top in the appeal after winning an arbitration panel hearing against LIV players in 2023, which confirmed it was allowed to impose sanctions on its members for playing in competing events on LIV.

Rahm, who recently told the Subpar Podcast that his fines are around $3m, has maintained he will not pay them, which reportedly will not be settled by LIV Golf anymore after Sergio Garcia and reportedly others too had theirs paid by the PIF-backed circuit.

Patrick Reed is also facing fines and sanctions, but he confirmed this week to The Telegraph and Golf Digest that he will be paying them in order to continue playing on the DP World Tour.

Rahm and Hatton face the possibility of not being able to compete in the biennial contest, so McIlroy said they should pay the fines after agreeing to the terms when they joined the Tour.

"Absolutely," McIlroy said when asked whether it would just be easier for the LIV pair to pay up.

"Main thing is, look, this is my opinion. We went really hard on the Americans about being paid to play the Ryder Cup, and we also said that we would pay to play in Ryder Cups. There's two guys that can prove it."

Hatton, who is playing the Dubai Desert Classic this week, was subsequently asked about his Ryder Cup teammate's comments.

"To be honest I don't have an update to give," Hatton said.

"It's still with legal teams and there's guys that are still in conversations working it all out.

"So I haven't put any more thought into that. Like I don't really know what's happening. So, yeah, I'm just here to play golf as always."

McIlroy also said the pair would have agreed to the Tour's terms before joining LIV and doesn't see anything wrong with the circuit imposing sanctions.

"I think any organization or any members' organisation like this has a right to uphold its rules and regulations," he said.

"And what the DP World Tour are doing is upholding their rules and regulations and we, as members, sign a document at the start of every year, which has you agree to these rules and regulations, and the people that made the option to go to LIV knew what they were.

"So I don't see what's wrong with that, I guess, is my opinion."

The Englishman was in the press room at the Dubai Desert Classic straight after Rory McIlroy suggested he and Rahm should pay their fines to remain as DP World Tour members and therefore eligible for Team Europe.

"We went really hard on the Americans about being paid to play the Ryder Cup, and we also said that we would pay to play in Ryder Cups. There's two guys that can prove it," McIlroy said.

Hatton and Rahm are currently appealing their fines and sanctions in place by the Tour for playing in LIV Golf tournaments without conflicting event releases. Rahm recently said his fines stand at around $3m, so $1.5m per season playing on LIV.

"To be honest I don't have an update to give," Hatton said.

"It's still with legal teams and there's guys that are still in conversations working it all out.

"So I haven't put any more thought into that. Like I don't really know what's happening. So, yeah, I'm just here to play golf as always."

And in direct response to McIlroy's words, Hatton did not have much to say after coming straight off the course.

"Well, I've literally just come off a Pro-Am. So I'm not on my phone in the Pro-Am. So I don't really have anything to add towards what he said," the defending Dubai Desert Classic champion responded.

The former World No.5 remains hopeful his Ryder Cup career is not over after playing for Europe in 2018, 2021, 2023 and 2025.

"No. I mean, hopefully not. I've always been extremely proud to be a member on the DP World Tour, and certainly over the last couple of years, I've shown commitment to playing events here," he said.

"And then with the Ryder Cup, it's pretty hard to make those teams, and I've been fortunate to play the last four.

"And everyone says once you've played one, you never want to miss another one, and I'm certainly no different from that.

"Hopefully I'll be able to play more in the future. But hopefully the only thing that stops me from being able to play in them would be age and some younger, much more talented players taking my spot in that sense.

"So hopefully that's the way that my Ryder Cup career would end."

The LIV Golf pair are currently able to play on the European circuit after appealing their fines and sanctions for playing in LIV events without conflicting event releases, with a date for the appeal to be settled currently unknown.

The DP World Tour is expected to win the appeal after winning an arbitration panel hearing against LIV Golfers in 2023, which confirmed it was allowed to impose sanctions on its members for playing in competing events on LIV.

Jon Rahm has maintained he will not pay his fines, which reportedly will not be paid by LIV Golf anymore after Sergio Garcia and possibly others too had theirs paid by the PIF-backed circuit.

Patrick Reed is another player to be facing fines and sanctions, and he confirmed this week to The Telegraph and Golf Digest that he will be paying them to continue playing on the European Tour.

Lee Westwood revealed he had outstanding DP World Tour fines of over $1m in 2024, while Garcia's were believed to be in excess of $1m as well.

Rahm recently told the Subpar Podcast that his fines are around $3m.

The futures of Rahm and Hatton in the Ryder Cup appear to be in at least some kind of doubt, so McIlroy says they should pay the fines after agreeing to the terms when they joined the tour.

"Absolutely," McIlroy said in answer to whether it would just be easier for the LIV pair to pay up.

"Main thing is, look, this is my opinion. We went really hard on the Americans about being paid to play the Ryder Cup, and we also said that we would pay to play in Ryder Cups. There's two guys that can prove it.

"Great. I think that's -- yeah," he stopped.

Tyrrell Hatton was then asked about McIlroy's comments following his pro-am round, and he said he doesn't "really have anything to add towards what he said."

"To be honest I don't have an update to give," Hatton said on the appeal.

"It's still with legal teams and there's guys that are still in conversations working it all out. So I haven't put any more thought into that. Like I don't really know what's happening. So, yeah, I'm just here to play golf as always."

McIlroy says the pair would have agreed to the tour's terms before leaving for LIV Golf and doesn't see anything wrong with the circuit imposing sanctions.

"I think any organization or any members' organisation like this has a right to uphold its rules and regulations," he said.

"And what the DP World Tour are doing is upholding their rules and regulations and we, as members, sign a document at the start of every year, which has you agree to these rules and regulations, and the people that made the option to go to LIV knew what they were.

"So I don't see what's wrong with that, I guess, is my opinion."

Speaking ahead of the Dubai Desert Classic, the five-time Major winner also reiterated his opinion that the PGA Tour and LIV Golf will not be reuniting any time soon because neither side will be able to make enough compromises.

"I just don't see a world where it can happen at this point," he told media.

"Just I don't see a world where the two or three sides or whoever it is will give up enough.

"Like for reunification to happen, every side is going to feel like they will have lost, where you really want every side to feel like they have won.

"I think they are just too far apart for that to happen."

But how do the two compare?

Ahead of every new golf year the subject of who'll win the Majors is always the most talked about - with the question of best players not yet to become Major champions always provoking lively debate.

History suggests we'll have at least one, as we have done in 10 of the last 11 years, with a total of 24 first-time Major champions during that spell.

There's a lot of names you could pick out - Viktor Hovland, Ludvig Aberg, Russell Henley, Patrick Cantlay, Robert MacIntyre and Joaquin Niemann among many others, but the English pair look primed for a Major breakthrough.

But which one?

Let us know who you think will win a men's Major title in 2026 by joining the conversation below...

Why Fleetwood and Hatton are primed for Major win

Both men have been in and around the Major challengers for a while without threatening to win very often - Fleetwood had runner-up finishes in 2018 and 2019 and has two 63s in the US Open to his name.

A serial winner in Europe, he had issues showing that form on the PGA Tour despite the odd Major challenge, but this year he showed his mettle by coming through in one of the biggest ones of all.

After heartbreaking near misses Fleetwood won the Tour Championship and FedEx Cup - which not only made a huge difference to his bank balance but also surely his mentality.

That memorable Ryder Cup followed and then another win in India on the DP World Tour showed his amazing consistency that will also give him a chance - but that PGA Tour breakthrough could be huge.

It's a similar story for Hatton, who has added a lot more consistency in the big events in recent years and seems to be thriving after joining LIV Golf.

Hatton got his win early in the year in Dubai and seemed to build from there, but his defining moment could be going so close at the US Open at Oakmont only for a huge slice of bad luck on Sunday.

But for a bad break in the bunker maybe Hatton, and not JJ Spaun, would be celebrating a maiden Major - but crucially he learned what it was like going down the stretch in contention, and he never really faltered.

Those two huge moments could be just the lift both men need to get over the hump in 2026.

Who had the better Major form?

From a similar amount of Major championships it's Fleetwood who has gone closer on more occasions, with two second-placed finishes to his name.

Hatton's best is this year's T4 at Oakmont, but he came a lot closer than that bare result suggests, being tied for the lead with just two holes to go, so it really was a near miss.

After going four years without a Major top 10, Hatton got one in the 2024 Masters and it's when players start grouping results like that together when you start to think they'll capture one soon.

Hatton's results in the last two years have probably been a touch better than Fleetwood's, he's come closer to winning one and had more top 10s and top 20s, so he's certainly trending in the right direction.

Fleetwood went close once a year from 2017-19, before then returning five top 10s in eight Majors from 2022-24, which isn't so long ago so there's no real worry about his ability to go close.

So who will win a Major first - Hatton or Fleetwood?

You'd like to think both would win a Major, they're certainly both good enough and as we can see they've both gone close.

But we're not talking going close, being in the shake-up, we're talking getting over the line, getting the job done - and that's where it's hard to judge who can hold their nerve.

Hatton didn't do too much wrong at Oakmont, and on another day those final two holes go a different way for him - but nonetheless it was a loss.

He did seem to take it well, which was a great sign, and as Fleetwood showed, and more famously Rory McIlroy, it's all about putting yourself in those situations as often as possible to get comfortable in the most uncomfortable of cricumstances.

Fleetwood, though, would get my vote - for a large part of the PGA Tour season he was producing consistency only Scottie Scheffler could better, and you can't overstate just how influential that Tour Championship victory could be.

It'd be no surprise to see Fleetwood holding a Major trophy in 2026.

What do you think? Who would you back to win a Major next year out of Tommy Fleetwood and Tyrrell Hatton? Let us know by joining the conversation below...

That suggestion has been immediately rebuffed by two of Europe's Ryder Cup stars who played in both tournaments - and said comparisons between the two were "pretty offensive to European fans".

Saturday afternoon in particular will go down as one of the most controversial in Ryder Cup history - with Rory McIlroy and Shane Lowry being subjected to huge amounts of personal abuse at Bethpage Black.

But an interview Rea gave to the BBC on Saturday night, saying "you know, it happens when we're over in Rome on the other side" did not go down too well with the visitors.

PGA of America CEO Derek Sprague has since apologized for the abuse Europe suffered - and will personally write to McIlroy and his wife Erica in particular as she was also the subject of abuse - and even had a drink thrown on her on Saturday.

But captain Bradley was another to equate what happened at Bethpage to how the European crowd behaved in Rome - even though he didn't play in that Ryder Cup.

"I wasn't at Rome, but I heard a lot of stories that Rome was pretty violent as well," said Bradley at Bethpage. "But the fans of New York from what I have seen have been pretty good."

“You're always going to have a few people that cross the line, and that's unfortunate."

The comparison has been flatly rejected by both Tyrrell Hatton and Matt Fitzpatrick, who played in both events and said they do not come close.

"I saw those comments about the - I saw the interview with the PGA guy discussing about it was the same in Rome," said Fitzpatrick.

"It's pretty offensive to European fans the fact that he said that, really."

Hatton feels the same, adding: "Personally, I don't think they were close at all.

"I certainly, with what I heard last week, I don't think Rome comes anywhere near that.

"To be honest, personally, I don't agree with what they both said there. I don't know what else to add to that. I think they are quite far apart to be honest."

How will Ryder Cup crowd react in Ireland?

There is a slight worry the European crowd at Adare Manor in 2027 might seek revenge and give Team USA similar treatment, but most believe they will react in the right way.

And for the most part, the European crowds have been more about backing their own side than trying to intimidate the Americans - with humor usually at the core.

"If it was my choice, and obviously what I say isn't really going to affect how people behave, but I don't really think that the insults is the way forward," said Hatton.

"I don't think it (Ireland in 2027) will be as hostile as maybe as it was last week. I'd like to think that it will be very respectful."

And Fitzpatrick has no concerns at all, adding that Rea was well wide of the mark with his comments on Rome.

"I don't have any worries about European fans.," said Fitzpatrick. "What the The PGA of America guy said about it was the same in Rome, he clearly wasn't there.

"I guess he wasn't there or he must have been listening to something else because it was just never the case that it was anything like that. It's always been playful and just banter, really."

Koepka is currently attempting to finish off his season with Smash GC in style at LIV Golf Indianapolis, but only a matter of days after the Team Championship in Michigan the following week, the five-time Major winner will head to the British Isles to compete at the Amgen Irish Open.

One of the European circuit's first Back 9 tournaments is being staged at The K Club between September 4-7 and will feature defending champion, Rasmus Hojgaard - who defeated Rory McIlroy at Royal County Down 12 months ago - plus former LIV player, Eugenio Chacarra among others.

The $6 million event will also include Sergio Garcia and Tyrrell Hatton after the Spaniard paid off his outstanding fines and reapplied for DP World Tour membership late last year.

Garcia is a former Irish Open champion, winning the title back in 1999 after defeating Angel Cabrera by three strokes at Druids Glen. He last played the event in 2015 but missed the cut.

Meanwhile, Hatton has appeared at the Irish Open seven times across his career and has failed to play the weekend on five occasions. Remarkably, in the two where he made the cut, the Englishman finished T4th (2015) and T5th (2016).

Hatton is also set for a return to the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship in October where he will defend his title alongside Koepka once again and, for 2025, Bubba Watson.

Koepka and Watson will be among the latest crop of US golfers to try and break the American curse at the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship, with no golfer from the States having ever tasted success since the event began in 2001.

After being confirmed, Watson said: "I’ve heard so much about the event and I’m really looking forward to playing.

"St Andrews is one of the most special and historic golfing locations in the world and Carnoustie is among the greatest Open Championship courses. Kingsbarns is a beautiful layout and a challenge in the wind.

"I'm also excited to have my wife, Angie, there with me and get to play with her, too. All in all, I think we are in for a great week.”

Meanwhile, Koepka - who finished runner-up alongside Paul Harris in the 2014 team competition - said: "I’ve been fortunate to play in several Dunhill Links, as well as two Open Championships at St Andrews over the years, and these trips are always highlights.

"The atmosphere on and off the course at the Dunhill is fantastic. I was able to play with my father one year and my good friend and caddie, Ricky Elliott, the other.

"Those two weeks will always be very special to me. I love links golf and St Andrews is my favourite course in the world."

The $5 million Alfred Dunhill Links Championship is set for October 2-5 across St Andrews' Old Course, Carnoustie and Kingsbarns before the final round returns to the Home of Golf.

That move in January 2024 helped Hatton start afresh and ultimately played its part in the 33-year-old snapping a winless streak which stretched back roughly three years at LIV Golf Nashville last summer.

From there, Hatton went on to claim two DP World Tour titles and has enjoyed a resurgence in form which has seen him rise up the Official World Golf Ranking after an initial slip.

