Paul McGinley believes Tyrrell Hatton’s behaviour on the golf course has become unacceptable and that he will have ‘a lot of humble pie’ when he sits down with his team after the third round of the DP World Tour Championship.
Paul McGinley believes Tyrrell Hatton is one of the ‘top five players in the world’ right now but that his behaviour on the golf course has now become completely unacceptable following the third round of the DP World Tour Championship on Saturday.
Ex Ryder Cup captain McGinley, 57, stormed after Hatton bogeyed the last to post a disappointing 71 to be trailing by three shots in the DP World Tour’s season-ending event in Jumeirah Golf Estates in Dubai.
It was a round that saw Hatton, 33, mouth numerous profanities, slam his putter on the green and amazingly break one of his golf clubs.
In the third round Hatton flung his club into the ground in frustration after missing a short birdie putt on 11th green.
‘F* you, f* s greens,’ stormed Hatton while slamming the putter on the green.
Then on the 14th hole, Hatton saw red as he went on to snap his iron into the turf.
Meteor fans have Scottish golfer Murray was disgusted.
Oh no, no, no… it’s time for change I’m afraid, that’s a terrible influence on the next generation,” said Murray, a long-time lead commentator for Sky Sports Golf.
Defending him seems rather pointless here sorry to say it, I am his biggest fan when it comes to golf, still have a look at that please? Why? Why would you do that?”
Following the round, Sky Sports Golf lead presenter Nick Dougherty quizzed co-presenter McGinley for his top talking point of the round.
‘I don’t think you can find one headline Nick, but what is going to get the headlines is Hatton’s behaviour’ argued McGinley.
The Irishman then went on to explain in detail about Hatton’s on-course behaviour not being decent again.
McGinley considers Hatton is one of the best players in the world right now, and without question can win multiple majors in his career.
That is belief held by many others in the sport, no doubt about it.
But the on-course behaviour has very much crossed a line now, at least in the eyes of McGinley, who considers Hatton “will be embarrassed with what he did today and how he behaved.”
McGinley anticipates the third round of the DP World Tour Championship could be a turning point for Hatton when he sits down with his team later and contemplates how he conducted himself on the course.
Tyrrell is not the bad guy he comes across here… all of us who know him behind the scenes know a different Tyrrell to what we see on the golf course. But his behaviour is not acceptable from what we see, no doubt about it,” said a disappointed McGinley.
“I think tonight when he cools down and his team, his wife have words with him, there will be a lot of humble pie. He will be embarrassed with what he did today and how he behaved.
“He will know, like a lot of people who have any kind of issues in their life, you almost hit rock bottom before you decide I’ve got to do something about this. I think this could be a day when he may well realise, you know what, now I do have to change. I’ve got to a level where this is not acceptable and that people are not enjoying me when I’m out there playing golf. I’ve got a phenomenal golf game, I am blessed to have a phenomenal talent in this game to play with all of the riches that are in the game at the moment and the opportunities he has, and he’s got to take advantage of that and have a bit more respect for the game and his fellow competitors.”
McGinley also believes other players on Tour have had enough of Hatton’s behaviour, too.
“‘It remains very hard to stomach but try the playing partners having to listen to him all the way around,’ McGinley added.
Of course Tyrrell will understand that it is time for change, I do wish he will.
But what we do know about this lad, what a phenomenal player, I’d put him in the top five players in the world. That’s how good this guy is. He is not only capable of compiling a win in one major but multiple Majors because there is no fault in his game.
Hatton was recently readmitted to the DP World Tour after appealing the fines he received for switching to LIV Golf earlier this year.
He has wasted no time in earning some important European Ryder Cup points by winning a third Dunhill Links last month.
Hatton also closed alone on the second place in last week’s Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship.