Tyrrell Hatton has all the time had a love-hate relationship with Augusta Nationwide. However the 33-year-old Englishman may simply be falling beneath the spell of the famed structure after firing a three-under-par 69 in Thursday’s opening spherical of the 89th Masters.
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Add that to his best-ever Masters results of shared ninth final yr and reporters questioned if a long-time critic had kindled a love affair, or a minimum of friendship, with Augusta Nationwide.
“Do I like all golf course?” Hatton mentioned, drawing laughter.
“It’s simply so onerous. It’s like, you’re keen on being right here and it’s very particular, however at any second you’ll be able to simply hit a shot and it simply does your head in. I simply have to maintain hitting good pictures.”
This is similar Hatton who referred to as Augusta Nationwide’s set-up “unfair at occasions” and infrequently unrewarding to good pictures.
He has made obscene gestures and hand-gesture gunfire on the course after irritating moments and in 2024 mentioned, “I completely hate it.”
So there’s a methods but to journey, particularly after his lone bogey of the day at 17 denied him a share of second.
“Naturally I’m disillusioned with making bogey on 17. I don’t really feel like I did an enormous quantity flawed there,” Hatton mentioned.
“However I feel that’s form of this place, as properly. You don’t actually need to do something flawed to drop pictures.”
Whether or not his improved outcomes have come from persistence in his method or higher tee pictures, Hatton is discovering higher success at Augusta Nationwide.
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“I don’t know if I’ve labored on my persistence. I feel it simply relies upon what facet of the mattress I get out of, if I’ve a bit of bit or none,” he mentioned.
“At the moment was day. Drove the ball fairly properly, which in years passed by is one thing that I’ve struggled with… It was good to go on the market at this time and play a fairly stable spherical.”
Hatton hopes attainable rain on Friday stays away so the course stays agency and quick.
“Finally I’m nonetheless simply on the market making an attempt my greatest. It has been good to have one other good spherical,” he mentioned.
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“Fingers crossed the rain stays away. The course is in nice form. The greens are for a Thursday fairly fast already and fairly agency in locations.
“If the rain stays away then the scoring has the potential to get a bit of bit worse. That simply exhibits how onerous it’s round right here.”
Hatton, who joined the LIV Golf League in 2024, gained his first LIV title final June in Nashville and captured his eighth DP World Tour triumph this previous January on the Dubai Desert Basic.