30 January 2024 , 16:14
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Tyrrell Hatton is set to join Jon Rahm at LIV Golf - and the Englishman can thank former One Direction star Niall Horan for the lucrative move.
Hatton is the latest big name from the PGA Tour to defect after reigning Masters champion Rahm joined the controversial breakaway league last month. The Saudi-backed series league secured Rahm’s services by inking him to a deal worth up to £450million - and Hatton has followed suit with a £50m move of his own.
The 32-year-old, who is managed by Horan’s Modest! Golf agency, reportedly shared a private phone call with Rahm to discuss the permutations of the move. As a result, Hatton has become the latest member of the victorious European Ryder Cup team to defect.
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Hatton had long been linked with a move, but is believed to have rejected the first offer from the Saudi Arabia-funded breakaway circuit. The Brit was said to have been concerned about his eligibility for the 2025 Ryder Cup, as he will likely be banned and fined by the DP World Tour once he makes his debut with LIV.
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However, the Telegraph reported those fears were allayed once he spoke with Rahm in the last few weeks. After the Spaniard’s high-profile move to LIV Golf was confirmed, Rory McIlroy spoke out and insisted the Ryder Cup rules must be changed in order for defected players to take part in New York in 2025.
Hatton will join Rahm's newly-formed Legion XIII team and is expected to make his debut this week when the LIV Golf season begins in Mayakoba, Mexico. The 32-year-old had originally declared for this week's Pebble Beach Pro/Am, but is now set to withdraw.
Hatton hopes to continue representing Team Europe in the Ryder Cup despite switching to LIV Golf (Getty Images)He was also scheduled to compete in the PGA Tour 'Signature' event, but such a prospect seems unlikely after he struck the deal to switch to LIV. Hatton has won six times on the DP World Tour and once on the PGA Tour during his career.
Hatton is the World No. 16 and represents the highest-rated British player to move to LIV Golf, following the likes of Lee Westwood and Ian Poulter. He now faces a blurry road back to golf's four majors; without the prospect of earning any OWGR points for the next year, Hatton may have to go through qualifying for the US and British Open championships while he could be frozen out of the Masters entirely.
Hatton's defection comes amid tense negotiations between the Public Investment Fund and the PGA Tour, with the two sides aiming to finalise a merger agreement. Meanwhile, former Irish Open winner Adrian Meronk also defected last week as Team Europe's 2025 Ryder Cup team faced yet another blow.