Another alteration to the Ryder Cup star's life has been a change in hat sponsor, with the long-standing Ping staffer no longer featuring the Phoenix, Arizona-based company's logo on his cap since his switch in home circuit.

For Hatton and Legion XIII's debut campaign, the Ping-sponsored player and his peers wore a cap with his team's logo on instead. That then changed once more after Jon Rahm's side agreed a deal with the giant golfing brand early in the 2025 LIV Golf League season.

Unlike the rest of his team - Rahm, Tom McKibbin and Caleb Surratt - who showcase the iconic Callaway brand logo on the front of their caps, Hatton can be seen with a Topgolf badge on his.

Speaking on The Joe Pomp Show in March, Legion XIII captain, Rahm explained how the rest of his team can be sponsored by Callaway while Hatton avoids a conflict of interest with his own agreements.

Rahm said: "For the most part, when a sponsor joins a team, they sponsor everybody on the team. It's no different to a sponsor joining, say, the Detroit Lions (NFL). Everybody on that team is going to be wearing the exact same outfit - Nike or whatever it is.

"Callaway is coming in and [Legion XIII] is essentially Team Callaway. There's a minimum requirement for us to have. There are two of us who are basically full Callaway staffers, maybe more coming in the future.

"In our case, we have one player who hasn't played Callaway in the past, but there are ways around it because it's such a big company that there are other brands that they can promote. They could use Tyrrell, for example, to promote Topgolf so it's still within the family."

Callaway purchased Topgolf back in 2021 for roughly $2 billion and integrated the business into its multi-billion dollar operation before opting to create a standalone company in 2024. Therefore, given Topgolf is still owned by Callaway, which sponsors Legion XIII, the appearance of its logo on Hatton's cap works for all parties.

Rahm continued: "There are many ways for Callaway to get creative, usually you see it on the hat and many other things. It will be as close as possible to a normal sponsorship as when I was with Callaway before, but just with a whole team.

"We will have Callaway bags and possibly Callaway headcovers - all of it with some Legion XIII appearances and maybe the color pallet as well. It will be a little but customized towards us, it won't be the things that you would see on other tours."

The Englishman swapped the PGA Tour for LIV Golf in January 2024 after wondering whether his career had "gone a bit stale" following no wins in three years.

Mildly concerned about his career prospects as well as his chances of making the upcoming Ryder Cup in New York, despite playing a significant role in Europe's home success over the USA in Italy a few months prior, Hatton decided a change of tour was necessary and ultimately opted to team up with his "great friend" and Team Europe peer, Jon Rahm.

Rahm - who had not long moved himself - was keen for Hatton to come over and join Legion XIII, while support from his Ryder Cup teammates and Rory McIlroy in particular certainly eased the 33-year-old's doubts somewhat.

Before signing on the dotted line, though, Hatton knew there was so much to consider. On the one hand, there was the lifetime financial security for not only himself but also his family. Then there was the freedom to choose his own schedule - not that it would mean playing less, far from it.

On the other side of the coin, he wondered what the reaction from the golfing public and his fellow pros might be as well as how many chances to compete at the Majors he would lose.

Hatton ultimately decided to "go for it" and was glad to see the hostile reception many of the early pros had received was not reserved for him, too.

He said: “I think I was lucky that by the time I ‘went over to the other side’, the animosity and bad-feeling over LIV had sort of tailed off.

“The guys who were in the original batch of LIV golfers - the likes of [Phil] Mickelson, [Bryson] DeChambeau, Patrick Reed, even Ian Poulter, Westwood, and Sergio Garcia - copped far more of a backlash.

“They were being called money-grabbers, and even traitors. But even though I came in for a bit of flak for supposedly selling my soul to the highest - I swear that’s how one troll put it - it wasn’t too bad. I’ve had worse stuff to deal with. A lot worse.

“And in the year or so that has passed since I joined LIV, I think there is far more of an acceptance that it isn’t the mortal enemy it was originally seen as. The desire for us to get along, and to mix, has grown massively.

“I can honestly say that I didn’t feel any resentment towards the original LIV guys. For me, it was more a case of being curious about whether they knew what they were getting themselves into. Taking a step into the unknown is always a bit scary, no matter how much money you’re getting paid for doing it."

Off the back of his debut campaign, in which the Englishman won his first title in over three years at LIV Golf Nashville, Hatton freely admits now he wasn't wholly convinced on his choice at the start but said the reasons for joining LIV far outnumbered remaining in the status quo.

Outlining some of the reasons he ultimately decided to cross over, Hatton said: "Even when I joined, I still had a few reservations. But financial security is not something you can sniff at, and I felt the positives far outweighed any negatives, especially as there was obviously a growing sense that the two sides needed to work out a peace deal that would work for both of them. Both of us, I should say.

“And yeah, the money is a big deal - although not as big as some of the figures I heard quoted. The actual amount I was paid will remain between me, wife, my management team, and the taxman!

“But the team element of LIV and the fact that you had more control over where and when you played - away from the actual LIV events obviously - were other things that appealed to me.

“I still took a full week to make my mind up after Dubai last year, because I knew it was going to be a difficult balancing act if I did join LIV. There’s still lots of stuff I want to achieve in the game, and I absolutely hated that week, trying to weigh up all the pros and cons.

“In the end, I thought, 'go for it.' It’s a new challenge and maybe that’s what you need at this stage of your career. Remember, I hadn’t won on the DP World Tour since Abu Dhabi in 2021 - three years and counting, and you wonder whether you might have gone a bit stale."

A new start in the LIV Golf League gave Hatton the mental refresh he had desired and led to significant results - namely, the 2024 LIV Golf Nashville title. The Alfred Dunhill Links Championship and the 2025 Dubai Desert Classic prizes followed.

And after finally removing the monkey from his back, so to speak, Hatton has become one of the world's form players and is quietly fancied to do well at the Majors this term as well as being a near certainty for Luke Donald's Ryder Cup dozen at Bethpage.

Not that Hatton will be reducing the number of events he appears in as attempts to keep all the relevant plates in his career spinning.

Referencing his move to LIV, Hatton said: “There was a lot going for it. But you can forget the stuff about playing far less golf. I actually ended up playing 27 events by the end of last year. I’ve only ever played more than that once in my entire career, and that was way back in 2014. And I only played 28 then."

Certainly, if you make it to the top circuits you are amongst the 0.01% and, as proven by a tweet from Max Homa, the six-time PGA Tour winner knows what he is on about in terms of players to look out for.

In regards to who the American was on about, it concerns the recent Hero Dubai Desert Classic winner, Tyrrell Hatton, who Homa claimed was the 'most underrated golfer' back in January 2024.

Posting on X/Twitter at the start of last year, NS' Kyle Porter posed the question 'Who is the most underrated golfer in the world right now?' In response to the question, Homa wrote five words, which read: "The answer is Tyrrell Hatton."

Now, after an incredible run of results, it seems that Homa's statement is coming true, as Hatton secured the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship in October, as well as the Hero Dubai Desert Classic in January 2025. What's more, he also had top-six finishes in the Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship and DP World Tour Championship to conclude his final few months of 2024.

Certainly, it's not just Homa who has praised the Englishman's talent, with many calling Hatton one of the most underrated golfers on the planet.

Prior to joining the LIV Golf League in January 2024, the now eight-time DP World Tour winner ranked inside the top 20 of the Official World Golf Ranking and, despite LIV Golf not possessing OWGR points, he has has managed to hold his position. This is, in part, thanks to three worldwide wins in 13 months, as well as several strong finishes on the DP World Tour.

Now, since his latest victory, Hatton is up to 8th in the OWGR - which is his highest ranking in over three-and-a-half-years. Data Golf also has him at 6th, while he also sits 6th The Universal Golf Rankings.

In a supremely strong field at the DP World Tour's opening event of 2025, Hatton out-performed the likes of McIlroy, Jon Rahm, Patrick Reed, Tommy Fleetwood and Akshay Bhatia to secure the 13th pro title of his career.

Among that batch of victories has included any number of significant prizes, including the 2020 Arnold Palmer Invitational, a LIV Golf League triumph, and five Rolex Series wins on the DP World Tour.

But it was Hatton's latest success which fellow Ryder Cup teammate, McIlroy insisted proved just how strong the Englishman's mental fortitude is.

Even without the perfect game, the 33-year-old found a way of not only out-scoring some of the world's best but also edging past overnight leader Daniel Hillier on Sunday to win by one.

Although, it was an achievement which could have looked very different if McIlroy had just started his sprint towards the finish line a little earlier. Nevertheless, the Northern Irishman - who finished three strokes back in a tie for fourth - took time afterwards to explain why he has so much respect for methods Hatton uses in finding success.

Referring to Hatton, McIlroy said: “Yeah, he’s got balls. He's become very consistent. You know, he does things his own way. He plays within his capabilities. He hits the ball very straight. He doesn't try to shape it really one way or another.

"He has his systems and ways he practices and he does a really good job at that. And he also doesn't give a flying fig what anyone else thinks, which is a really good attribute to have in the game. That’s why he’s so important in New York."

Whether Hatton is able to play at Bethpage Black in September is yet to be determined given his appeal over fines and suspensions imposed on him by the DP World Tour for playing in LIV Golf events without an official release.

McIlroy is hopeful that the Englishman will be a part of Luke Donald's dozen once again and emphasized just how crucial he feels Hatton is to Team Europe's chances of coming out on top.

The four-time Major winner continued: "Yeah, he'll be amazing in New York. I think he's proved that over the last three Ryder Cups. He's a massive asset for the Europeans.”

From Hatton's point of view, the two-time Ryder Cup winner is equally as keen to be on the plane to New York and hopes his outstanding recent run of form can set up an automatic qualification berth.

Since winning LIV Golf Nashville last summer, the Legion XIII man has gone on to lift his third Alfred Dunhill Links Championship and claim seven further top-10 finishes across multiple tours.

Hatton, who is only likely to play the four Majors as well as the Irish Open and the BMW PGA Championship in terms of DP World Tour events before the Ryder Cup, knows eye-catching results at the four biggest tournaments will likely determine whether he is an automatic selection or possibly relies on a captain's pick.

Speaking after winning the Dubai Desert Classic, Hatton said: "Well, I think the guys, Luke [Donald] and [Edoardo Molinari] and sort of the backroom staff, they kind of know what kind of golf that I can produce.

"I've still got the four Majors to continue earning points for the Ryder Cup. It's no secret that I really want to be on that team. I've automatically qualified for the previous three Ryder Cups, and I'd love to be able to keep that streak going.

"Yes, it's a lot harder for me now but winning the Dunhill and winning here this week, with this being a Rolex Series Event and more points available, puts me in a good position, but I still need to go play really well in the Majors. I still need to play well when I'm playing in the LIV events. That's what I'm going to try and do."

It's now almost a year ago since Hatton signed for LIV Golf, ending weeks of speculation over his future, and he later revealed it came after plenty of agonizing over whether he had made the right decision.

Since that move, the 33-year-old has barely looked back. He finished fourth in the LIV Golf individual standings helped by victory at its Nashville event. Meanwhile, thanks to retaining his DP World Tour membership and appealing against his fines and suspensions imposed for competing for LIV Golf without permission, he has enjoyed similar success on the more established circuit.

He won a record third Alfred Dunhill Links Championship in October and has now followed that up with victory in the Dubai Desert Classic, keeping him firmly in the frame for a European Ryder Cup place for the match at Bethpage Black later in the year.

Following his latest win, he reflected on the life-changing decision to join LIV Golf and again stressed how difficult it had been.

He said: “I've said previously, making that decision to move over to LIV was really difficult and one that I didn't take lightly. It was a week off after being here, and I honestly hated that week to be honest.”

Despite the agonizing, he admitted the decision had paid off, adding: “Sitting here now and being able to have played DP World Tour events, you know, and again, when I signed, I feel like I went about it the right way. I spoke to the right people, and everyone knew like my stance and how I felt about the DP World Tour and wanting to still play events.”

“Yes, with the appeal process and what's happening there, that's allowed me to be able to play. And yeah, I love starting my season here in the Middle East.”

Hatton then pledged his commitment to the DP World Tour, despite the ongoing appeal that may yet jeopardize his chances of making the Ryder Cup team.

“From watching the event as a kid, just makes these events that much more special and to be a part of them, and yeah, I mean, as I said, I love playing on the DP World Tour, and I feel like although I have moved over to LIV that I have still shown the commitment that I want to play.

“Whatever happens with the appeal process, whenever that will be, you know, I hope that I will still be able to continue to support this Tour.”

Hatton’s latest DP World Tour win leaves him comfortably in one of the six automatic qualification places for the Ryder Cup, and he admitted that the prospect of making his second visit to the US to compete in the match, after the Whistling Straits defeat in 2021, is something he is relishing.

“The New York crowd are going to be very passionate for their own, and there's no secrets there,” he said. “From having the experience of playing a Ryder Cup at Whistling Straits, no European fans could travel because it was still in Covid times. So yes, there's going to be tons of support for the US team. They are playing at home.

“But it will be nice to have a little bit of European support, as well, with - touch wood - that nothing bad happens, and everyone can still travel. So there will be - there will still be a little bit of noise for the Europeans, I think.”

Tyrrell Hatton carded a three-under-par 69 to win the Hero Dubai Desert Classic by one stroke from New Zealand's Daniel Hillier at Emirates Golf Club on Sunday.

The Englishman began the day on 12-under - a stroke behind the Kiwi - but ultimately recovered the situation perfectly to set up a two-stroke advantage heading down 18.

Despite a tough day on the course, Hillier was not willing to lie down and accept his fate, making birdie in front of the expectant crowd and forcing Hatton to sink a nervy six-foot par putt for the title.

Showing his mental fortitude, the Ryder Cup star managed it with aplomb to remain at 15-under and secure his fifth Rolex Series crown and an eighth DP World Tour prize. Coincidentally, Hatton's fifth Rolex Series victory matches the number earned by his Legion XIII captain, Jon Rahm.

Speaking immediately after the winning putt had dropped, Hatton shared that he was still physically shaking due to the adrenaline pumping through his body and admitted that lifting this trophy had been a dream of his since he was a child - a fact that affected his play during the final round.

He said: "It feels amazing. I said earlier in the week that this is one of the events that you'd love to have on your C.V. It's such an iconic event for the DP World Tour, and to add my name to the list of amazing champions that have been before me... to have my name on that list now is a dream come true."

He continued: "But yeah, I'm not going to lie, I was pretty nervous on the back nine to be honest. And, yeah, I guess I just maybe wanted it a bit too much. I knew the position I was in, and a little bit scruffy down the last. But, yeah, to see that putt go in felt amazing. Just so happy to win."

While the spoils belonged to Hatton, Rory McIlroy almost muscled his way into the conversation late on via a closing round of 66, but after just running out of steam over the final two holes, the World No.3 was forced to make do with a tie for fourth alongside Niklas Norgaard on -12.

