Tyrrell Hatton's fiery on-course outbursts at Royal Portrush have gone viral, but the English golfer remains in contention at The Open after a second-round 69 left him at five under par. Despite his trademark self-berating, Hatton revealed a relaxed post-round routine: three pints of Guinness.
“Normally a Guinness is a pretty good way to start. Certainly this week anyway,” Hatton said. Asked if he would have a couple on Friday, he replied: “It would be rude not to. I think three is the magic number. Well, two to three, because you’re definitely not close to a hangover and you still feel like you’ve got – hopefully I’ve got a late tee time tomorrow so I can have a lay-in, as well.”
Hatton hit 28 of 36 greens in regulation, second only to Jon Rahm, yet his body language suggested otherwise. He frequently swore at himself and struck his back with his putter after mistakes. “I was still pretty vocal. Maybe I’m just having to do it away from the microphone,” he joked.
Despite the negativity, Hatton insists he can reset quickly. “I’ve always felt like even though I can be losing my shit, I can get over the next shot and still have a clear mind of what I’m still trying to achieve,” he said. “Although from the outside it looks like I’m completely gone, in my own mind I still know where I’m at.”
At 33, Hatton accepts he will not change his approach. “I think that ship has sailed, to be honest. I’m not going to change. It’s just how I am, how I play.” He drew confidence from his near-miss at Oakmont earlier this year, where he contended in a major for the first time. “I really enjoyed that experience. I know it wasn’t the ending I’d liked, but how I dealt with everything there… I still feel like I hit some really good golf shots.”
Hatton heads into the weekend in a strong position, but wants more accuracy. “I’d like to be in the fairway more this weekend and hitting it a bit closer. But I can’t really complain too much.” With that, he departed for his Guinness ritual, dreaming of Open glory.
