Hatton performed strongly at The Open in Birkdale yesterday
Tyrell Hatton reacts after winning the Dubai Desert Classic golf tournament, in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, Sunday, Jan. 19, 2025
Tyrell Hatton reacts after winning the Dubai Desert Classic golf tournament, in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, Sunday, Jan. 19, 2025(Image: AP)
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Tyrrell Hatton is currently three shots off the lead in this year’s Open at Royal Birkdale. Hatton is paired with two Americans, defending champion Scottie Scheffler and Bryson DeChambeau.
Yesterday, DeChambeau signed for a 67, Scheffler for a 68 and Hatton for a 69, putting them in a strong position. Hattonfeels the camaraderie within his group is strong.
He said: “Our group, we were pretty chatty today, I think. There were times when you just have a good chat before you have to start focusing on the next shot . . . you only need to concentrate when you get to your ball, don’t you. There’s a lot more downtime."
The 34-year-old will face off against Tommy Fleetwood, who is the local favourite for the competition this week.
During his career, Hatton has played on the European Tour and the PGA Tour, winning eight times on the former, including five Rolex Series events. He also has one win on the PGA Tour at the 2020 Arnold Palmer Invitational, and has played on four Ryder Cup teams, winning three times
Hatton was born in High Wycombe in Buckinghamshire but is a die-hard Liverpool fan. He has a new Reds-themed golf bag for this week's tournament in Birkdale.
Hatton nabbed early bragging rights after showing off his Liverpool-themed golf bag in the changing room this week in the red and white colour of Liverpool and 'You'll Never Walk Alone' emblazoned across the bottom.
On Thursday, Southport-born Fleetwood, who is an Evertonian, and Hatton both finished the day one under par.
Hatton claims that Fleetwood wasn't impressed, and said: "I showed him the bag in the locker room, he wasn't overly impressed, but it's fine, it's all good."
Speaking following his practice round on Wednesday, Hatton discussed his passion for the club but admitted he's unable to attend many matches nowadays due to his demanding schedule. "Well it's not my local team, but I support them," he said.
"It's cool, there's been a lot of people that have loved the golf bag so far this week.
"There's going to be a certain side of Liverpool that doesn't like the golf bag, and that's fine. I thought it was a cool bag and nice to have something a bit different.
Tyrell Hatton at this year's Open
Tyrell Hatton at this year's Open(Image: Phil Harris / Daily Mirror)
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"I haven't been up there for a while. The last game was when we played United in December... was it in '20? Was it '23? It's been a while. I travel a lot, so it's hard to justify another day away."
Hatton has rubbed shoulders with several Reds legends on the golf course during his downtime. He has previously played rounds with Sir Kenny Dalglish, who resides near the Birkdale course, and remarked: "I got to know James Milner pretty well when he was playing for Liverpool, I was able to go to a few games."
Hatton has also been a big supporter of Anne Williams Golf Day, held every year in memory of the legendary Hillsborough campaigner who died in 2013. Anne’s son, Kevin, was just 15 when he lost his life at Hillsborough.
Hatton often sends over custom prizes to the tournament. It all started in 2019 when Hatton donated a custom-made wedge to the event. The golf club was one of three in existence worldwide and had been decorated with six stars alongside the names of the five cities where Liverpool have won the European Cup.
Engraved with the words ‘Allez Allez Allez’, Hatton donated the wedge to the Anne Williams Memorial Golf Day personally when he was contacted by the organisers on Twitter.
One of the organisers, Ste Martin, later explained: “We were a little bit hard-faced in how we got into him! He held a competition on Twitter, where people could win the wedge stamped with six stars.
Hatton pictured in 2017
Hatton pictured in 2017(Image: Getty Images)
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“Being typical Scouse lads, we Tweeted him and said, ‘We’d like one of those for our event!’ And, to our complete surprise, a direct message came back!
“And now he’s an official supporter of our day, sending a custom, one-off prize for each tournament.
“We’re so grateful to him and his team - and to our ambassador Wayne Scholes. We’re so lucky to have these people on board, helping to make it a special day in Anne’s name.”
Hatton’s support continued this year. He and his team at Modest Golf passed on this message this year: "We'd like to wish everyone taking part today another memorable day in memory of Anne. We're very happy to continue supporting the incredible work your event does and the vital funds it raises each year for the amazing charities you champion.
“We've also sent a few donations to help you towards your fundraising target. Good luck to everyone taking part, and we hope you all enjoy the day."
In response, Ste said: “A huge thank you to Tyrrell and everyone at Modest Golf for their continued generosity and support. It is greatly appreciated and helps make a real difference each year.”