Laurie Canter played superbly to finish third on his own, carding a Sunday 68 which saw him end on 13-under, with Tom McKibbin and Shaun Norris rounding out the top-seven on 11-under.

Back at the top, Hatton and Hillier's final rounds both began with a bogey on the first before the pair made gains at the second and third holes, respectively.

Momentum truly turned in favor of the Englishman on the fifth hole when Hatton made a birdie three and Hillier suffered the first bout of his chipping woes to record a bogey five.

As the New Zealander battled to a one-over par 36 on the front nine, Hatton added another birdie prior to the turn for a 33-stroke start.

Hillier threatened to make a comeback with consecutive birdies on 10 and 11 which halved the deficit, and despite another bogey on the 12th, Hatton followed suit to ensure the one-time DP World Tour winner would remain right on his tail.

Both leaders struggled to find their groove heading down the stretch, but it was the eventual winner who managed to generate something positive first when landing an approach shot close on the 15th - ultimately setting up a tap-in birdie.

Hillier had multiple chances to join Hatton or even surpass him throughout the back nine, but the Kiwi couldn't warm his putter up sufficiently and a last-gasp birdie proved too little, too late as the LIV player justified his pre-tournament odds as one of the favorites.

HERO DUBAI DESERT CLASSIC LEADERBOARD

• -15 Tyrrell Hatton (69)
• -14 Daniel Hillier (71)
• -13 Laurie Canter (68)
• -12 Rory McIlroy (66)
• -12 Niklas Norgaard (66)
• -11 Shaun Norris (69)
• -11 Tom McKibbin (69)
• -10 David Micheluzzi (65)
• -10 Guido Migliozzi (69)
• -9 Patrick Reed (67)
• -9 Ryan Fox (72)
• -9 Dylan Frittelli (71)
• -9 Rasmus Neergaard-Petersen (66)

UPDATES FROM...

Players who joined LIV Golf are banned from playing on the PGA Tour, while the DP World Tour dished out fines and suspensions to the likes of Lee Westwood, Sergio Garcia and Ian Poulter when they first joined - prompting them to resign their membership.

For Rahm and Hatton though, along with Poland's Adrian Meronk and others, the situation is slightly different with those players having chosen not to resign their respective memberships and allowed to compete while an appeal against their fines and suspensions goes through the legal process.

It's a different case for Garcia as he has paid his fines and re-joined the DP World Tour in the hope of earning a return to Europe's Ryder Cup team later this year.

For Rahm and Hatton in particular, the timing of the appeals process is of particular importance with regards to their Ryder Cup participation - as both players will undoubtedly make Luke Donald's side either directly or as a captain's pick.

Rahm insists his plan is to line up for Europe at Bethpage Black, and said he hoped the appeals process would not be concluded until after the meeting with Team USA in September.

"I don't know what's going to happen in the future but I can tell you my plan is to be on that team at Bethpage," Rahm said ahead of his debut appearance at the Hero Dubai Desert Classic this week.

Rahm has not voiced whether he would pay his fines if ordered to, and would rather the issue was dealt with after the Ryder Cup.

"I don't know what's going to happen and I'm hoping they don't try to settle the appeal before the Ryder Cup," he added. "I don't think that would be good for anybody."

Golf Monthly understands that the process and timelines for the Rahm and Hatton appeals are yet to be determined by the DP World Tour, which deals with each case on an individual basis.

Talks between the DP World Tour and each player's legal teams need to be concluded first even before the process begins, with each LIV Golf event they play in assessed for what impact it has on a conflicting DP World Tour tournament.

Fines and suspensions are still being handed out every time Rahm, Hatton, and Garcia for that matter, play in a LIV Golf event being held the same week as a DP World Tour tournament.

But while Garcia seems happy to pay his, or rather LIV Golf pay them, Hatton and Rahm are waiting on their appeals before deciding whether they want to pay up or not.

They can all play on the DP World Tour in the meantime, but some big decisions need to be made somewhere along the line, with regards to the appeals of two of Europe's biggest Ryder Cup players and just when they will be heard.

There's also a wider question of whether the DP World Tour should go about securing its own deal with LIV Golf going forward to attract big-name player to its events while the PGA Tour and Saudi PIF continue to struggle to agree on a deal.

Those who watched Hatton win the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship last weekend will agree that his talent is immense, so what can amateur golfers learn from the 12-time tour winner?

In this article, Tyrrell Hatton shares 10 of his expert golf tips with the intention of supporting you to play better golf and shoot your best score...

Tyrrell Hatton Golf Tips: 10 Steps To Shoot Your Best Score

1. Be prepared when you step on the first tee

Good preparation before you get to the tee sets you up for a good day. You have to manage your time well. You have to make sure you eat at the right time and that your hydration levels are good. You need to have a good warm-up so your body is ready to go. It all helps you to play good golf.

Tyrrell Hatton's Tip: Plan the day before your tee time so it works around your golf. Give yourself plenty of time to prepare and arrive on the first tee ready to go mentally and physically.

2. Don't worry about a bad warm-up session

Generally, the best days are when you’ve absolutely dogged it on the range and your swing feels terrible. But once you get on the golf course, everyone has a bit more focus. You’re more into your target and you know what you’re going to do.

I’m probably the same as most amateurs on the range; I’ve got a target but I’m very loosely just hitting balls and treating it as a warm-up. Although I would like to feel the ball in the middle of the clubface as well. It’s knowing that I’m going to be more focused on the course, not worrying about a bad range session and just cracking on.

Tyrrell Hatton's Tip: Your warm-up is primarily about preparing your body and seeing how you’re hitting the ball. It doesn’t guarantee how you’re going to play and score, so don’t stress about it and play with the shots and tendencies you have that day.

3. Have a clear strategy... and stick to it!

There are always certain holes where you need to have a game plan. If you’re having a good round, your strategy has been working so keep it going. My caddie, Mick Donaghy, plays a huge part. I don’t carry a yardage book, so I rely on Mick quite heavily for a lot of information, like lay-up points and pin positions.

He knows the better side to miss it, so if there’s a tight pin he might suggest just trying to keep it a little more towards the safe side. That allows you to make a better decision about what club and shot you’re going to hit.

Tyrrell Hatton's Tip: Plan the best way for you to score well that plays to your strengths and minimises your weaknesses. Also, aim towards the centre of the green more often and stick to your strategy no matter how your round is going.

4. Get the putter working

Generally, the putter is the most important club in the bag when it comes to shooting a low score because you’ll need to hole a few long putts. They keep momentum going. Even when you miss a green and you’ve got a six-foot par putt, you hole that and you go to the next tee with the momentum still. Holing that putt enables you to carry on, and on the good days you’re generally going to make birdie on the next hole.

Tyrrell Hatton's Tip: We all know how important the putter is, but many of us don’t spend enough time practising with it. Practise on the greens and focus especially on pace control.

5. Keep Your Foot On The Accelerator

If you’re playing well, keep it going. If you’re six under, let’s get to seven under. If you get to seven under, let’s get to eight. It’s always about trying to move forward, make birdies and see how low you can shoot.

Some people might get caught up when they have a good score going and get a little bit defensive, but if you’ve been aggressive all day and it’s got you to that point, you should just keep going.

Tyrrell Hatton's Tip: Make the most of the days when you are playing well by trusting yourself and continuing to do the things that have put you in that good position.

6. Stay In The Moment

Any time you’re shooting well under your handicap, it’s very easy for you to think too far ahead. Try and stay as present as you can. Just focus on each shot. Mentally, people would maybe say I’m fragile. It’s just trying to stay patient and not getting too worked up. Remember the good stuff you’ve been doing and try to carry that forward.

Tyrrell Hatton's Tip: The past doesn’t matter and you can only control the here and now. Focus on the shot in hand and don’t worry about previous shots or start thinking too far ahead.

7. Have a plan on courses and holes that don't suit you

You have to believe you can shoot a good score around any particular golf course. On tour, we play a variety of different layouts and there are going to be times when you don’t like the course or it visually doesn’t suit your eye. In those instances, it’s about trying to get round it the best way possible.

There might be some tee shots you don’t like, so you have to think about what you can do to feel more comfortable on that tee, what shot you can rely on or where is the good miss that you can recover from. You just have to be smart about these things.

Tyrrell Hatton's Tip: There’s always a way to score well on any course or hole if you play to your strengths and make sensible decisions that reduce the chances of making a big number.

8. Commit to every shot you hit

Mick and I have been working together for a very long time now, so he knows my game really well. If we are in between clubs then he’s generally going to say something that will make me feel comfortable to hit the club we’ve selected, so I just have to stand there and make a good swing.

Tyrrell Hatton's Tip: You might not have a caddie, but a quick internal chat with yourself outlining the shot you’re seeing, the club you need and how you want to hit it really helps clarify what you’re doing. This enables you to totally commit to the shot.

9. Embrace pressure and nerves

You want to be in those positions, shooting a good score. Naturally, professional golfers all enjoy that pressure and nervous energy. For me, personally, I’ve been fortunate to win on the DP World Tour and PGA Tour and having the confidence that you can get over the line allows you to go and hit good shots. That pressure and nervous energy is what you practise for and it can help you be more focused.

Tyrrell Hatton's Tip: We all want to shoot low scores, so you have to welcome the feelings that come with it.

10. Keep Your Expectations Realistic

If you’re playing well, you almost put pressure on yourself to have another good week. Amateur golfers need to stay with their game plan and try not to get too carried away.

Tyrrell Hatton's Tip: High expectations are very rarely helpful when it comes to shooting low scores. Keep yours realistic for your standard, focus on enjoying the game and hopefully some good rounds will come.

As well as a prize-money payout of €739,482 (around $812,000), there were other advantages for Hatton, including the guarantee of a top-70 finish in the DP World Tour’s Race to Dubai standings, booking him spots in the two season-closing events, the Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship and the DP World Tour Championship in Dubai.

Meanwhile, Hatton's appearance in Scotland this week was his fourth on the DP World Tour this season, meeting the minimum requirement to remain eligible for next year's Ryder Cup.

Luke Donald's 12-man team will feature six automatic qualifiers and six wildcards for the Bethpage Black match. The win also moves Hatton from 33rd on the European Ryder Cup points list to fifth, and he admitted earning as many points as possible is his target despite limited opportunities due to his LIV Golf commitments.

“It's a Ryder Cup year," he said. "I want to earn as many points as I possibly can, and you know, I'm committed to try my best to earn the points that I need to be on that team.

“If it means playing events that you wouldn't normally play, and not to make that sound as a negative. It's more of if I need to play, I'm going to play. So I'm happy that I have been able to win this week and I can have four weeks off, and then I'll be fresh, hopefully ready to play some good golf in Abu Dhabi.”

Despite now earning the luxury of some time away to prepare for November's events in the United Arab Emirates, Hatton detailed the lengths he would have been prepared to go to to qualify for them had he still needed to.

“Winning here this week allows me to take some time off," he said. "This was my fourth week in a row. I really wanted to get into Abu Dhabi and Dubai, and at the start of last week, I was 94 in rankings. I was prepared to play in Sotogrande, and maybe even South Korea if I needed to, to try and make it to Abu Dhabi."

Another reason Hatton is relieved to have a clear diary for the next few weeks is so that he can attend fellow 2023 Ryder Cup star Matt Fitzpatrick’s wedding to Katherine Gaal, with the couple due to tie the knot at the same time as Spain's Andalucia Masters at Sotogrande in less than two weeks.

He added: “I was meant to be going to Fitzy's wedding the week in Spain, and I messaged him a few weeks ago and I was like, if I don't have enough points, I might not be able to go and I felt so bad about that. I guess having a little extra motivation to play well.”

Tyrrell Hatton carded a final round of 70 to defeat Nicolas Colsaerts by a shot and claim a record third Alfred Dunhill Links Championship title at St Andrews on Sunday.

The LIV golfer - who also won back in 2016 and 2017 - once again triumphed in Scotland, this time on 24-under, to go out in front as the most successful man at the event, one day on from a joint-record 61 at the Old Course which helped him to a one-shot lead overnight.

It was almost not meant to be, though, after Hatton allowed a three-stroke lead to slip down the back nine. But, Hatton recovered the situation perfectly via a clutch birdie putt on the 18th as Colsaerts could only make par to end solo second ahead of Tommy Fleetwood.

The 32-year-old revealed post-round that it was the first time he had won at the Old Course with his father Jeff watching in person, an achievement that meant a great deal.

Reflecting on his success immediately after the winning putt dropped, an emotional Hatton said: "Yeah, it feels good. This is the first time I've actually won the tournament with my dad here. So it means a lot. And yeah, to do it on the Home of Golf is really special. Hard to describe to be honest. I'm trying not to cry to be honest. I'm at a loss for words."

In the team event, Thorbjorn Olesen and Dermont Desmond ensured it would not be double delight for Hatton, however, as they scored victory by two strokes on 48-under from the Englishman and his father.

Although, at one point, it appeared as though Hatton Jr would have little or nothing to smile about at all when going double-bogey, bogey on the 13th and 14th holes, respectively.

Yet, quite remarkably, Hatton claimed he was unaware of the scores for the majority of the back nine - suggesting he felt his chances had already gone up in smoke before reaching the 18th hole level with Colsaerts.

He continued: "To be honest, I didn't actually know what the scores were from when we left the halfway house. The first leaderboard I saw was on the 17th green.

"When I double bogeyed 13 and bogeyed 14, I didn't realise I was still in and around the lead and just tried my best on every shot coming in. And then I see where I'm at at the 17th green. Then, I'd be lying if I said I wasn't nervous.

"To have a three-and-a-half-foot putt is quite nerve-wracking, and I was so relieved when it went in."

It took all of Hatton's ability to hold off a resurgent Colsaerts - the 41-year-old, who was his vice-captain at the most recent Ryder Cup in Italy - but he eventually did so to earn vital qualifying points as the race to reach Bethpage continues.

As a result of Hatton's latest victory, the seventh on the DP World Tour and 12th of his pro career, it has qualified the 32-year-old for the DP World Tour playoffs in November and two further chances to earn Ryder Cup and world-ranking points. Meanwhile, victory at the Dunhill also means he can now attend the wedding of one of his Ryder Cup teammates.

Hatton explained: "I'm so happy that I've got my place booked in Dubai. When I teed off last week at the Spanish Open, I knew that I needed probably at least a second on my own to have a chance.

"Actually, I was meant to be going to [Matt Fitzpatrick's] wedding the week in Spain [Andalucia Masters]. I messaged him a few weeks ago and I was like, 'if I don't have enough points, I might not be able to go', and I felt so bad about that. I guess [I had] a little extra motivation to play well."

Alfred Dunhill Links Championship Leaderboard

• -24 Tyrrell Hatton
• -23 Nicolas Colsaerts
• -21 Tommy Fleetwood
• -19 David Puig
• -19 Rasmus Neergaard-Petersen
• -19 Robin Williams
• -18 Haotong Li
• -18 Jon Rahm
• -18 Tom Vaillant
• -17 Brooks Koepka
• -17 Matthew Jordan

Updates from...

