ABU DHABI HSBC GOLF CHAMPIONSHIP

January 24, 2021

Tyrrell Hatton

Abu Dhabi Golf Club

Press Conference

NEIL AHERN: Many, many congratulations, an incredible final round performance, fourth Rolex Series Event victory and looks like you'll move into the top five in the World Rankings for the first time in your career. You started the week as an angry golfer. What kind of golfer are you right now?

TYRRELL HATTON: A very happy one. Yeah, amazing day. Very special to win here, such an amazing tournament and I said earlier in the week that I love starting my season out here in the Middle East and now it's obviously going to hold a special place for me and yeah, just a huge honour to win this tournament.

Q. I just wonder how much more satisfying this win is given the company you were keeping for that final round, and obviously beating a seasoned Major Champion in the fashion you did?

TYRRELL HATTON: Well, it's tough to win any tournament. Every single week, world-class golfers at the top of the leaderboard, and you know that you have to go out there and play well. Obviously starting the day one back behind Rory, always know it's going to be a tough day; if Rory plays as good as he can, he's basically the best in the world. It was always going to be really tough to get past him. Obviously for me, I'm really happy with how I played, how I managed the conditions, to shoot 6-under, bogey-free. Obviously very happy with that.

Q. What do you think it will do for your confidence sort of long-term going forward knowing obviously you've had big wins in the past, but this one, you know, up against Rory, what do you think that will do for you going forward?

TYRRELL HATTON: Yeah, any time you win, it gives you massive confidence and to win in my first start of the season is a great feeling with Ryder Cup points starting again this week, that's definitely a goal of mine for the year ahead.

So to pick up a lot of points this week is great. And yeah, I want to secure my place on that team as fast as possible, and this week's certainly gone a long way to helping me achieve that goal.

Q. From the outside, it looked like that spell around the turn was particularly crucial, 8, 9 and especially 10. Can you talk us through that from your perspective?

TYRRELL HATTON: Yeah, it was -- like I was just saying, the conditions were pretty tough. But 9 was a horrible tee shot all week. I said to Radar when we got up the fairway, I was like, I'm glad I don't have to see that tee shot again for another year. Pumping in on the left is not a pleasant wind. So yeah, to make birdie there is like a bonus.

Very fortunate to make birdie on 10. That putt was going eight feet past at least probably. On another day, that misses the hole and you potentially miss the one coming back and there's a two-shot swing on one hole. You need luck to win tournaments, and thankfully luck was on my side today, and again on 11, tee shot pitches just in the bunker, and we've seen some balls plug in the sort of faces this week, so again, very fortunate to bounce out and be in the rough with a decent lie, which obviously go on to hit it on the green and make par. I think that was a sort of crucial part of my day.

Q. On The Ryder Cup itself, how much did you enjoy your debut in Paris and how much was that motivation for you to try and get back there again?

TYRRELL HATTON: Yeah, I mean, that was the best golfing experience of my life to date. Home fans; that first tee with the grandstand was just like amazing. I absolutely loved the week. I'm sure it will be a very different experience playing away, if I make that team, and hopefully I'm there at Whistling Straits. So I'd love to try and help the team win.

But you know, there's a lot of golf to play between now and again, but fingers crossed that I'm there.

Q. The tournaments you've won especially over the last 14 months and the company you've won the tournaments in would suggest that a major championship should be very much in your radar now, especially if you're going to be top five in the world. This is kind of heady stuff. What's your mindset there?

TYRRELL HATTON: Yeah, I mean, everyone in their career, their goal is to win a major and I'm no different from that. Obviously the majors last year for me were disappointing to miss the cut in all three.

But golf's a funny game. You're trying your best every single week, and some weeks, it sort of works out better than others. So hoping that 2021, the majors fall in good weeks for me, and I can put in some good performances there.

Q. Can I also ask you, I know you've been asked this before, but your caddie, a lot of us know Mick as the life and soul of the party, great guy, but he's clearly very talented in what he does, and his results with you have been exceptionally good. What is it specifically that he is so good at, and what's he brought to your game?

TYRRELL HATTON: Yeah, Mick's brilliant. He's got so much experience. He's won, what is it, four times the amount that I've won. So yeah, I mean, the experience he has is great, and obviously we get on really well away from the course, too.

So it's just we've had a fantastic run so far. I love our partnership and working together. Obviously hoping that continues for a very long time.

Q. Just wanted to ask you about the Angry Golfers sketch which was brilliant and has been very well received. Did you take any persuasion to take part, and do you think you've now got a career in acting if the golf doesn't work out?

TYRRELL HATTON: Well, it was two years in the making that video. So I was kind of on board from the start. I know Gibbo is very happy with how it turned out. He asked me to just be awkward and shy, which is me naturally, so I felt like I didn't have to do anything different. And he knows that I'm horrible at talking to the camera, so the less lines I had to say, it was actually more beneficial for everyone because we'd have been in there all night.

No, it was good fun. The guys on The European Tour always sort of come up with great content, and it's always well received by obviously fans around the world. So it was cool to be a part of.

Q. How come it was two years in the making?

TYRRELL HATTON: I guess with just schedules, wanting everyone to be at the same tournament and stuff like that makes it sometimes a little bit awkward. Obviously it was good that we managed to get it done this week.

Q. That company you're keeping now at the top of the World Rankings, are you able to see yourself as an equal, a top five, six guy, or are you still pinching yourself a little bit at what's around you there?

TYRRELL HATTON: Definitely pinching myself. So yeah, it's just very surreal to be that high in the World Rankings. I don't look at myself or -- I don't know how to sort of word it. I guess I'm very -- yeah, I'm struggling to find the words how to putt it across but I'll just say it is very cool to be where I am at the moment.

Q. Just on that question of the guys ahead of you in the World Rankings, is there anything that you think they have that you lack, or do you feel that you're as good as them in every way?

TYRRELL HATTON: Well, I think in golf, you need things to go your way. There's never any guarantees, especially on a Sunday when you're going head-to-head with someone. All the guys that have Tour cards are amazing golfers, no matter what your World Ranking, is and when it's your day, it's your day. You can't sort of think that you're -- you can't think that you're better than anyone else. Everyone's equal. Everyone's, like I said, an amazing player, and you just give it your best when you're out there.

NEIL AHERN: Six European Tour victories and four at Rolex Series Events. What is it about these tournaments that makes you elevate your game seemingly?

TYRRELL HATTON: Well, I don't treat any tournament differently from one another. I always pitch up each week and try my best. Obviously I've been very fortunate that my golf game's been in a really good place at some of the biggest events on The European Tour.

Yeah, I'm very happy to like have those tournaments on my C.V. It's definitely kind of sort of pinch yourself and very special.

NEIL AHERN: Thank you very much, Tyrrell, and many congratulations again.