Tyrrell Hatton 'close' to joining LIV Golf just hours after PGA Tour commitment
LIV Golf is closing in on the huge signing of Ryder Cup hero Tyrrell Hatton, just hours after he committed to play in one of the biggest events on the PGA Tour.
The Englishman, 32, committed on Wednesday to play in the Waste Management Phoenix Open, which starts at TPC Scottsdale on February 8. However, he is finally set to cave into an aggressive pursuit from the Saudi Arabia-funded breakaway league, it has been reported.
It has been no secret that LIV has chased Hatton's signature for months. The league is looking for suitable players to join Jon Rahm's team after the Spaniard, a two-time major champion, signed a nine-figure contract with LIV in December. Rahm will captain his own team as part of the agreement and his teammates are yet to be confirmed.
According to Sports Illustrated, LIV tabled a fresh offer to Hatton this week, leading to a breakthrough in negotiations and a deal is "close but not confirmed".
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Hatton, a charismatic and talented player who has six DP World Tour wins and one PGA Tour triumph to his name, tentatively committed his future to the tours at the Dubai Desert Classic last week amid LIV's interest. "As of right now, yeah," he replied when asked if he was staying.
Hatton added: “I’d say there’s several people who have had conversations [with LIV]. I think that’s part and parcel of golf at the moment but I’m quite happy playing the PGA Tour and DP World Tour. There’s a lot of people that have [spoken to LIV] and I don’t think there is anything to shy away from.”
Hatton's move to LIV Golf is "close but not confirmed", according to Sports Illustrated. (Jamie Squire/Getty Images)Losing Hatton, ranked 16th by the Official World Golf Rankings, would be yet another huge blow for the PGA Tour. PGA Tour rookie Adrian Meronk, the Seve Ballesteros Award winner for 2023, is also set to join LIV, making fears of an exodus following Rahm's shock exit a reality for PGA Tour commissioner Jay Monahan and his colleagues.
LIV is entering its third season since being formed by the Saudi Arabia Public Investment Fund in 2022, with two-time major champion Greg Norman running the show. The breakaway led to huge fractures in the elite game, but the credibility of the competition is increasingly undeniable, with Hatton and Meronk adding yet more credibility to a roster that includes recent major winners Brooks Koepka, Dustin Johnson, Cameron Smith and Bryson DeChambeau.
Under current rules, a move to LIV would make Hatton ineligible for the Ryder Cup at Bethpage in 2025 as European players must hold a DP World Tour Membership. That membership would be suspended and fines would be accrued if Hatton joins the invitational circuit, although the ongoing negotiations between the PGA Tour and LIV over a merger could dramatically change the landscape yet again.
LIV's season begins in Mayakoba, Mexico next week and the Saudis are pushing hard for Hatton to be able to tee it up at the curtain-raiser for the campaign.
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