In the end, despite six of the players from the circuit failing to make the cut, one of the remaining eight, Legion XIII player Tyrrell Hatton, took the honors for a record third time at the event.

Hatton didn't have it all his own way, and on the back nine of the final round at the Old Course, the Englishman's three-shot lead disappeared as Nicolas Colsaerts threatened to win his first DP World Tour title since 2019, but he held on to eventually claim the title by one shot.

The event offered one of the largest payouts on the DP World Tour this season, with the professionals competing for a share of a $5m purse, and of that, Hatton won €739,482 (around $812,000).

Perhaps as importantly for Hatton, the tournament means he is now just one DP World Tour appearance this year away from ensuring his eligibility for the 2025 Ryder Cup.

There were also Ryder Cup points on offer at the tournament, with the top six Europeans in line for automatic qualification for the Bethpage Black match by the time the qualifying period concludes next year.

Hatton began the event 33rd on the points list, but the win has boosted him to fifth as he aims for his fourth successive Ryder Cup appearance.

There were also 5,000 Race to Dubai ranking points available as players competed for the chance to finish in the top 70 of the standings to make the lucrative season-closing DP World Tour Playoffs.

Below is what each player won at the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship. 

Alfred Dunhill Links Championship Prize Money Payout

Jon Rahm was LIV's most notable acquisition between the close of 2023 and the start of 2024, although Anthony Kim rocking up during the early stages of the new term also managed to grab plenty of headlines.

Rahm and Kim were just two of the newest kids on the PIF-funded block, with the pair experiencing contrasting fortunes over the subsequent months after their respective arrivals.

The Spaniard's newly-formed golf club - Legion XIII - was made up of completely new faces, including Ryder Cup hero Tyrrell Hatton, college superstar Caleb Surratt, and LIV Promotions runner-up Kieran Vincent.

They were joined by Adrian Meronk, Lucas Herbert, Andy Ogletree, Kalle Samooja, and Jinichiro Kozuma for the 2024 campaign. But how did they all do?

JON RAHM

Finished season: 1st

Rahm was LIV's most high-profile signing of the off-season, and he delivered in a big way for his new employers. After joining LIV for a reported $566 million, he never finished outside of the top-10 in any event he completed all season - the only exception being when he pulled out of Houston with a toe injury.

The two-time Major winner ultimately ended up sniping the Individual title out of Joaquin Niemann's hands in the final two tournaments, sealing the deal with his second LIV title in Chicago, following on from his first in the UK just weeks earlier.

TYRRELL HATTON

Finished season: 4th

The Englishman followed his European Ryder Cup teammate to LIV Golf and has enjoyed a largely successful debut season. Outside of his lone individual victory at LIV Golf Nashville, Hatton has five more top-five finishes and a worst result of 21st.

He ended the season fourth in the individual standings behind Sergio Garcia, a bitterly disappointing pill to swallow given he was only one point back in the end.

ADRIAN MERONK

Finished season: 17th

2024 was, in short, quite a middling year for Meronk in the LIV Golf League. He didn't win an event - although he came close when finishing runner-up to Carlos Ortiz in Houston - but also only endured three underwhelming weeks. 

The Pole was often in the upper half of the table but rarely challenged the top-10, breaking into the top positions just four times. As a result, he finished the season 17th and will hope for better next term.

LUCAS HERBERT

Finished season: 25th

Herbert ended the 2024 campaign as the first player outside of the Lock Zone for next year (25th), so his off-season could be filled with a little anxiety if Ripper GC captain Cameron Smith wants to inject some fresh Australian blood into his side.

That seems unlikely, though, especially after three sixth-place finishes in Herbert's final six starts of the season. A more positive back end of the campaign was just what the 28-year-old needed after a stuttering start to 2024 with a best result of 14th at LIV Golf Adelaide - which Ripper won in a playoff.

ANDY OGLETREE

Finished season: 34th

Ogletree had been a reserve player for LIV in the past two seasons before being given a full chance with HyFlyers in 2024 after winning the Asian Tour's Order of Merit last term and earning his spot via the International Series. 

He ended 2024 in 34th position after just two results inside the top-25. They were pretty good weeks, though, with Ogletree finishing third in Adelaide and sixth at LIV Golf UK.

CALEB SURRATT

Finished season: 41st

Surratt was part of four team wins with Legion XIII but struggled from a personal point of view and was dangerously close to the relegation picture in the end, finishing 41st. He failed to record a single top-10, with his best week coming in Las Vegas early on (12th).

His form over the final few weeks will be of most concern, having ended 49th, 41st, 15th, and 54th - and the former University of Tennessee golfer could be sweating over a return to Rahm's team in 2025.

JINICHIRO KOZUMA

Finished season: 45th

Kozuma is another who had made LIV starts prior to 2024 but had not been signed to a team. A part of Iron Heads GC, the 30-year-old Japanese golfer primarily had a ninth-place finish at Adelaide to thank for escaping relegation in his debut campaign.

Outside of that top-10, Kozuma hadn't finished inside the top-30 at any other tournament all season until the final two where he ended 20th and 15th. The extra four points scored at Greenbrier and Chicago pushed him up to 45th in the end.

KALLE SAMOOJA

Finished season: 49th (relegated)

The Finnish player was another to endure a short stay in the LIV Golf League, having won the Promotions event last year but going on to be relegated in 49th place after making bogey on his final hole of this season.

Samooja only scored points twice all year, and they arrived thanks to a 14th place in Singapore and that painful slip down to 15th in Chicago. He does have the consolation of being a part of the Cleeks GC team which won LIV Golf Houston, however.

KIERAN VINCENT

Finished season: 54th (relegated)

The Zimbabwean was one of five full-time LIV players to be relegated in 2024 after a disappointing season in which he only generated points on five occasions - points are awarded for top-24 finishes. 

Vincent achieved a LIV spot via the Promotions event last December but failed to make the most of his chance, scoring a best finish of 18th in Nashville and ending among the bottom markers in three separate events.

ANTHONY KIM

Finished season: 56th (exempt from relegation as a Wildcard)

Kim signed with the LIV Golf League just before the circuit's Jeddah event in February and made a slow start, failing to finish inside the top-50 in any of his first five starts - a fact which is more than understandable, given he'd not played competitive golf for 12 years.

But after breaking into the top-50 for the first time in Houston, Kim never finished outside that number over the remaining six events, going on to earn almost $1 million in the process. 

Regardless, his best result was 36th at LIV Golf Greenbrier and he failed to score a point all term as a wildcard. Where Kim's future with LIV Golf lies now is anyone's guess...

The Legion XIII player had been in some difficulty after the first round of the event when he found himself tied for 38th on three-over, but he steadied matters over his first 11 holes of the second round with two birdies and two bogeys.

It got better for the Englishman on his 12th of the day, the par-4 fifth, which he birdied and then it was onto the 164-yard par-3 sixth. He judged his tee shot to perfection, dropping the ball a matter of feet from the pin, from where his ball never looked like missing as it dutifully dropped into the hole a couple of bounces later.

That took him to level for the tournament at T14, and he moved to one-under with his fourth birdie of the day at the next hole to leave him just four shots off the lead.

That could prove very significant indeed for Hatton as he currently occupies third on the Individual Standings, helped by victory at LIV Golf Nashville, with the final placings being decided after this week's event.

If he maintains that position, he will walk away with a bonus payment of $4m, with only Sergio Garcia, Louis Oosthuizen, Cameron Smith and Brooks Koepka capable of catching him.

If Hatton finishes in the top three this week, he will secure the spot unless Garcia picks up his second win of the season. However, the Spaniard is battling hard and moved to the top of the leaderboard shortly after Hatton's hole-in-one to leave the outcome up in the air deep into the second round.

Regardless of how Hatton ultimately finishes at the tournament, Garcia needs to finish at least 11th to have a chance of claiming third in the standings, Oosthuizen and Smith need to finish fifth or better to have a chance, and Koepka needs to finish at least fourth.

Hatton's magic at the sixth follows previous LIV Golf aces including Chase Koepka's at Adelaide in 2023 and Richard Bland's at Mayakoba in the opening tournament of this season. Joaquin Niemann and Kalle Samooja also made aces at LIV Golf Hong Kong in March.

Hatton is teeing it up at the British Masters in his first DP World Tour start since joining Greg Norman's Saudi-backed tour back in January - when he signed up for Jon Rahm's Legion XIII side.

Both Hatton and Rahm have not resigned as DP World Tour members and both have stated their desire to play in four sanctioned events to retain their membership and therefore be eligible for Ryder Cup selection.

Hatton can play this week as he's appealing against the fines and suspensions he receives every time he plays in a LIV Golf event that clashes with a DP World Tour tournament.

The British Masters is also the first event in the qualifying race for Luke Donald's European team to tackle the Americans at Bethpage Black next year, so is a great opportunity to get a fast start in collecting crucial points.

Hatton adds a big-name feeling to the event, which tournament host Faldo is delighted with, but he also couldn't resist a playful dig at the standard and format he currently plays in over at LIV.

"I'm delighted," Faldo said of Hatton's presence at The Belfry. "Wants to come play a proper tournament. 

Faldo also added that he's glad Hatton has such a strong desire to make the Ryder Cup side that he's trying everything to qualify despite not getting any points for playing in LIV Golf.

"I'm delighted - he had such a significant part of the last Ryder Cup, I think he wants it - there is a path for them to do it," Faldo added.

"It's not for me to really be involved. If a guy wants to make the Ryder Cup Team, good luck to him. Find a way to get on it."

Regardless of any opinions on the standard, Hatton has enjoyed an excellent debut campaign with LIV, claiming victory at the Nashville event in June and sitting second in the team standings with Rahm's Legion XIII outfit.

It's been hugely profitable as well, with the 32-year-old sitting in fifth on the LIV Golf money list after pocketing $10.6 million from 12 events.

Results in Majors have been mixed, with Hatton finishing T9th at The Masters and T26th at the US Open but also ending T63rd at the PGA Championship and missing the cut at The Open.

With still no Official World Golf Ranking recognition for LIV Golf events, Hatton is hoping a late-season run of events on the European calendar can help him with not only his Ryder Cup dreams but also in qualifying for the 2025 Majors.

His T9 at Augusta has earned him a Masters invite next year and his world ranking should hold long enough to get into the PGA Championship, and he could add The Open to his list with a strong finish this year.

Hatton hopes to also play in the Spanish Open and Alfred Dunhill Links Championship to then in turn qualify for the closing Playoff events on the DP World Tour.

But first he must put in a decent display at The Belfry to get his Ryder Cup bid off to a flying start.

Hatton last played a specific DP World Tour event at the Dubai Desert Classic - finishing in a tie for 31st - earlier this year before switching to Jon Rahm's Legion XIII on the PIF-funded circuit days later.

The Englishman has enjoyed an excellent debut campaign with LIV, sitting third in the individual standings with only the Championship round to play and having claimed his maiden title at LIV Golf Nashville back in June. He is also fifth on the LIV Golf money list with $10.6 million earned from 12 events.

Additionally, Hatton's Legion XI GC are second in the team standings - trailing Crushers by just half a point - with two events left on the calendar.

As far as the Majors go, the 32-year-old enjoyed and endured a mixed bag of results in 2024, finishing T9th at The Masters and T26th at the US Open but also ending T63rd at the PGA Championship and missing the cut at The Open Championship.

His latest start will come on the DP World Tour at The Belfry in England, where Hatton is permitted to compete as an active member. Hatton did not resign his DP World Tour membership when he left for LIV, therefore, he can still enter tournaments so long as they do not clash with his parent circuit's.

However, whenever Hatton plays in a LIV event which takes place at the same time as a DP World Tour event, the Ryder Cup star is liable to sanctions from the Wentworth-based competition which include fines and suspensions.

Yet, according to a DP World Tour spokesperson, “Tyrrell has a pending appeal against sanctions imposed on him for breaching the DP World Tour’s Conflicting Tournament Regulation and in accordance with the DP World Tour’s Regulations, he is eligible to participate in the Betfred British Masters.”

As a result of said appeal, payment of his fines is stayed until the outcome of the appeal process - which is yet to take place. Golf Monthly also understands Hatton has served his outstanding suspensions.

The next LIV tournament is in Chicago during the middle of September, giving Hatton the opportunity to play one of the four DP World Tour events he must in order to retain his membership.

Another reason behind Hatton's appearance at the historic course near Birmingham, England is that Ryder Cup qualification begins at the British Masters. Players are unable to collect Ryder Cup qualification points at all in LIV events, given the league's OWGR ineligibility, while Ryder Cup points won't be on offer in PGA Tour events until January 1, 2025.

Speaking in the build-up, Hatton said: "(The Ryder Cup is) certainly one of the reasons why I wanted to play this week. The Ryder Cup is really important to me and I'd love to be on that team next year, and this is the perfect week to try and get off to a good start."

Hatton and Rahm have stated their desire to be a part of Team Europe once again at Bethpage next September, but to do so, they will have to collect as many points as they can in their rare DP World Tour and Major starts.

As well as the British Masters, the Englishman is also expected to tee it up at the Open de Espana in late September and at the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship the following week. Rahm is yet to commit to any DP World Tour events but is also expected to feature four times before the season is over.

Hatton will tee off alongside 2016 Masters champion, Danny Willett and Italian Guido Migliozzi at 1:10pm BST on Thursday.

Legion XIII Jon Rahm had the ideal confidence booster ahead of the Olympics with a one-shot win over teammate Tyrrell Hatton at LIV Golf United Kingdom. 

That was his maiden win on the circuit, but he's been knocking on the door ever since making his debut, with top-10 finishes in every tournament he has completed so far. 

He began the day three shots behind overnight leader Andy Ogletree, while Hatton was just two off the lead, and the pair soon made their presence felt with Rahm making birdie on his second hole of the day and Hatton his third. 

Meanwhile, Ogletree began even better, with birdies in his first two holes before he eventually began to falter with a double bogey on his eighth. Hatton had another birdie on his fifth hole of the day, while Rahm responded in kind on his sixth before the first big setback of the day hit Hatton with a double bogey. He responded well, with another birdie on his seventh and the pair were level at the turn. 

It was Rahm who began to flex his muscles, though, with a birdie on the 10th followed by back-to-back birdies on the 12th and 13th to give him a two-shot lead over Paul Casey, Hatton and Andy Ogletree with five holes to play. 

Ogletree wasn't giving up the fight, and he then birdied his 12th of the day to move within one of Rahm, joined shortly after by Casey after a birdie putt of his own. Ogletree - also looking for his maiden title - then birdied his 13th of the day to move level with Rahm as five players stood within two of the lead with five to play. 

