Team Europe’s stars Rory McIlroy and Tyrrell Hatton had a potentially awkward meeting at the Hero Dubai Desert Classic on Thursday. But their conversation was nothing like what was expected…
There was intrigue in the air when Rory McIlroy and Tyrrell Hatton stepped onto the 10th tee at the Majlis course on Thursday morning.
Would the Ryder Cup teammates address the elephant in the room?
Not even 24 hours earlier, McIlroy publicly challenged Hatton and his LIV Golf teammate Jon Rahm to prove their commitment to Team Europe by paying the DP World Tour fines that would keep them eligible for the 2027 duel at Adare Manor.
“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,” McIlroy said in a candid press conference. “There’s two guys that can prove it.”
Hatton, who stepped into the media room barely an hour after McIlroy, said he hadn’t yet seen the Masters champion’s blunt message.
The mood, though, was more than cordial as the sun came up over the Emirates Club for the first round of the Hero Dubai Desert Classic. Hatton and McIlroy chatted away with playing partner Tommy Fleetwood as the trio began their tournament on the the back nine.
The fine predicament, Hatton says, was off the agenda.
“We didn’t really talk about that,” he smiled after a “rusty” two-under par 70 at the Emirates Club.
“It was me mainly asking him if he’d had any good wine over Christmas, to be honest. It was better than the wine I was drinking, but my wine was very nice too. Then he was horrified to hear what weight I was on January 1.”
Hatton’s pre-Ryder Cup weight was 190 pounds, but let’s just say the Englishman did his fair share of indulging over the festive period. He did not pick up a golf club once.
“I was 204 pounds, which at five foot eight is aggressive,” he laughed. “Zero cardio and a lot of drinking. I had a Guinness tap in the house, which was enjoyable.
“I was turning like the Titanic. I still feel pretty stiff. The backswing isn’t too much of a problem. When I did start again I felt like my backswing was shorter than Jon [Rahm’s], which is not ideal!”
So what’s Hatton’s plan to knock off the festive weight?
“Gym and avoiding alcohol and I think you’ll manage to lose a bit of weight,” he replied. “Sad times.”
When the conversation turned back to the more serious matter of the Ryder Cup, Hatton brushed off more questions about the fine situation.
“I guess something will get sorted from hopefully something soon,” he said. “I think everyone’s pretty keen for that to happen. We’ll see what happens.”
