Tyrrell Hatton has won the Hero Dubai Desert Classic with the poise and sense of opportunity of the great champions. But the question arises naturally, as it often does when analysing the English player: Is he truly a major star in the world of golf? Can he be given that label without hesitation or objection?
Let’s break it down. He is 33 years old and his record, today, would be envied by ninety percent of top-level professionals. He has just won a Rolex Series tournament on the DP World Tour for the fifth time, a tour where he already has eight victories; he has played in the last three editions of the Ryder Cup with the European team (2018, 2021, and 2023), of which he is now a fundamental, even indispensable, part; he also knows what it is to win on the PGA Tour, and not just any tournament, but the Arnold Palmer (2020). It is true that this is his only victory on the American circuit, but he has often been seen in contention on Sundays. Moreover, Hatton reached World Number 5, a position achieved by very few players, and right now, with two hundred tournaments played on the DP World Tour, he already occupies the eleventh position on the historical earnings list. He has also won a LIV Golf tournament in his first season in the Saudi league.
It is, therefore, very surprising his modest performance in the Majors. It should be noted, first of all, that Hatton has already played 38 majors and in the last 33 that have been held, he has done so consecutively, without any absence, all without exception since the 2016 Open Championship, a series within reach of very few. However, the Englishman has only six top-ten finishes and his best position was a fifth place, precisely in that 2016 Open. Beyond the final result, he has hardly ever been seen among the true contenders in the last nine holes on Sunday, that is the truth.
In fact, never in his entire career has he gone out to play in one of the last three groups of the final round in a Major, a truly surprising detail, considering he is such a consistent and good competitor. The time he went out to play the final round of a Major with more options was probably in the 2018 US Open, that of the carnage at Shinnecock Hills, starting four shots off the lead, although five groups ahead of the leading group.
His results in the Majors cannot be classified as disastrous, but it should not be forgotten that he has missed up to fourteen cuts in 38 appearances, a rather high percentage. His last notable record was at last year’s Masters, where he finished in ninth position, but, once again, he was never a factor to consider. No, the Majors are not his thing.
From here, it would be necessary to debate what a player needs to win or do to be considered a superstar. And it is likely that we would never all agree. But it seems that someone like Hatton can and should be expected to shine more and have more impact in the four major events of the year.
The player himself is not very clear about the reason for his irregular performance in the Majors. Too eager or anxious? It could be, but he certainly does not believe that is the case. “I don’t treat the majors differently in how I feel when I’m playing on a Thursday, a Friday, or the weekend. Sometimes you play well over a period of time and for some reason, the majors haven’t fallen for me yet in the right week. I would love for one of the majors to fall in the right week this year,” he said today, at the winner’s press conference in Dubai.
Perhaps it is just a coincidence, as he says. Or perhaps it is not. In any case, the situation seems like a ripe fruit about to fall. No one would be surprised if 2025 is the year in which Hatton finally finds a way to perform in these tournaments, even if only to arrive with options for the final sprint.