However, disaster struck for Ogletree on the par 3 14th as he missed the green left, then his chip shot didn't reach the bank and rolled back to his feet. His next chip found the green, but he missed his bogey putt, with a double bogey putting him two back.

As Ogletree's challenge continued to fade, Hatton came more to the fore despite barely hitting his birdie putt at the 15th, which would have drawn him level. 

On his penultimate hole of the day, Rahm then had the chance to turn the screw, but he missed a short putt and had to settle for bogey as he and Hatton shared the lead. 

Rahm duly closed out his round with par to finish on -13 under. Hatton, meanwhile, was right behind him and left himself a 65-foot putt to take the title on his final hole, but his effort left him six feet short. Needing to hole the putt to force a playoff, he missed by inches, finishing second with Cameron Smith and Joaquin Niemann as Rahm took the title, while Legion XIII won its fourth of the season.

Afterwards, an emotional Rahm paid tribute to the effort of his teammate, saying: "Well, first of all, I've got to give Tyrrell a lot of credit, too. He's a fantastic player, and you never want to see it end like that. I almost wish we would have got it done in the playoff."

Rahm also admitted relief at finally getting his maiden LIV Golf win. He said: "Finally got one done. You never want to get those feelings to go on for too long, and to get over the hump feels great incredible. It's been a fantastic week and a fantastic year, and just relieved that it happened."

LIV GOLF UK INDIVIDUAL LEADERBOARD

-13 Jon Rahm

-12 Joaquin Niemann, Tyrrell Hatton, Cameron Smith

-10 Paul Casey

LIV GOLF UK TEAM LEADERBOARD

-26 Legion XIII GC

-23 Ripper GC

-20 Smash GC, Crushers GC

Updates from...

The Englishman needs to play a minimum of four DP World Tour events before the end of the season to have a chance of taking part in the Bethpage Black match against Keegan Bradley’s Team USA.

Hatton finished T31 in January’s Dubai Desert Classic, his sole DP World Tour appearance so far this season, and with three more events needed to put him in the reckoning for a place on the 12-player team, he already knows which events he will play.

Hatton has been competing in the 11th LIV Golf event of the season in the United Kingdom this week. After his second round, where he sat two shots behind overnight leader Andy Ogletree in second, the Legion XIII player said: “Yeah, I'm down to play British Masters, Spanish Open and Dunhill Links.”

The first of those events begins on 29 August, two weeks either side of LIV Golf Greenbrier and LIV Golf Chicago, while the Spanish Open and Alfred Dunhill Links Championship are held in the weeks immediately after LIV’s season-closing Team Championship.

For Hatton, who joined LIV Golf shortly before the start of the season, it had always been in the plan to try to qualify.

He added: “Before but pretty much around obviously signing with LIV, those conversations were had, so the DP World Tour kind of knew where I stood with wanting to obviously maintain my membership and things like that, and the Ryder Cup is obviously very important to me.”

Back in April, DP World Tour CEO Guy Kinnings reassured the likes of Hatton and his Legion XIII captain Jon Rahm that there was a path to Ryder Cup qualification provided they abide by the rules such as paying fines and serving bans for joining LIV Golf.

He said: “The reality is, under the current rules, if a player is European, a member of the DP World Tour and abides by the rules - if you don’t get a release there are sanctions and you take those penalties - there is no reason why players who have taken LIV membership could not qualify or be available for selection.”

Hatton qualified for his third successive Ryder Cup in 2023 via the World Points List. However, given his suspension from the PGA Tour after joining LIV Golf, he’ll likely be relying on the European Points List, where players predominantly feature thanks to their DP World Tour performances, or, failing that, as one of captain Luke Donald’s wildcards.

Despite Team Europe winning in Marco Simone – helped by Hatton’s record of 3-0-1 - Donald’s men will be underdogs heading to the US, and Hatton is determined to play his part again as the Europeans look for their first success on US soil since 2012 at Medinah.

He added: “I need to be a member of the Tour, and I'm hoping that I can earn enough points in those three events that I just said to be able to play Abu Dhabi and Dubai in November.

“Yeah, once the LIV season finishes, then obviously my attention turns to the DP World Tour to try and gain the points that I need to gain, and Ryder Cup points start the week of Dallas. Yeah, that's another incentive to go play.”

Tyrrell Hatton dominated proceedings at LIV Golf Nashville on Sunday, as the Englishman finished at 19-under-par to take home his first LIV Golf title after joining the League in January of this year. 

Carding a cool 65 to cruise to a six shot victory ahead of compatriot, Sam Horsfield, who secured his highest ever finish on the LIV Tour, Hatton's win helped his Legion XIII side also claim the team spoils in Nashville.

Behind Horsfield were the quartet of Bryson DeChambeau, Joaquin Niemann, Lee Westwood and Jon Rahm, who were all 12-under, but none of the chasers could lay a glove on Hatton who looked in control throughout the 18 holes.

Carding birdies on the third and fourth holes, he added further gains at the seventh, ninth and 11th to extend his lead further, with a closing birdie handing him a first professional title since the 2021 Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship.

Along with his victory, Legion XIII (-40), led by Captain, Rahm, would similarly run away as comfortable winners in the team competition over Crushers GC (-35) and Torque GC (-34).

LIV GOLF NASHVILLE INDIVIDUAL LEADERBOARD

-19 Tyrrell Hatton

-13 Sam Horsfield

-12 Bryson DeChambeau, Jon Rahm, Joaquin Niemann, Lee Westwood

LIV GOLF NASHVILLE TEAM LEADERBOARD

-40 Legion XIII GC

-35 Crushers GC

-34 Torque GC 

Updates from...

Horan's Greenbridge Ventures will back Boston in the new tech-infused league alongside Fenway Sports Group and McIlroy's own Symphony Ventures, with the former One Direction singer also serving as an ambassador for the team and bringing his combined social-media following of 72 million on board.

After meeting McIlroy in Sydney, Australia during 2014, the Irish singer - who is a huge golf fan himself and recently held a handicap of eight - has gone on to caddy for McIlroy at The Masters Par 3 contest, famously falling over while carrying the four-time Major winner's clubs. 

Horan has also travelled around the world to support McIlroy at various events, including the Ryder Cup and Dubai Desert Classic - as well as playing alongside the Northern Irishman in several Pro-Ams.

In a statement on Boston Common's website, Horan said: “Golf has been a lifelong passion of mine and I’m thrilled to be part of this exciting new venture alongside my investment group Greenbridge Ventures in partnership with Fenway Sports Group and Rory, who has been a longtime friend.

“I can’t wait to experience team golf in this unique format that merges technology with green grass play. Being able to combine my love for the game and my friendship with Rory into a relationship that helps launch a new concept in golf is truly special. It’s a fantastic opportunity and I think this new league backed by both Tiger Woods and Rory and team will bring a fresh perspective to the sport I adore.”

TGL will feature six teams of four players taking it in turns to hit shots into a giant simulator screen, finishing out the hole in the real-space short-game area which includes an adaptable green complex inside the bespoke SoFi Center in Palm Beach Gardens, Florida.

The inaugural season - which begins in January 2025 following a year's delay - will include 15 matches per team, plus the end-of-term playoffs, in two-hour primetime slots on ESPN and ESPN+ at the start of the week.

Six teams are slated to compete next year, with Boston taking on Atlanta Drive GC, Jupiter Links GC, Los Angeles Golf Club, New York Golf Club and the Bay Golf Club. Among those teams, investors include high-profile athletes such as Tiger Woods, Serena Williams, Steph Curry, and Giannis Antetokounmpo. Other backers include Arthur Blank, Steve Cohen, Alexis Ohanian, Marc Lasry, and Woods' Jupiter GC partner, David Blitzer.

And the newest player signing to the tech-infused league is Hideki Matsuyama - the World No.12 and 2021 Masters champion. The first Japanese man ever to win a Major will team up with McIlroy, Keegan Bradley, and Adam Scott in the Boston Common squad - replacing LIV golfer Tyrrell Hatton.

The Englishman was rendered ineligible for the PGA Tour-affiliated competition after his move to the 54-hole rival circuit in January, and McIlroy's squad moved to sign up a nine-time PGA Tour winner as his replacement.

Speaking to Boston Common's media team about the news, Matsuyama said: “I’m excited to join Boston Common Golf and be a part of TGL. Teaming up with Rory, Keegan, and Adam – three incredible players I deeply respect – fills me with excitement and anticipation.

"Together, I hope we can push the boundaries of golf and create an unforgettable new experience for fans around the world. Most importantly, I am looking forward to the four of us winning championships together.”

The four Boston players have all won at least one Major championship, with McIlroy owning four and his three teammates earning victories at the 2011 PGA Championship (Bradley), 2013 Masters (Scott), and 2021 Masters (Matsuyama).

The Common club bringing in Matsuyama not only offers them a quality player, but also a huge name in the Asian market - supplementing iconic faces from the US, Australia, and Europe.

Discussing the move, Boston Common Golf president and CEO, Mark Lev, said: “On behalf of Boston Common Golf and everyone at Fenway Sports Group, I want to express our deep appreciation to Hideki for joining this groundbreaking venture that will showcase team golf like never before.

“Hideki’s calm demeanor and resilience will perfectly complement Rory’s dynamic skills, Adam’s experience, and Keegan’s tenacity, making us a formidable force. His historic Masters victory, technical precision, and unwavering work ethic have solidified his place among golf’s elite, and with him, we become a team of players representing four continents, each a Major champion.

"His commitment to promoting golf globally and in Japan through youth clinics is inspiring a new generation and we are fortunate to have him on our team.”

Occasionally, though, that passion can go slightly too far, with Hatton known for the occasional outburst when competing. Memorably, at the 2022 Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship, the Englishman called the final hole at Yas Links “one of the worst par 5s I’ve seen in my life”.

At the US Open, the LIV Golfer was asked about his outbursts, specifically how much he had been fined for them. In response to the questioning, Hatton gave a humorous response, stating it's a lot less than you would first think!

"How much I've been fined? I think you'd actually be shocked because you're thinking it's ridiculous amounts," stated Hatton, following his one-over-par round of 71 on Saturday. "Now, don't get me wrong; it's still a lot of money."

Expanding on the opening remark, Hatton invited the reporter to take a guess, with the journalist replying with a figure of $100,000. In response to the number, Hatton then explained that: "Mate, you are not even close. Not even -- I think even with the DP World Tour, I reckon I haven't reached double digits. It's still quite a bit of money, but it's nowhere near where you were saying".

To be fair, it is unlikely that Hatton has only been fined double digits, it's more likely to be four-or-five figures, but still, you have to hand it to Hatton for his ability to field the question!

Producing a two-under 68 on Thursday, Hatton carded a one-over 71 on Friday to sit at one-under and well in contention going into the weekend. Admitting that he "literally didn't think he was going to break 80", whilst working during the practice rounds, it perhaps comes as no surprise as to when the 32-year-old has been most happy this week at Pinehurst.

"When have I been my happiest this week? Probably after the dessert that the chef has been doing this week in the house," joked Hatton. "I'm sharing with Fitzy (Matt Fitzpatrick), and he always has a chef for the Majors. 

"Yeah, Sean is pretty handy with the desserts, so I'm in my happy place there. Last night we had peanut butter brownies. The night before that he did a chocolate Moose with orange shortbread. Off-the-charts good".

Throughout his career, the Englishman has just one top 10 finish in the US Open, with his best result coming in 2018. Throughout the past few days, Pinehurst No.2 has been playing tough, something which Hatton thinks will play to his advantage.

"I guess in some ways, with it being harder, a lot of guys sort of losing their head, it sort of brings them to my level because I just lose my head every week. They can kind of experience what it's like in my head for a week".

Insisting it's not a loophole, Kinnings added that both Rahm and Hatton would still need to play four DP World Tour-backed events required for everyone to retain their membership.

Rahm's move was a seismic one back in December, with his good friend and fellow 2023 Ryder Cup winner Hatton following and joining his new Legion XIII team in the LIV Golf League.

Rory McIlroy has been among the voices calling for qualification rules to be amended so Rahm could be included in Luke Donald's European team for Bethpage Black in 2025 - but Kinnings says there's actually no need.

“If you look at eligibility criteria for 2023, then I think there has been a slight misconception,” Kinnings told golf journalists at a meeting in London - as reported by the BBC's Iain Carter.

“The reality is, under the current rules, if a player is European, a member of the DP World Tour and abides by the rules - if you don’t get a release there are sanctions and you take those penalties - there is no reason why players who have taken LIV membership could not qualify or be available for selection.”

That misconception probably comes from the early stages of LIV, when Lee Westwood, Henrik Stenson, Ian Poulter and Sergio Garcia resigned their DP World Tour membership after being fined for playing in LIV events.

An independent panel later ruled that fines and suspensions were fair punishment, so Kinnings says they won't be "changing rules that we’ve had to go to court to defend”.

“All suspensions will count and you have to serve them,” Kinnings added. “And the guys who’ve analysed this in detail have said if they do it the right way, there is no reason why they can’t play in the Ryder Cup.

“We’re not going to change anything on that basis. Rules are rules and they apply for every member."

It means it's now up to Rahm and Hatton to ensure they play in the minimum four DP World Tour-backed events this season in order to keep their membership - as well as paying large fines - Garcia's were reportedly up to £800,000.

The suspensions are the issue that could be thought of as a loophole, as both Rahm and Hatton will get a one-tournament ban for playing in LIV Golf Adelaide this week, but could serve that as early as next week's Volvo China Open.

Meaning both players could serve out suspensions at events they had no intention of playing in the first place - but Kinnings insisted "It's not a loophole".

Adding: “Because that’s the rules we’ve always had and those are the rules we are going to continue to apply. They have been tested.

“Rules are for all of the membership and it’s important for people to know how those apply and they apply to every member.”

It seems like that with a few scheduling tweaks and a willingness to pay their fines, the door is wide open for Rahm and Hatton to be on Donald's Ryder Cup team again as they tackle a hugely tough road trip to New York.

Tyrrell Hatton has established himself as one of Europe’s leading players, picking up big titles on both the DP World and PGA Tours. In early 2024, the Englishman made the decision to join LIV Golf – so let’s take a closer look at the clubs he will be hoping brings him more silverware on the new circuit. He's not one for chopping and changing a great deal, and very much a 'If it ain't broke' type of player...

Driver

What Driver Does Tyrrell Hatton Use?

Hatton teed it up at the Dubai Desert Classic in January with the Ping G430 LST driver (10.5° degree head lofted down to 9.1°) with a Mitsubishi Diamana TB 60TX shaft. This low spin driver (LST stands for Low Spin Technology) was awarded five stars in our testing; it does a very good job at balancing distance with consistency and, with its high-tech looks and powerful feel, is one of the best golf drivers on the market.

Fairway Woods

What Fairway Woods Does Tyrrell Hatton Use?

