Terrific Tyrrell Hatton Outclasses Rory McIlroy in Abu Dhabi

Tyrrell Hatton has won the Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship, seeing off challenges from Rory McIlroy, Tommy Fleetwood, and a late charge from Jason Scrivener. The Englishman, who looked in total control, shot a bogey-free final round 66, to finish 18 under par and to win by 4 shots.

At the beginning of play, it was McIlroy who held a one-shot lead and started well with birdies on the 2nd and 3rd. Although it was the frailties that surrounded Rory’s game off the tee and with the putter that would be his undoing. A three-putt bogey on the 4th must have given Tyrrell a boost, and when McIlroy decelerated on his greenside bunker shot on the par 5, eighth, it would end with a bogey which gave Hatton control.

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Tyrrell had just birdied the difficult par 3, seventh with a tee shot that found a very inaccessible pin. A long par 3 that was averaging 3.32, due to a pin located on the far right-hand side of the green. Just a few feet further right, water glistening in the Arabian sun. Tyrrell openly admitted that he had indeed, pushed the tee shot directly onto the flag.

SkySports interviewed Tyrrell shortly on the next hole, where Hatton declared, “these aren’t the right colour of trousers to look up and see your ball heading towards the water.”

However, do not let that fool you, this was by no means luck.

To win a championship of this stature with players like Justin Thomas, Rory McIlroy and Tommy Fleetwood in the field, is a pure display of golfing class that made Hatton look leagues above his competitors.

To birdie the seventh was something, but to then birdie the hardest hole on the course, the par 4, ninth was the first sign that Hatton was in complete control of his game and his opponents. Tyrrell bounded to the 10th tee with a 2 shot lead.

The rhythm and vibe were set and Hatton’s victory never looked in doubt. Challengers came and went, the Spaniard Cabrera-Bello was fired up following early birdies as he got within 1 shot early on, only for the putter to go cold and the eventual drop shots on 11 and 15 ended what still is a good week for Rafa.

Fleetwood similarly was within 2 shots for most of the day. However, he could not stop the Driver finding the sand and dessert that is laced across the Abu Dhabi Golf Club. Tommy finished with a bogey on 16 and a double bogey on 17 to fall down the leaderboard into tied 7th.

A mention must also be made to the Australian, Jason Scrivener who like most was slipping down the leaderboard as Tyrrell gathered momentum and made birdies. However, a stunning 7 under back nine pushed Scrivener into outright 2nd place. This will be a big boost for Jason, as he looks to improve on what was a poor 2020.

Although, the only man to speak about today is Tyrrell Hatton.  A bogey-free final round playing alongside Rory is a statement. He kept his cool when Rory pulled away early on, stuck to his game and was patient. The big moment was the birdie on 10, a long birdie put of 30 feet that went over a step in the green, down to the right and rattled into the hole. Finishing with birdies on the 13th and 16th to take the Championship.

Tyrrell said on SkySports, “the Ryder Cup is a huge goal for me this year, I’m absolutely delighted that I’ve managed to pick up loads of points this week.”

A lot is made of this young man’s attitude and mental game, can he handle it? Will he lose his head when things don’t go his way? Is he strong enough mentally to win WGC events and Majors?

The answer is yes. Hatton’s closing 66 reminds the world of golf that yes; Matt Wolff, Collin Morikawa and Victor Hovland may possibly be the future of the game. But when The Masters soon comes round in March, they are going to have to go through the relentless, ‘passionate’ Tyrrell Hatton.