REPORT: TYRRELL HATTON AGREES £50M LIV GOLF MOVE AFTER LATE JON RAHM PHONE CALL.

World No.16 Tyrrell Hatton has reportedly agreed to join LIV Golf for an up-front fee of £50m, according to a report by Telegraph Sport.

Tyrrell Hatton has followed Jon Rahm to LIV Golf in a deal worth £50million in a major blow to the PGA Tour, with merger talks continuing with the Saudi Arabia Public Investment Fund

Tyrrell Hatton has performed a dramatic U-turn and signed with LIV Golf in a deal worth £50million after a private phone call with Jon Rahm, it has been claimed.

Hatton becomes the latest member of the victorious European Ryder Cup team to defect after Rahm’s £450million move in December. Hatton had long been linked with a move, but is believed to have rejected the first offer from the Saudi Arabia-funded breakaway circuit.

The Brit is said to have been concerned about his eligibility for the 2025 Ryder Cup, as he’ll most likely be banned and fined by the DP World Tour after he makes his debut with LIV. But the Telegraph reports those fears were allayed after he spoke with Rahm in the last few weeks.

Hatton is set to join Rahm’s newly-formed Legion XIII team and is expected to make his debut this week when the season begins in Mayakoba, Mexico. He had originally declared for this week’s Pebble Beach Pro/Am, but is now set to withdraw.

The 16th-ranked player globally has become the top-rated British player to switch teams, following in the footsteps of Lee Westwood and Ian Poulter. According to The Telegraph, Hatton’s apprehension regarding his participation in the Ryder Cup and eligibility for the Major championships influenced his decision to sign a contract that will immediately double his total career earnings.

Currently, Hatton’s return to golf’s four major tournaments is uncertain. With no possibility of earning any OWGR points for the next year, he may be compelled to qualify for the US and British Open Championships. Moreover, there is a chance that he might be completely excluded from the Masters competition.

Although the official announcement is yet to be made, Adrian Meronk has also agreed to join LIV.

If the report is true and Hatton has decided to leave, it would mark a hugely successful off-season for the breakaway tour.