Hatton has two Ping fairway woods in the bag, both Ping G430 Max models. He has one with 14° of loft, which has a Mitsubishi Diamana TB 70TX shaft, and another with 21° of loft, which has a Mitsubishi Diamana PD 80TX shaft. The latter is his seven wood, which in the past, he has highlighted as his favorite club in the bag.

The Ping G430 Max fairway wood is one of the best fairway woods on the market. It's a long, yet easy-to-use, model, with superb versatility and high launch characteristics. Meanwhile, a new carbon crown gives this fairway the looks to match the playing experience.

Irons

What Irons Does Tyrrell Hatton Use?

Hatton currently plays two different Ping models: the Ping i230, from 4-6 iron, and then a Ping Blueprint S in 7-iron to pitching wedge. In the past, the Englishman has carried a utility iron, but it’s believed that he usually only does so when playing links courses. In terms of shaft, he uses the Nippon N.S. Pro Modus 3 Tour 120 X.

During testing, we found the Ping i230 irons, one of the best irons for low handicappers, to be a reliable and versatile model that can hit all the shots with a surprisingly high margin for error given the compact size. They also produce a lively, stable feel with good distance and stopping power for competent players.

Wedges

What Wedges Does Tyrrell Hatton Use?

As well as his standard Ping i230 pitching wedge, Hatton carries three more wedges in his bag: two Ping S159 wedges (midnight) are new to the bag, with lofts of 50° and 54°. His 60° model is a Titleist Vokey WedgeWorks Proto wedge.

Putter

What Putter Does Tyrrell Hatton Use?

Hatton’s current choice of putter is a Ping Vault Oslo putter. Grip-wise, he uses Ping PP58 +6 wraps. This is a mallet design he has had in the bag for a number of years, seemingly more than happy with how it performs.

Ball

What Golf Ball Does Tyrrell Hatton use? 

Hatton is a Titleist golf ball loyalist, using the Titleist Pro V1x. It's been one of the best premium golf balls money can buy for many a year, and one that received five stars in our review. In testing, we were particularly impressed by the improved ball flight in the long game, which didn’t come at the cost of any short game control or feel.

Apparel/Shoes

What Shoes Does Tyrrell Hatton Wear?

Hatton has worn FootJoy shoes in the past, but he now wears Adidas Codechaos shoes as well as Adidas apparel. “Extremely comfortable and I've absolutely loved wearing them. It's been the best golf shoe I've ever worn to be honest,” he said of his footwear.

Tyrrell Hatton WITB: Full Specs

Driver: Ping G430 LST driver, 9.1° loft with a Mitsubishi Diamana TB 60TX shaft.
Three wood: Ping G430 Max, 14° loft with Mitsubishi Diamana TB 70TX shaft.
Seven wood: Ping G430 Max, 21° loft with Mitsubishi Diamana PD 80TX shaft.
Irons: Ping i230 (4-7), Ping Blueprint S 7-PW with Nippon N.S. Pro Modus 3 Tour 120 X shafts.
Wedges: Ping S159, 50°, 54°. Titleist Vokey WedgeWorks proto, 60°.
Putter: Ping Vault Oslo.
Ball: Titleist Pro V1x.
Apparel & glove: Adidas, FootJoy.
Footwear: Adidas Codechaos.

Hatton reportedly agreed a $64 million (£50 million) contract days before LIV's third season is due to begin in Mexico, joining Caleb Surratt and LIV Golf Promotions winner, Kieran Vincent in the first expansion team of the Saudi-funded circuit.

The quoted figure is around a third higher than Hatton's total career earnings (almost $45 million) - with the Englishman having turned professional in 2011 and made his breakthrough during the 2015 campaign.

Having famously been staunchly against players moving to LIV in the past, McIlroy recently admitted he had been “too judgmental” of LIV defectors at the start and said before this week's Pebble Beach Pro-Am on the PGA Tour that those who are eligible to return should be able to as men's pro golf tries to find a path towards consolidation.

Ahead of the PGA Tour's second Signature Event of 2024, McIlroy said of Hatton's decision: “Look, at the end of the day everyone needs to do with what's right for them. I had a long talk with Tyrrell on Sunday, completely understood where he was coming from.

"I've talked to him quite a bit about it over the past month. It got to the point where they, you know, negotiated and got to a place where he was comfortable with and he has to do what he feels is right for him. So I'm not going to stand in anyone's way from making money and if what they deem life changing money, like absolutely."

The four-time Major winner admitted his conversations with Hatton about a switch of tours could have gone very differently in the past, but the evolution of McIlroy's beliefs and the potential light at the end of the tunnel in terms of a merger deal means there were no hard feelings once the pair spoke.

McIlroy said: "Yeah, I think the nature of the conversation was probably different than it would have been a year ago, absolutely. I think they’re different than a year ago because, you know, we’re potentially about to do a deal with PIF, who owned the large majority of LIV, and hopefully seeing things come back together here at some point."

Hatton currently remains a teammate of McIlroy's in the postponed TGL, with both players set to play alongside Keegan Bradley and Adam Scott for Boston Common Golf Club when the hi-tech format begins at the second time of asking in 2025.

Briefly discussing TGL and the wider golfing landscape being given more time to breath, McIlroy was wildly optimistic that the next 12 months could be pivotal in shaping the men's game in a way that would work for everyone.

McIlroy said: "I think that the delay of TGL was a blessing in disguise. I think 10 months is a long time, especially in the game of golf right now. You know, who knows what the landscape’s going to look like in 10 months’ time.

"I think at this point all I see is opportunity. I certainly think that there’s tons of opportunity within the game to do great things. You know, who knows. Tyrrell might still play TGL in 10 months’ time depending on what happens."

McIlroy is a boyhood Man United supporter while Ryder Cup teammate Hatton has followed Liverpool since he was young. The pair were invited along with the Ryder Cup trophy at the weekend, months after they helped defeat Team USA 16.5 - 11.5 at Marco Simone.

Ahead of kick-off, two of Sky Sports' leading pundits - Jamie Carragher and Gary Neville, both former players of Liverpool and United, respectively - asked the two golfers for their views on the upcoming match.

Unlike McIlroy, Manchester United had struggled to find a consistent level of form in recent months and began the match eighth in the 20-team table.

Asked by Neville if McIlroy held any hope of a win for his club against their great historic rivals, who remain in the Premier League title race, the Northern Irishman said: "I think so. You're just looking for a spark, right? You're just looking for something to get the team going.

"Whether it happens today or maybe somewhere down the line, you need to have hope. You need to have hope and feel like you can turn things around. Tyrrell and I have been through that in golf, and anyone who's played sport at a high level [knows] you go through some of these dips in confidence. All you need is one little spark to get you going again, so hopefully that's today for United."

Meanwhile, Hatton's team turned up at Anfield knowing they could once again move to the top of the Premier League with a win - a result they had managed in four of their previous five domestic matches under manager Jurgen Klopp.

Holding the Ryder Cup in his arms, Hatton responded to Carragher's question about what he expected to happen. The professional golfer said: "I think we've got good reason to feel confident - certainly a lot more confident than these guys! I'm hoping for a big win this afternoon."

Hatton went on to reveal that the last time he watched Liverpool in person, they beat Spanish giants Barcelona 4-0 to overturn a first-leg deficit in the Champions League. McIlroy, on the other hand, last saw United play away against Liverpool in 2007 when a John O'Shea goal helped Sir Alex Ferguson's team win 1-0 late on.

The Ryder Cup pair's appearance at their favorite team's match follows on from Jon Rahm taking the ceremonial kick-off at his beloved Athletic Club's 2-0 victory over Atletico Madrid on Saturday.

McIlroy and Shane Lowry had also watched Ireland's rugby union team at the World Cup in France shortly before Team Europe's success in October.

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Carding five birdies and two bogeys, McIlroy looked calm and measured at The Renaissance Club as he tackled the North Berwick layout. Come Sunday though, there are a number of huge names in pursuit of the 34-year-old, including Tommy Fleetwood, Scottie Scheffler and Shane Lowry.

Beginning the third day, McIlroy led Kim and European Ryder Cup teammate Tyrrell Hatton by one, with conditions certainly scoreable and more friendly than some players finished in on Friday night.

Out of the blocks, it was Fleetwood who made the early charge, with the in-form Englishman carding a superb round of 63 (-7). Along with Fleetwood, Eric Cole fired a 64 to sit three back, with former Champion Golfer of the Year, Lowry, also finding a five-under 65 to sit in the logjam at 10-under.

Saturday was about McIlroy though and, through 10 holes, he was four-under and two shots clear of nearest challenger, Kim. However, a bogey at the 12th for McIlroy did cut the margin back down to one, with a birdie at the 14th and a bogey at the 15th meaning a one-over score over the final seven holes.

With the weather set to be... interesting tomorrow, McIlroy is looking for a second DP World Tour title of 2023 following his Hero Dubai Desert Classic victory in January. "It was another really good round of golf," stated the four-time Major winner. "Very solid. I feel like I've left a few out there over the last couple of days, but at the same time, at least the last few holes, it was quite tricky conditions.

"I played well. It's been a good three days and looking forward to obviously being in the final group tomorrow and seeing how my game holds up under that sort of pressure."

Captain Luke Donald has six picks for September’s contest in Rome at Marco Simone Golf and Country Club.

Europe are bidding to wrestle the trophy back from USA after Harrington was skipper in 2021 in a record 19-9 thrashing. 

But Harrington, who turns 52 next month, has enjoyed considerable success on the PGA Tour Champions where he is seventh on this season’s money list with $1,136,136. 

He secured his fifth victory on the Tour last month at the Dick’s Sporting Goods Open and also came tied 27th in the US Open won by Wyndham Clark.

The Irish pro has played in six Ryder Cups and has 10.5 points from 25 matches. And former pro Wayne Riley, now a Sky Sports commentator as well as a columnist in Golf Monthly, thinks Donald should consider picking the veteran and pairing him with fellow Irishmen like Rory McIlroy or Shane Lowry.

Riley, speaking on the Sky Sports Golf podcast, insisted: “Let’s think about Harrington.

“He was top 30 in the US Open. I think it would be great. His experience in the locker room would be sensational. He is thrashing the ball and hitting it as far as the youngsters.

“The way he played last year was unbelievable on that Champions Tour.
“Imagine seeing him and Rory or Shane Lowry - you wouldn’t understand a word they said.

“I don’t think it would happen but I would loved to have seen it.”

Half of Donald's 12-man team will qualify automatically for the event through the standings.

He and American counterpart Zach Johnson have until Sunday September 3 to decide on their final picks.

There are expected to be four places up for grabs in the European team as Jon Rahm, Rory McIlroy, Viktor Hovland, Matt Fitzpatrick, Tyrrell Hatton, Tommy Fleetwood, Justin Rose and Shane Lowry are likely to make it.

But recently Adrian Meronk, Sepp Straka, Ludvig Aberg and Rasmus Hojgaard have thrust themselves into equation too.

Aberg, a former amateur world number one, fired a final-round 63 at the John Deere Classic last Sunday to finish in a share of fourth place. He also impressed Donald by shooting 65 and 67 when playing with the skipper the previous week in Detroit in the Rocket Mortgage Classic.

Donald has admitted the youngster, who only turned pro in June, is firmly on his radar for September.

America are hot favourites but have not had Ryder Cup success on European soil since 1993.

Riley added: “Rome is going to be American-style golf from watching the Italian Opens there, just to get my eye in.”

The Northern Irishman will tee it up alongside a list of huge names for the co-sanctioned event. 

Some of those will included World No 1 Scottie Scheffler, two-time Major champion Justin Thomas and Olympic champion Xander Schauffele. 

Plenty of golfers from the UK and Ireland will also be in the field, with Tommy Fleetwood, Justin Rose and Seamus Power all set to add to the stellar cast of names. 

McIlroy is the latest addition to that list, after it was announced today that he will compete at The Renaissance Club on July 13, just a week before the Open Championship kicks off on July 20.

After it was announced this morning, McIlroy said: “I’m pleased to be able to add the Genesis Scottish Open to my schedule again this season. 

"The Scottish fans have always been very supportive of me and it would be great to win a title in the home of golf.”

A press release said: "The four-time Major winner brings further excitement to a stellar field that includes World Number One Scottie Scheffler, fellow Major champions Matt Fitzpatrick, Justin Rose and Justin Thomas, defending champion Xander Schauffele, European Ryder Cup stars Tommy Fleetwood and Tyrrell Hatton, PGA TOUR winners Sam Burns, Max Homa, Im Sungjae and Seamus Power and Scotland’s number one, Robert MacIntyre."

His attendance at the Rolex Series event was teased this morning on Twitter, with the Scottish Open posting a picture of a golf bag featured the 34-year-old's trade-mark St Bernard dog head cover sitting in front of a grand stand at a previous tournament. 

The four-time Major winner was not in attendance at last year's event as Xander Schauffele, who despite hitting a bogey on the 18th, held on to beat Kurt Kitayama by one stroke. 

The Northern Irishman, meanwhile, had previously excluded himself from that event claiming he "hadn't got what he had been looking for" in his past two outings at the Scottish Open. 

After missing the cut in 2021 placing T88, McIlroy admitted that he was left with "more questions than answers" going into the Open Championship that season, and decided that he would abstain from the tournament in 2022. 

He has only played the Scottish open four times in the last 13 years, with his best finish coming in 2014 where he placed T14. 

But he will return this season to take on the North Berwick golf course, as he hopes to find his groove ahead of the Open at Royal Liverpool Golf Club the following week.

Despite having won at the CJ Cup earlier this season, it's been a very difficult few months for the World No 3. 

He came into the season bounding in form after clinching both the FedEx Cup and the DP World Tour's Race to Dubai title. 

And it looked like McIlroy could end his career grand slam woes and finally claim a coveted green jacket too, after he came second at the Arnold Palmer Invitational before coming third at the WGC Dell Technologies Match Play. 

But after a disappointing opening two rounds at Augusta National, he missed the cut at the Masters and that knocked him off his stride, with the 34-year-old taking some time away from the game to focus on his wellbeing, notably missing out on one of his designated events. 

He rallied at the PGA Championship to card a solid T7 finish and will now participate in this weekend's Memorial Tournament at the Muirfield Village Golf Club in Ohio.

Throughout the final day, more than 11 golfers could have laid claim to the trophy, with seven players tied for the lead heading into the back nine. At the end of play though, it was the Australian who landed the decisive blow, with Day securing the title on Mother's Day, just a year after his mother unfortunately passed away with cancer.

Going into the final day, the likes of Scottie Scheffler and Tyrrell Hatton were in contention, but it was actually Zecheng Dou, Austin Eckroat and Ryan Palmer who shared a three-way tie at the top of the leaderboard.

