Why LIV Golfer Tyrrell Hatton Is Making His DP World Tour Return At The British Masters This Week

Tyrrell Hatton will make his first DP World Tour start since signing with the LIV Golf League back in January at the Betfred British Masters this week.

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.