Tyrrell Hatton: Dame Laura Davies on English golfer after Hero Dubai Desert Classic triumph | Golf news
Dame Laura Davies believes Tyrrell Hatton has proved he is ready to win a major this year following his success at the Hero Dubai Desert Classic.
Hatton won his first Rolex Series event since 2021 after holding his nerve Sunday to fend off New Zealand’s Daniel Hillier in a thrilling finish.
The 33-year-old is yet to seriously contend in one of golf’s four majors but could be a factor at the Masters in April if his form continues after finishing strongly on the LIV circuit last season to win the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship for a third time time.
“He’s got his game in the right place. The next step is a major. Is he ready to win a major? Absolutely,” Davies told Sky Sports Golf.
“I’ll tell you something, Augusta National, the way he drives it, you have to think it’s going to suit him because he hits it both ways if he wants to.
“The next step is the big one, there’s no doubt about that, and I’m looking forward to seeing what his year holds.”
Hatton competes in the LIV Golf League, so he will have just four majors this year to earn extra Ryder Cup qualifying points.
He hasn’t lost a match at the 2023 Ryder Cup, won 3.5 points and is likely to be part of Team Europe, as an automatic qualifier or Luke Donald’s captain’s choice.
The top six players automatically qualify for golf’s famous team event via a unique Ryder Cup points list, with points awarded throughout the season leading up to the Ryder Cup itself on September 26 and 28 in New York – live on Sky Sports.
“This event and the four majors this year are big for me to try and earn as many points as I can to try to automatically qualify, so it’s a big step in the right direction,” Hatton said.
Davies: McIlroy is going to have a huge year
Rory McIlroy finished 2024 on a high by winning the season-ending DP World Tour Championship and winning the Race to Dubai to claim his sixth Harry Vardon Trophy.
After a heartbreaking finish at the US Open last year, McIlroy is desperate to end his wait for a major that has stretched back to 2014.
On Sunday, he climbed from 12th to fourth during a dramatic final round in his first appearance in 2025. He fell short of winning the Dubai Desert Classic for a fifth time, but Davies thinks McIlroy will take confidence from his strong finish.
“He was rusty but he finished fourth in a really good field. The likes of Jon Rahm haven’t been able to make it. It was a tough test and he hasn’t played in a long time and it’s a nice feeling,” she said.
“When he gets back on the PGA Tour, playing regularly, week in and week out, he’ll iron out those little wrinkles.
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“If his game is as good as it was in Dubai at the end of last season, we know he lacks birdie putts, but he gives himself so many opportunities.
“He’s going to have a big year and I think Scottie Scheffler and Xander Schauffele could have their hands full with Rory this year.”
Watch the PGA Tour’s Farmers Insurance Open and the DP World Tour’s Ras Al Khaimah Championship from this Thursday, live on Sky Sports Golf. Stream the PGA Tour, DP World Tour, majors and more with NOW