Both Dou and Eckroat were in search of their first PGA Tour titles and, out of the blocks, it was the duo who pulled away through five holes, with Dou standing at 19-under and Eckroat at 18-under. Just a few holes later though, the pair would slightly slip up, allowing for the chasing pack to pull into contention.

Going into the back nine, 18 players were within two shots of the lead and, during the early stages of the back nine, that number wasn't moving. One thing that was noticeable though was that experience was showing, as Scheffler, Day and Si Woo Kim rose to the top of the congested leaderboard.

Day though found an extra gear and, after back-to-back birdies at the 14th and 15th, he found himself top by two. Things were far from over though, with Kim keeping hot on his heels with birdies at the 14th and 16th.

As both parred the 17th, it would come down to the par 5 18th, with Day holding a one shot advantage. As both struck their drives, it was advantage Kim, with Day forced to lay-up and Kim finding the greenside bunker. However, the Australian would play a stunning third, with both men making birdies to remain in identical circumstances.

Day was now just one group away from the winner's circle, with his 23-under score one shot better than Kim. The 35-year-old still had to wait on Eckroat though, who could eagle the 18th to force a playoff.

Thankfully, for Day, the American couldn't convert his lengthy eagle putt at the last and, as a result, Day picked up his first PGA Tour victory in 1,835 days, with the win his 13th of his career. What's more, the round of 62 tied his career-low final-round score on the PGA Tour.

Because of its proximity to the first Major of the year, many PGA Tour players who have already qualified for the Augusta National tournament have opted to concentrate on their preparations rather than participate this week.

Nevertheless, there are still a handful of participants who will be hoping to claim the Green Jacket. Among them is the highest-ranked player in the field, World No.17 Tyrrell Hatton. The Englishman had a stunning back nine in the final round of the Players Championship earlier this month, which earned him over $2.5m, and he will be confident of producing another strong performance this week.

A relatively recent Masters winner is also in the field – Japanese star Hideki Matsuyama, who won the Major just two years ago. The World No.21 has won twice on the PGA Tour since then, but not for over a year since claiming the Sony Open in Hawaii title in January 2022. He will be looking to put that right and give himself the perfect preparation for the main event next week.

Other players with relatively high world rankings include World No.32 Sepp Straka, the man two places beneath him, Chris Kirk, and World No.36 Ryan Fox. Kirk, in particular, will be confident of a strong performance given his recent victory in the Honda Classic where he edged out rookie Eric Cole in a playoff, who also appears.

Last year, JJ Spaun claimed the title for his maiden PGA Tour victory. While he hasn’t added to that in the ensuing 12 months, he will be drawing on that experience from a year ago as he looks for back-to-back wins in the tournament this week.

There are several other former winners in the field, including 2019 winner Corey Conners, who plays next week, and the man who won the year before him, Andrew Landry, who doesn’t. Elsewhere, 2013 winner Martin Laird, 2015 victor Jimmy Walker, 2016 champion Charley Hoffman and 2017 winner Kevin Chappell also appear.

One player who had targeted a Masters appearance this year is Rickie Fowler. The American is enjoying a resurgence in form in 2023. However, his performance in last week’s WGC-Match Play, where he didn't progress from his group despite beating World No.3 Jon Rahm in his opening match, meant he didn’t reach the top 50, which would have earned him a place in next week's field.

There is still one last chance for Fowler, and others, to bag a spot - win this week. While the stakes are high for those with lingering hopes of appearing in the Major, the monetary incentive is significant, too. Players will compete for a record purse of $8.9m. Of that, the winner will earn $1.602m.

Below is the prize money breakdown and field for the 2023 Valero Texas Open.

Valero Texas Open Prize Money

Valero Texas Open Field

• An, Byeong Hun                              
• Armour, Ryan
• Barnes, Ricky
• Bezuidenhout, Christiaan
• Bhatia, Akshay
• Blair, Zac
• Bramlett, Joseph
• Buckley, Hayden
• Carey, David
• Champ, Cameron
• Chappell, Kevin
• Cink, Stewart
• Cole, Eric
• Cone, Trevor
• Conners, Corey
• Coody, Pierceson
• Cook, Austin
• Daffue, MJ
• Davis, Cam
• Detry, Thomas
• Díaz, Roberto
• Donald, Luke
• Dou, Zecheng
• Dufner, Jason
• Duncan, Tyler
• Echavarria, Nico
• Eckroat, Austin
• Endycott, Harrison
• Fowler, Rickie
• Fox, Ryan
• Frittelli, Dylan
• Garnett, Brice
• Gay, Brian
• Gerard, Ryan
• Ghim, Doug
• Gligic, Michael
• Glover, Lucas
• Gordon, Will
• Goya, Tano
• Grant, Brent
• Griffin, Ben
• Griffin, Lanto
• Grillo, Emiliano
• Hadley, Chesson
• Hahn, James
• Haley II, Paul
• Hall, Harry
• Hammer, Cole
• Hardy, Nick
• Harrington, Padraig
• Harrington, Scott
• Hatton, Tyrrell
• Herman, Jim
• Hickok, Kramer
• Higa, Kazuki
• Higgo, Garrick
• Higgs, Harry
• Hodges, Lee
• Hoffman, Charley
• Hojgaard, Nicolai
• Holmes, J.B.
• Hossler, Beau
• Hubbard, Mark
• Kim, Michael
• Kim, S.H.
• Kim, Si Woo
• Kirk, Chris
• Kizzire, Patton
• Knox, Russell
• Kodaira, Satoshi
• Kraft, Kelly
• Kuchar, Matt
• Kuest, Peter
• Laird, Martin
• Landry, Andrew
• Lansburgh, Peter
• Lashley, Nate
• Lingmerth, David
• List, Luke
• Long, Adam
• Love III, Davis
• Lower, Justin
• Malnati, Peter
• Martin, Ben
• Matsuyama, Hideki
• Matthews, Brandon
• McGreevy, Max
• Merritt, Troy
• Molinari, Francesco
• Montgomery, Taylor
• Moore, Ryan
• Mueller, Jesse
• Mullinax, Trey
• NeSmith, Matthew
• Noren, Alex
• Norlander, Henrik
• Norrman, Vincent
• Novak, Andrew
• Núñez, Augusto
• Palmer, Ryan
• Pendrith, Taylor
• Phillips, Chandler
• Piercy, Scott
• Putnam, Andrew
• Rai, Aaron
• Ramey, Chad
• Reavie, Chez
• Redman, Doc
• Riley, Davis
• Rodgers, Patrick
• Roy, Kevin
• Ryder, Sam
• Schenk, Adam
• Schmid, Matti
• Schwab, Matthias
• Shelton, Robby
• Sigg, Greyson
• Smalley, Alex
• Smotherman, Austin
• Spaun, JJ.
• Stanley, Kyle
• Stevens, Sam
• Straka, Sepp
• Streelman, Kevin
• Stuard, Brian
• Tarren, Callum
• Taylor, Ben
• Taylor, Nick
• Thompson, Michael
• Todd, Brendon
• Truslow, Austen
• Tway, Kevin
• Van Rooyen, Erik
• Walker, Jimmy
• Wallace, Matt
• Watney, Nick
• Werbylo, Trevor
• Werenski, Richy
• Westmoreland, Kyle
• Wood, JJ
• Wu, Brandon
• Wu, Dylan
• Young, Carson
• Yuan, Carl

The fact that four of the six winners in March were PGA Tour debutants has been quietly making news, and the same thing wouldn't surprise me here in San Antonio, Texas. The Valero Texas Open, which begins this week and has produced four breakthroughs in its previous five iterations, makes sense as a spot for it to happen once again. 

Let's take a closer look at my five best players in this field.

Valero Texas Open Odds

The Valero Texas Open Course - TPC San Antonio, San Antonio, TX

What is known about the Oaks course at TPC San Antonio is as long as you don't hit the rocks, it's rather forgiving off the tee. The greens are larger than normal, yet the percentage of them that are in play is lower than it should be. So, having a strong short game and the capacity to make par 5 birdies will be essential for success

The Valero Texas Open Power Rankings

Rickie Fowler (+1800) (Bet $100 to collect $1,900) Best odds for this Rickie Fowler pick are at DraftKings

It's true that the present narrative is that Rickie Fowler hasn't yet qualified for the Masters, but the fact that it even exists indicates a return to form that has been consistently strong. Six top 20 rankings produced by a balanced attack were among the nine consecutive paydays upon arrival. 

Si Woo Kim (+2200) Bet $100 to collect $2,300 Get the best odds for Si Woo Kim at DraftKings

Si Woo Kim has a 5-for-5 record at TPC San Antonio since 2017, with a T4 (2019) standing out among four top 25 finishes. He ranks 20th on the TOUR overall after winning the tournament at Wai'alae to start 2023.

Corey Conners (+2200) Bet $100 to collect $2,300  The best odds for this Corey Conners pick are at DraftKings

The breakout champion from 2019 serves as the model for what is effective at TPC San Antonio. Corey Conners has a scoring average of 69.81 and is 4-for-4 in made cuts.

Chris Kirk (+2800) Bet $100 to collect $2,900 Head to DraftKings for this Chris Kirk odds

Chris Kirk's triumph at PGA National a month ago earned him a spot in the Masters, but he has been a regular at TPC San Antonio for years. He's 4-for-6 since 2015, including three top 10s and a T13.

Cam Davis (+5000) Bet $100 to collect $5,100 DraftKings has the best odds for Cam Davis this week

He placed T6 at TPC Sawgrass and went 2-1-0 at the Match Play in his past two starts. Cam Davis' strong suit is tee to green, and in par-5 scoring, he placed T17.

Tyrrell Hatton never really threatened to claim the title ahead of the new World No.1 as he finished five shots off the lead. However, he was nowhere in sight as he approached the back nine during the final round at TPC Sawgrass, and stood outside the top 30.

That would have yielded projected earnings of $143,000 for the Englishman, but a stunning 29 over his last nine holes ensured his impressive second-place finish – and eventual earnings of $2.725m.

Hatton finished with five birdies to round off his extraordinary finish, which tied the tournament record for low back nine score. That was in contrast to a front nine that saw him par the first seven holes before a birdie-bogey 8 and 9 left him on an even-par 36 at the turn.

Hatton was understandably satisfied with how his day turned out, particularly after that low-key start. He said: ”Yeah, just a pretty mad two and a half hours in the end, I guess, from standing on the 10th tee. So really happy with how it's played out. Yeah, good day's work.”

The 31-year-old then admitted that while the incredible cash boost was welcome, it’s his standing in the FedEx Cup that he’s most interested in. He said: “Well, look, money's great, but like at the end of the day, I'm, what, 69th in the FedEx Cup. I made a comment at the start of this week that after being in the tournament at Bay Hill for as long as I was on Sunday, to only end up with 110 points was disappointing.

“Every year we're all trying to earn as many points as we can. This year's no different. I mean, I want to say, is this my sixth or - it might be my sixth counting FedEx event of the season. So I'm playing catch-up to a lot of guys that have played quite a bit of golf already.”

While Hatton has one eye on the bigger picture, that stunning back nine ensured he finished the tournament as one of five players to claim seven figure sums in the tournament. As well as Scheffler, Hatton joined Tom Hoge and Viktor Hovland, who each earned $1.475m, and Hideki Matsuyama, who claimed $1.025m from the record purse of $25m.

The designated events will see fields reduced to around 70-80 players and lock up all of the best PGA Tour talent for the majority of the year, including high profile DP World Tour members like Rory McIlroy, Jon Rahm, Matt Fitzpatrick, Tyrrell Hatton and Viktor Hovland.

It means that most of the top Europeans will likely only appear in Rolex Series events on the DP World Tour like the Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship, Dubai Desert Classic, Scottish Open, BMW PGA Championship and DP World Tour Championship.

Monahan stressed that the alliance between the two tours "continues to strengthen" and spoke of the opportunity for 10 DP World Tour members to earn PGA Tour cards. He also maintained that he has been working with DP World Tour CEO Keith Pelley "every single day" on helping the European-based circuit and hinted that more benefits are set to come.

"Our strategic alliance with the DP World Tour continues to strengthen," Monahan said at this week's Players Championship.

"We're looking forward it to again co-sanctioning the Genesis Scottish Open along with crossover opportunities at the Barracuda Championship and Barbasol Championship. Our two organizations are working closely on commercial opportunities, and perhaps most exciting this year, the top 10 finishers in the DP World Tour's Race to Dubai will earn PGA Tour cards for 2024.

"Well I think when you look at, you know, both organizations, Keith Pelley has been here, he and his team, the last three or four days. We're spending a lot of time looking at the DP World Tour schedule and opportunities that we have going forward. I'm not going to comment on those today, but when you look at what has happened over the last couple of years, when you look at this year, you know, the DP World Tour is playing for $141 million in prize funds, which we are underpinning.

"We have made a $100 million investment in European Tour Productions. We as a team are rolling up our sleeves and working with Keith and his team every single day on that important part of the DP World Tour's business."

Monahan also said that PGA Tour sponsors are interested in partnering with the DP World Tour, as seen by Genesis sponsoring the Scottish Open, and that there will be more of that to come.

"I think what we've done from a co-sanctioning standpoint at Genesis, the two crossover opportunities we have with Barbasol, Barracuda, if you look at the portfolio of sponsors and you look at those that share a relationship with the PGA Tour and DP World Tour, our sponsors are interested in partnering with the DP World Tour. You've seen some of that. I think you'll continue to see more of it.

"Ultimately as we go forward, you'll hear about the benefit of more opportunities because, again, I'm on that board, that's a commitment this organization has made to the DP World Tour and to its members, and it's very important to me that we continue to deliver on that. I think the early signs are that we're on a really good path."

Rory McIlroy recently called for some DP World Tour events to "get into the mix" as potential designated, or co-sanctioned, events with the PGA Tour.

"Irish Open. Spanish Open. Scottish Open is obviously a co-sanctioned event now, which is a big step forward," McIlroy said. "Wentworth. There's a few obvious ones that stick out. 

"You could try to incorporate (them) into more of a World Tour schedule, more so than it just being purely DP World, purely PGA Tour, and trying to sort of combine the two a little bit."

Jay Monahan also declined to comment on the arbitration panel hearing between LIV Golf players and the DP World Tour where players went against their declined release requests and teed it up in the Saudi-backed opener last year against the DP World Tour's decision. A verdict is reportedly delayed and could come as late as June.

"I can't speak to, you know, what's happening with the resolution panel," Monahan said. "Our commitment is to Keith Pelley and the DP World Tour and every member out there. So as it relates to what, how this is all going to play out and what we should be feeling about it, I'm going to leave that for you guys to understand, and I'm not going to comment on it."

It is one of only five tournaments on the PGA Tour schedule that has an invitational status, which basically just means a smaller field. Yet with the event being granted elevated status, which has essentially just come to mean that all of the best players in the world will be in attendance competing for a $20 million dollar purse, the field has been raised to 136 players.

Once again, all of the best players in the world will be in attendance, including Jon Rahm, Rory McIlroy, Scottie Scheffler, Max Homa, Tony Finau, Patrick Cantlay, Justin Thomas, Xander Schauffele, Collin Morikawa, Viktor Hovland, Sungjae Im, Will Zalatoris, as well as former winners like Jason Day, Francesco Molinari, and Tyrrell Hatton.

With the PLAYERS Championship right on deck, the Tour is now reaching the meat and potatoes of the Florida Swing, and while we always miss champions walking off the 18th for congratulations from Arnold Palmer, his presence lives on at one of the premier events of the year.

Before we get into our picks for the Arnold Palmer Invitational, make sure to take a moment to check out these awesome sports betting offers for this week. With the offers below, you can turn $6 into $350 guaranteed, or you can use one of the HUGE first bet offers, to wager with more confidence on your Arnold Palmer Invitational selections this week.

Arnold Palmer Invitational Course Preview

Bay Hill Golf Club & Lodge

The Florida Swing gets off to an incredibly difficult start, and if you thought PGA National was hard, just wait until you see the task at hand at the iconic Dick Wilson venue.

Bay Hill Club plays as a par 72, tipping out to 7,466 yards, and last year, it played as the third toughest course on the PGA Tour. Bay Hill has always been challenging, but in 2019 they hired a new superintendent who actually made the fairways a touch wider, but shaved off a great deal of rough surrounding the water and bunkers, making it far easier for balls to roll into hazards.

He also made the existing rough far thicker, and Bay Hill definitively features the thickest rough on the PGA Tour outside of the U.S. Open. Since Flynn took over in 2019, the winning scores have been -12, -4, -11, and -5. Last year, it featured the hardest set of par threes on the PGA Tour and the second-hardest set of par fours on the schedule as well.

For this reason, it is absolutely essential for players to score on the four par fives, which have historically ranked as the four easiest holes on the course. Ultimately, Bay Hill requires an extremely balanced attack of powerful driving, par-five scoring, elite long iron play, and a deft touch around the greens. Over the years, every single winner has been near the top of the field in either driving distance, par-five scoring, proximity to the hole, or scrambling. Any player that is non-elite in at least one of those three skill sets is an easy cross-off for me, and I am extremely excited to watch the best in the world take on such a difficult test.

Arnold Palmer Invitational Key Stats

• Long-term Proximity 200 yards plus
• Strokes Gained Around the Green: Bermuda-grass courses
• Strokes Gained Off the Tee: Long golf courses

Arnold Palmer Invitational Picks and Predictions: Outright Winner

Will Zalatoris (+2500) (Bet $100 to collect $2,600) The best odds for this Will Zalatoris pick are at FanDuel

While typically one of the most popular selections in the betting market week in and out, Will Zalatoris has not been a player I have invested much in over the past couple of years. That changes this week for me, as I believe this is an ideal spot for the rising star.

Zalatoris answered all questions about his lingering injury history with a fourth-place finish at the Genesis where he gained 3.9 strokes off the tee, four strokes on approach, 2.4 strokes around the green, and 2.4 strokes putting. I love buying in on players that are coming off a week where they gained strokes in all four major categories, which is the exact type of well-rounded approach that is extremely necessary at a course like Bay Hill.

The Wake Forest alumnus remains one of the best drivers of the ball on long golf courses, as well as the best long iron players in the field. My only concern is the short game, but even that has been trending in the right direction. Will Zalatoris will be the first to admit that his favorite style of golf is U.S. Open conditions, and with the rock-hard greens and extremely thick rough, Bay Hill is as about as close to a U.S.-Open-like set up that players will see on the PGA Tour all season.

As you can see above, Will Zalatoris is as long as +2500 to win this week, and as short as +1800. This is a $700 difference in payout, so ensure you are comparing the odds this week, before placing your outright wager on Will Zalatoris to win the Arnold Palmer Invitational.

Hideki Matsuyama (+6600) (Bet $100 to collect $6,700) PointsBet has the best odds to Hideki Matsuyama to win this week

At this current moment, there’s nothing really jumping off the page about Hideki Matsuyama, but that is of course reflected in his number. In terms of pure value, you’d be hard-pressed to find a better bet on the board than the former Masters champion. I love to pounce on players that are coming off a missed cut in which they gained strokes in both ball-striking categories, which was certainly the case for Matsuyama at Riviera. Last week, he gained 0.7 strokes off the tee and 1.6 strokes on approach.

Of course, he fell victim to a faulty putter but on the whole, Hideki has been much better of late, and he’s actually gained strokes putting in his last four appearances on Bermuda grass. Grabbing a player of Hideki’s caliber at this high of a number provides a great deal of flexibility in creating a card with multiple elite players this week, and I would not be the least surprised if the Japanese superstar reminded us that he is still a top-20 player in the world and picked up PGA Tour victory number nine in Orlando. 

As you can see, Hideki Matsuyama is as big as +6600 to win this week, and even at +5500, he looks like a big price to win. With that said, ensure you are taking advantage of PointsBet or BetMGM Sportsbook's odds, so that you can win $6,700, rather than $5,500!

Currently, there is a three-way tie at the top of the leaderboard, but it is one particular pairing on Sunday that has caught the eye, with current European Ryder Cup captain, Luke Donald, partnered with the man he replaced, Henrik Stenson. As well as the two European legends of the game, there is also Tyrrell Hatton, who posted a rather humorous tweet when he found out he was paired with them.

Hatton, who has four Rolex series titles and two Ryder Cup appearances to his name, managed to scrape into the third and fourth rounds play, with two-under proving the important number to make it into the weekend.

Paired with both Donald and Stenson for the third round, the Englishman had the perfect response, as Hatton tweeted "If the @rydercup is mentioned in my group tomorrow morning," with a GIF of him and Homer Simpson walking back into a hedge.

For those unclear as to what the GIF means, it generally used as a reaction to express embarrassment or the desire to disappear from an awkward social situation. Overall, it's pretty much a spot on representation as to what could possibly occur on Sunday...

Following the tweet, many individuals from the golfing world commented on the GIF, with Ewen Ferguson replying "HILARIOUS" with five laughing emojis, while others simply responded with the one word. Brilliant!

Back in March 2022, Stenson was announced as the European Ryder Cup captain however, after he moved to the Saudi-backed LIV Golf series in July, he was subsequently stripped of the captaincy. Not long after, Donald was revealed as the new captain, with Team Europe looking to win back the trophy that they lost in a 19-9 defeat at Whistling Straits in 2021.

Both sit at eight-under-par but, when the tee times were announced on Saturday afternoon, it was discovered that neither had been paired with one another. However, one notable tee time, 8.15 to be exact, features current European Ryder Cup captain, Luke Donald, and the man he replaced, Henrik Stenson.

Originally, Stenson was announced as the European Ryder Cup captain in March 2022 but, after he moved to the Saudi-backed LIV Golf series in July, he was subsequently stripped of the captaincy.

Following the move, Donald was announced as his replacement, with the Englishman taking Team Europe into Rome at the end of September. 

Now though, at the Dubai Desert Classic, Donald, Stenson and Tyrrell Hatton will make up the tee time at 8.15, with all three sat at two-under-par. Originally, it was unclear as to whether that number would make it to the third and fourth round but, following a few slip ups from golfers out on the course, the cut line was moved to one-under.

After moving to LIV Golf, Stenson was not seen in any DP World Tour events for the remainder of 2022, with the Swede making his return at the Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship last week.

Speaking on Thursday in Abu Dhabi, Stenson stated that he hadn't had anyone "step up to him personally and vent those thoughts" around leaving for LIV Golf, with the former Champion Golfer of the Year also expressing his desire to play more on the DP World Tour circuit, as he added: "I still want to play on this tour. In my mind, nothing has changed from when I started playing on multiple tours."

The Englishman is bidding for his first victory on the DP World Tour since 2021 at Yas Links and after his rare opening round, it looks as though his drought may continue.

Phil Mickelson recorded a round in which he parred every hole at the American Express Championship in 2021, which was the first time he had achieved this feat in his career.

The most famous instance was, of course, Nick Faldo’s incredible final round at the 1987 Open Championship where he parred every hole – saving par from the bunker on seven, eight and ten – to win the first Major Championship of his career from Paul Azinger, who had to save par from a greenside bunker on 18 to force a playoff.

The record for most holes parred in a row goes to Harold Varner III however, who recorded a whopping 32 straight pars in a row. He shot an even par 71 in the opening round of the 2020 Waste Management Phoenix Open, before recording another 14 pars during his second to compile what is a record that surely won't be broken anytime soon.

Hatton will be hoping to grab a few early birdies when he gets his second round underway as he bids to shoehorn his way back into contention for another Rolex Series win.

The 31-year-old will be hoping to impress Ryder Cup captain Luke Donald this week as he aims to secure his third straight appearance at the biennial competition following a winning debut in 2018 and a defeat in 2021.

The DP World Tour continues its stretch in the United Arab Emirates this week for the HSBC Championship hosted at Yas Links on Yas Island, which is a Kyle Phillips layout that is based on links courses and features stunning views across the water and of the Abu Dhabi skyline. Adding to the tournament allure is the top-notch field as there are lots of big stars looking to start off the year with a win. 

Ryder Cup players Tommy Fleetwood, Shane Lowry and Tyrrell Hatton sit atop the tree and interestingly there are several LIV Golf players down to compete as well in the form of Lee Westwood, Ian Poulter, Henrik Stenson and Patrick Reed, so we could be in for a very intriguing event this week.

Of course there are lots more household names as well so to make sure you miss none of what should be an excellent tournament, take a look at all the how to watch details below.

Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship Live Stream: How to watch from outside your country

There are loads of easy ways to watch golf in 2023 including in the US, UK and almost anywhere else in the world. Below we have a full list of options but anyone away from their home country can still watch the action by using VPNs. VPNs allow you to get around any geo-blocking and and let you watch the same legal, high-quality golf live stream you would at home.

ExpressVPN is one of the best out there. It's easy to use, boasts strong security features, is very easy to setup and is compatible with most major streaming devices, including the  Amazon Fire TV Stick, Apple TV, Xbox and PlayStation.

Best of all, ExpressVPN comes with a 30 day money back guarantee. This is the #1 rated VPN in the world right now. You can try it out for a month for free or sign up for an annual plan and get 3 months absolutely free.

US TV Schedule - 2023 Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship

All times EST

Thursday, January 19: 2.30am-8.30am (Golf Channel)

Friday, January 20: 2.30am-8.30am (Golf Channel)

Saturday, January 21: 2am-8am (Golf Channel)

Sunday, January 22: 2am-8am (Golf Channel)

NBC's Golf Channel will televise all the action during the week. Bearing this in mind you can access the Golf Channel through streaming options such as AT&T TV Now and fuboTV.

AT&T TV Now starts at around $55 a month but does have a 7-day free trial. While fuboTV also offers the Golf Channel and 100+ other channels and also has a 7-day free trial.

UK TV Schedule - 2023 Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship

Thursday, January 19: 3.30am-1.30pm (Sky Sports Golf)

Friday, January 20: 3.30am-1.30pm (Sky Sports Golf)

Saturday, January 21: 5am-1pm (Sky Sports Golf)

Sunday, January 22: 5am-1pm (Sky Sports Golf)

In the UK, Sky Sports should be your first port of call as Sky Sports Golf will televise action from the event. At the moment Sky has some great deals on Sky Sports for those looking to upgrade and those looking sign up to Sky for the first time.

You can get all eight Sky Sports Channels in HD for just £25 a month which not only includes all the golf action, but you can also watch the football, cricket, Formula 1, NFL and a whole host of other sporting events.

Australia TV Schedule - 2023 Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship

Thursday, January 19: 6.30pm-12.30am Kayo Sports (Fox Sports)

Friday, January 20: 6.30pm-12.30am Kayo Sports (Fox Sports)

Saturday, January 21: 6pm-12am Kayo Sports (Fox Sports)

Sunday, January 22: 6pm-12am Kayo Sports (Fox Sports)

The PGA Tour coverage in Australia obviously means getting something great to watch early in the morning. As ever in Australia the most comprehensive golf coverage is offered by Kayo Sports where you can watch Fox Sports that broadcasts the PGA Tour coverage. Not only can you watch the action from Abu Dhabi here, it has all the PGA Tour, DP World Tour events and the Majors. It also has events on the LPGA as well.

It of course also offers access to over 50 sports live and on-demand, with some its big name channels including Fox Sports, ESPN, and beIN Sports.

It's also fantastic value at either $25 for Kayo Basic or $35 for Kayo Premium. Basic lets you stream sport on two devices at once, while Premium allows you to watch on up to three screens simultaneously, so it represents great value if your household has different sporting tastes or you're splitting the cost of the subscription. There's even a free 14-day trial.

As ever, Aussies out of the country can access their favorite streaming service just like they would at home can use a VPN to watch their PGA Tour live stream of choice.

We recommend VPN services in the context of legal recreational uses. For example

1. Accessing a service from another country (subject to the terms and conditions of that service) 2. Protecting your online security and strengthening your online privacy when abroad

We do not support or condone the illegal or malicious use of VPN services. 

Consuming pirated content that is paid-for is neither endorsed nor approved by Future Publishing. 

As a Rolex Series tournament, the Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship is one of the most prestigious of the season, and there are some interesting names in the field vying for a percentage of the attractive $9m purse.

Last year, Belgian Thomas Pieters completed his first Rolex Series win in the tournament beating Rafa Cabrero-Bello and Shubhankar Sharma by one shot to claim the biggest title of his career. The 30-year-old returns hoping for his seventh DP World Tour title, along with the two players he edged out last year.

In 2022, three of the world’s top 10 at that time – Rory McIlroy, Collin Morikawa and Rory McIlroy - competed, but while no one in that elite group play this week, there are still some intriguing names in the field. The highest-ranked player is World No.20 Shane Lowry. The Irishman will be hoping to replicate his success of four years ago when he won by one shot. Two-time winner Tommy Fleetwood also appears, aiming for a hat-trick of wins to add to his back-to-back victories in 2017 and 2018. Meanwhile, World No.26 Tyrell Hatton, who won the tournament in 2021, also plays.

A host of LIV Golf players are also in this week's field, including Lee Westwood, Patrick Reed, Henrik Stenson and Ian Poulter. Westwood is a former champion, having claimed a two-shot victory three years ago - his most recent win. Meanwhile, Stenson, who was stripped of the Ryder Cup captaincy when he signed the LIV Golf, tees it up in the same tournament as the man who replaced him as captain, Luke Donald.

As well as the attractive prize money, for LIV Golf players in particular, the event offers a rare chance for them to accumulate precious Official World Golf Ranking points, with 26 on offer to the winner. Whoever does claim victory will earn $1.53m.

Below is the complete field and prize breakdown for the 2023 Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship.

Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship Prize Money 2023