U.S. OPEN CHAMPIONSHIP 2024

June 14, 2024

Tyrrell Hatton

Pinehurst Resort & C.C. (Course No. 2)

Flash Interview

THE MODERATOR: Welcome back to the interview area. We're with Tyrrell Hatton, 1-over 71. Can you talk us through the round today.

TYRRELL HATTON: A little bit of a mixed bag. Some really good stuff, some not-so-good stuff. But overall I guess I would say fairly happy in the sense of staying in the red after two days. There were some pretty tough pins out there, and I feel like I did a pretty good job the first sort of 10 holes or so being in decent spots where if I did miss the green to sort of get up-and-down. Then it was a little bit inconsistent coming in.

I guess 1-over in a U.S. Open isn't the end of the world.

Q. Did the course change at all conditions-wise yesterday to today?

TYRRELL HATTON: I mean, the greens probably are getting a little bit firmer. I three-putted my first hole, and I had spent a good like half an hour putting before going out, and I was quite surprised at, I guess, the speed of the first green compared to the putting green. It kind of caught me off guard. I knew our first putt was quick, but -- so I guess that side was a little bit frustrating, that the two speeds kind of didn't match there.

Q. You've spoken in the past about some setups that you feel like don't properly reward good shots. How would you describe the setup this week? Do you feel like they've got it right?

TYRRELL HATTON: Yeah, so far. There are some greens where -- I bet not many people hit the 8th green today. It's a tough pin to -- if you're hitting sand wedge or lob wedge you're still probably not really going near the pin.

It's fair so far. I think it's only going to get harder. Like the guys that are playing this afternoon, where the greens were probably a little bit softer this morning, as they get firmer and probably faster throughout the day, because obviously it's really hot out there, maybe the afternoon starters might not say the same thing.

But obviously I can only play what's in front of me at the time, and for the most part, I didn't have anything to moan about other than myself.

Q. Can you talk us through the 13th hole, especially the approach shot there. Didn't really get much of a break there.

TYRRELL HATTON: Yeah. That wasn't a nice break. I hit a really good second shot in. Obviously too good. Pitched up to a foot from the flag, and it basically landed in the back corner of the hole and then spun off 25 yards way down into the bunker. That was is a tough break. I hit four good shots there and walked off with 5. Not ideal.

Obviously 11 was not a great bogey. I hit a poor 7-iron in there. I missed a lot of shots left, actually, with irons today, and then did really well to birdie 12. Perfect position off the tee on 13 and ended up making bogey without really obviously doing anything wrong, and sort of standing on 14, I just tried to say to myself to not get in your own way now. I hit a really nice tee shot down 14, and then again, lost another shot left hitting wedge, and then my first putt there just went through the fairway quicker than I expected, putting uphill for the first bit. I knew I needed to give it a little bit of momentum.

So three-putting there, that was kind of a bit of a blow.

Yeah, just obviously parred in.

Q. Is it easier to accept breaks like that, bad breaks like that at a U.S. Open where you know a lot of other people are going to kind of suffer the same fate?

TYRRELL HATTON: I guess so, only because obviously it is so hard, and generally par isn't a bad score. Obviously birdies aren't easy to come by, either.

I guess accepting sometimes that if you have hit a good shot and you get a bad break, it kind of -- although it stings, just trying to move on from that. I'd say I've done better at that the last two days than maybe I have done so far this year.

But it's more of just trying to accept that everyone is going to be making mistakes. It's not like other weeks where the winning score is quite a few under par and you need to make birdies, and bogeys sort of hurt a lot more than maybe they do this week.

But just trying to keep plugging along.

Q. Yesterday you were talking about how you lose your head every week, and at the U.S. Open other players are kind of brought to your level. Can you take us inside the mind of Tyrrell Hatton playing in a U.S. Open; what is it like up there?

TYRRELL HATTON: Sort of internally screaming for the most part. Yeah, there's just no, like, rest. There's no easy shots. It's quite a stressful five and a half hours, to be honest.

I think everyone would say the same thing. But it is what it is.

Q. Where do you stack up, do you think, against other players with dealing with those emotions that you're going to experience at a U.S. Open?

TYRRELL HATTON: I don't know. It's hard to tell. Some guys can bottle it up. I'm always pretty good at just showing you how I feel. I'm not afraid to just get it out of my system.

Although this week, I'm trying not to sort of blow up too much because I'm trying to give myself a little bit of grace on occasions.

Q. Following up on the losing your head comment from yesterday, I heard a volunteer mention to you on the 17th tee that they loved that you said that. Why do you think that was so well-received?

TYRRELL HATTON: I don't know. I think everyone knows me well enough by now to know what I'm like on the golf course, that I'm pretty honest. I'll just say it how it is. I think everyone this week is going to sort of lose the head at some point.

It's like the same at Bay Hill; I was obviously -- fortunately I had won that tournament in 2020, and that was brutal over the weekend. I think I shot 3-over that weekend and still won the golf tournament.

I guess it's a similar kind of feeling when you play a U.S. Open. It's hard, and maybe everyone else getting a bit more frustrated is better suited for someone like me that is just constantly frustrated. Having said that, you still have to play really good golf. You can be frustrated and play awful and miss the cut.

Q. When you're playing for fun or not in a competition, is it the same?

TYRRELL HATTON: Yeah. Yeah. Like if I'm at home -- I'd rather play than practice. Being on the range to me is mind-numbing and just boring. I get way more out of going out and playing a round of golf, and every time I go out, it's just trying to shoot as low as possible. I guess kind of like what you do in tournament rounds, too. At least you have something to play for.

Yeah, if you're level par through 5, you kind of lose a bit of interest, even if you're playing with friends. But hitting bad shots will still frustrate me. I want to be out there -- it's more fun when you hit good shots. Just want to hit as many good shots as possible.

Q. Have you ever tried to be different, or have you just kind of embraced it always?

TYRRELL HATTON: Yeah, half the stuff I say on the golf course, I don't even know where it comes from. There are some times where I sort of -- like oh, I probably shouldn't have said that or cringe out a little bit inside at some of the stuff. But it's just a reaction. I honestly don't know where -- it's not like I'm thinking, I've hit a bad shot, I'm going to let it rip. It just comes out. I don't know where from. But sometimes people find it amusing. Other times it's maybe not amusing, and as I said, that's probably more of the times when I think to myself, yeah, I probably shouldn't have said that.

Q. There's obviously a lot of talk about how hot you burn. Would you prefer that people discussed your achievements which are pretty considerable?

TYRRELL HATTON: To be honest, it doesn't bother me too much. I guess my golf has been pretty consistent in terms of where I've stayed at in the World Rankings, and maybe if it was someone else would they -- I won't say be more respected. I'm quite happy. I feel like I essentially go under the radar a bit, which I'm more than happy with.

Q. You've had top 10s in every major. Do you feel like you're ready to win one now?

TYRRELL HATTON: I mean, time will tell. I feel like I've proved to myself that I can compete with the best players in the world. Winning Bay Hill was very similar to a U.S. Open, to be honest, and Bay Hill generally has one of the best fields on the PGA TOUR.

I know if I play the kind of golf I'm capable of, then I'll give myself a chance. I haven't really done that so far in majors. I haven't had a chance going into Sunday. But I'd like to think if I got myself into position, then I'd deal with it as well as I can.

But yeah, ultimately all you can do is try your best, and yeah, the biggest thing for me is trying to stay out of my own way, as well, not getting too frustrated and trying to accept certain shots and not let it boil over to the next one.

Q. When have you been your happiest this week?

TYRRELL HATTON: When have I been my happiest this week? Probably after the dessert that the chef has been doing this week in the house. I'm sharing with Fitzy, and he always has a chef for the majors. Yeah, Sean is pretty handy where the desserts, so I'm in my happy place there.

Q. What was the dessert?

TYRRELL HATTON: Last night we had peanut butter brownies. The night before that he did a chocolate Moose with morning shortbread. Off-the-charts good.

Q. Do you have any idea how much you've been fined over the years for outbursts?

TYRRELL HATTON: How much I've been fined? I think you'd actually be shocked because you're thinking it's ridiculous amounts. Now, don't get me wrong; it's still a lot of money, but it is nowhere near -- give me your best guess.

Q. $100,000.

TYRRELL HATTON: Mate, you are not even close.

Q. Higher?

TYRRELL HATTON: 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.