Tyrrell Hatton Jokes Ahead Of Stenson Donald Grouping

Hatton took to Twitter as it was revealed he would be paired with both the current and former Ryder Cup captains

Hatton watches his iron shot while wearing a black polo shirt
(Image credit: Getty Images)

The Dubai Desert Classic has already provided plenty of drama this week. Not only did we have teegate, in which Patrick Reed reportedly tossed a tee in Rory McIlroy's direction after he refused to shake his hand, but we will also see a Monday finish after a huge rain delay during the first round of the tournament.

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...

Donald and Hatton chat at the 2021 Ryder Cup

Donald and Hatton during the 2021 Ryder Cup at Whistling Straits

(Image credit: Getty Images)

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.

Matt Cradock
Staff Writer

Matt joined Golf Monthly in February 2021 covering weekend news, before also transitioning to equipment and testing. After freelancing for Golf Monthly and The PGA for 18 months, he was offered a full-time position at the company in October 2022 and continues to cover weekend news and social media, as well as help look after Golf Monthly’s many buyers’ guides and equipment reviews.

Taking up the game when he was just seven years of age, Matt made it into his county squad just a year later and continues to play the game at a high standard, with a handicap of around 2-4. To date, his best round came in 2016, where he shot a six-under-par 66 having been seven-under through nine holes. He currently plays at Witney Lakes in Oxfordshire and his favourite player is Rory McIlroy, despite nearly being struck by his second shot at the 17th during the 2015 BMW PGA Championship.

Matt’s current What’s In The Bag?

Driver: Honma TW747, 8.75°

Fairway Wood: TaylorMade Rocketballz Stage 2, 15°, 19°

Hybrid: Adams Super Hybrid, 22°

Irons: Mizuno MP54, 5-PW

Wedges: Cleveland 588 RTX 2.0 Tour Satin, 50°, 56°, 60°

Putter: Cleveland TFI 2135 Satin Cero

Ball: Titleist Pro V1x