Tyrrell Hatton is leading the DP World Tour Championship in Dubai, yet his fiery temperament is drawing nearly as much attention as his golf. Speaking to The Scotsman on Saturday at Jumeirah Golf Estates after taking the outright third-round lead, Hatton flatly rejected calls to soften his on-course demeanor.
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“Whether you like it or not, I’m not going to change for that reason. It’s just me,” he said.
The Green Incident in Dubai
The latest backlash began during Friday’s second round at Jumeirah Golf Estates. After missing a putt on the seventh hole, Hatton dropped the heel of his putter onto the green twice, then smoothed the surface with the back of the club.
Clips of the moment spread rapidly across social media, with some viewers calling for a rules violation. Under Rule 13.1c, players are strictly prohibited from deliberately damaging a putting green, which carries a two-stroke general penalty. However, tournament officials did not issue a penalty after broadcast footage showed no visible damage to the turf. Hatton tapped in for par and moved on, adding another chapter to a career-long debate over his visible frustration.
Addressing the Critics and McIlroy
Despite the noise, Hatton remains completely unapologetic about how he carries himself inside the ropes. Reflecting on his 13 years as a professional during his Saturday interview with The Scotsman in Dubai, he acknowledged that fans have simply grown accustomed to his antics.
“We’ll be 13 years down the line, and it’s not got any better, has it? I think maybe you guys have just got a bit more used to me, so you don’t give me as much stick now,” Hatton said. “That’s how I’ve always played. I appreciate that at times it crosses the line and I’m fully aware of when I’ve done that. I’ll hold my hands up. That’s how I play golf.”
His comments echo his reaction earlier this year at the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship, where he drew headlines for slamming his club four times into a bunker at Carnoustie’s par-three eighth hole. In the same post-round chat with The Scotsman on Saturday, Hatton also brushed off any suggestion of friction with Rory McIlroy, who had joked before the round that he hoped Hatton would get out of bed on the right side.
“Yeah, I feel like we get on pretty well,” Hatton said. “I would say we enjoy each other’s company and obviously he’ll be disappointed with how he’s scored today. It wasn’t easy, but you expect Rors to come out tomorrow and play a great round of golf and I’m sure he will.”
Taking Control of the Leaderboard
Away from the controversy, Hatton’s game has been sharp. He fired a four-under 68 on Saturday to reach nine under par, taking a one-stroke lead into Sunday’s final round of the $10 million season finale. France’s Victor Perez sits alone in second at eight under after shooting 67, while Mikael Lindberg is third at six under following a 69. McIlroy and Eugenio Chacarra are tied for fourth at 5-under par after McIlroy slipped back with a 72.
Speaking at his official post-round press conference at Jumeirah Golf Estates on Saturday, Hatton credited recent technical adjustments for his form on Dubai’s fast greens.
“Yeah, it was a good day. It was tricky,” he said. “The greens were so fast on the back nine. Every putt I had coming in, I think from 13, the par 3, just unbelievably fast. Really happy with how I putted today. Had a few like awkward-length par putts early on, and managed to hold them, which was nice.”
During that same media session after his third round, he noted that dialing in his start lines and visualizing putts over the past two weeks has paid off alongside steady iron play. Still, he knows that a one-shot cushion guarantees nothing over the closing stretch.
“I know tomorrow is going to be a tough day,” he told reporters in Dubai. “I’ve got enough experience down these last few holes to know that anything can happen. So yeah, I’ll just go out tomorrow and try my best. I know I can play well around here, and that’s what I’ll try to do.”
High Stakes for Sunday
Hatton will play Sunday’s final round alongside Perez as he chases a record-equalling sixth Rolex Series title and his first DP World Tour Championship victory. Further back, McIlroy needs a major Sunday surge both to contend for the tournament and to secure a record-equalling eighth Race to Dubai crown.
Hatton’s week in Dubai highlights the exact tension that has defined his career: elite ball-striking paired with raw, unfiltered emotion. For Hatton, his fiery intensity isn’t a flaw to be coached out of his game, but the very fuel that keeps him at the top of the leaderboard.