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THE RYDER CUP

September 25, 2018

Tyrrell Hatton

Guyancourt, France

STEVE TODD: Very pleased to be joined by Tyrrell Hatton. Tyrrell, welcome to The Ryder Cup, your first Ryder Cup. Just give us a sense of what it's been like so far being in the team room with all the guys and being part of it.

TYRRELL HATTON: Yeah, well, obviously it's great to be here. It's been a long run for me. I've obviously had a very good start to the process.

So it's been a long time coming. I've enjoyed -- obviously travelled yesterday, and I guess it all kind of hit home with when I finally got in the hotel room and you see all the clothing lined up, it's pretty special.

Obviously it's good to be with all the guys. We met up obviously last night for dinner. A nice, chilled evening and a bit of fun in the team room.

STEVE TODD: Tommy was in before talking about how it's a dream come true for you guys playing for the first time. How is that for you, as well, as a first-time Ryder Cup player?

TYRRELL HATTON: Yeah, like Tommy said, it is a dream come true. You watch The Ryder Cup as a kid, and obviously all the biggest tournaments in the world, and you want to be there when you grow up.

So to make the team, obviously you feel very honoured. It's a fantastic team. And obviously I hope I can play as well as I can and win some points for Europe.

Q. Couple of quick questions if I can. First one, what did you learn from playing in the EurAsia Cup earlier this year?
TYRRELL HATTON: It was just great to play a team event again. I really enjoyed being part of the team. Obviously everyone is pulling in the same direction, hoping that we all play as well as we can, winning points.

But yeah, apart from that, I can't sort of think of anything we obviously learnt. We don't get to play team events too often, so from that point of view it was just great to be a part of.

Q. You've just announced you'll be playing with Ian Poulter in the World Cup. How much would you like to be paired with him in The Ryder Cup, and how do you think your personalities would mesh?
TYRRELL HATTON: Yeah, obviously the World Cup is going to be good fun. If we were to play together this week, then it would be pretty special. Obviously he's a Ryder Cup legend, and me being a rookie and all this being new to me, it would be good to obviously get some experience.

So yeah, we'll just have to see what happens there.

Q. You're known as one of the most sort of passionate and often temperamental players on the circuit. Do you reckon you'll feel new levels of passion going into this week? Do you sense that's going to build and happen on Friday and Saturday?
TYRRELL HATTON: Well, obviously I'm going to be passionate. I can only be myself. But saying that, obviously I need to stay as level-headed as possible. You know, in the past, I've -- you'd say I've lost golf tournaments from getting in my own way, which is pretty fair to say.

This week, if I can kind of keep my head, stay level-headed, that will give myself the best chance to play as well as I can, and like I said, hopefully that gets rewarded with some points for Europe.

Q. As a Ryder Cup rookie, could you share a little bit of what it's like in that fabled European team room, without giving away too many secrets? And is it a surreal feeling for you, after watching it for so many years?
TYRRELL HATTON: Yeah, it is surreal. As I said earlier, from the whole experience from traveling here, getting in the hotel room, seeing all the clothing for the first time, trying it on; I get goosebumps in the mirror, kind of thing. It's very special.

And yeah, just obviously being with the guys in the team room is good fun. We're all obviously in it together.

Q. Jim Furyk said that his team, one big thing they need to do coming here is learn this golf course. Given the fact this is a regular European stop, how much of an advantage, if any, do you feel like you guys have in that?
TYRRELL HATTON: Well, we are all obviously very comfortable on the golf course. We've been here many times. Obviously since they made the changes a few years ago in preparation for this week; so we've had plenty of time to get used to the golf course, and it will be set up very similar to how it is set up in the French Open.

So it will be nothing new for us, and hopefully that works in our favour.

Q. I just wanted to check, you talked about the team room. How important is building the camaraderie with the guys you play against every week, but suddenly now you're teammates and you have to get a little bonding? And can you talk about the video and your thoughts, and did it loosen things up for that ten minutes you're watching?
TYRRELL HATTON: Well, I think that's one thing that the Europeans are good at, when we get in the team room, we're obviously all in it together and get on really well; from playing pool to table tennis, just little things like that, you just have a bit of banter, and it's good for team spirit.

And obviously, yeah, the video yesterday was funny. It was certainly an enjoyable ten minutes of viewing, and yeah, it was just all a bit of banter and lighthearted.

Q. How important do you think the home support is going to be over the next few days, and do you hope for there to be tension between the American fans and home fans? Is that something you thrive off?
TYRRELL HATTON: I think the support this week is going to be incredible. Obviously they have sold a lot of tickets, so the atmosphere is going to be amazing. I don't -- tension-wise, I don't see why there needs to be any. It is what it is.

It's one set of fans supporting the teams. It's like a football kind of thing, isn't it? You want your team to win, and obviously you support them till the end.

Yeah, it's going to be a great atmosphere and one that I can't wait to experience.

Q. You mentioned sort of harnessing your passion and using it to your advantage and whatnot. Do you envisage you being a better partner for someone like you in that regard or someone like maybe Frankie who's more even-keeled?
TYRRELL HATTON: Well, I think for me, it doesn't matter who I play with this week. Obviously we'll be trying our best to win a point for Europe. That's all we can do. But I don't think a personality will kind of suit -- there isn't a standout personality that I would say I need to play with that person, is going to calm me down or whatever. Not going to turn into the Hulk this week, anyway, I hope.

Q. Growing up, all your rivalries, countries, like Australia and South Africa and whatnot in most sports, but was there a sense of wanting to squash America, or were they just over there, like it is for most Europeans?
TYRRELL HATTON: I personally never had that feeling. I don't know what to say, really. You don't grow up with that. I think it's only natural that when you come up against another team, then you're just trying your best to win. I think everyone's the same on that front.

Q. You talked about the importance of being level-headed this week. Is that something that Thomas has spoken to you in the buildup? At the same time at that, how important is your fire, that's been important in your success so far in your career?
TYRRELL HATTON: Well, Thomas has just said to me he wants me to be myself. That's what I can be.

I'm going to make mistakes. I'm human. Same as everyone else makes mistakes. But yeah, like I said, I just need to stay level-headed. The passion is going to be there. If you can't get pumped up for this event, you're in the wrong place. I'm really excited for this week, and like I said, I'm just going to channel all my energy into trying to be as good as I can be and help my teammates as much as possible, because I don't want to go the other way obviously and lose my head, and then it's -- and then it starts affecting other people. That's not what I want. Obviously we're here as a team, and I want to do as well as I can for the team.

Q. Following up on that, Poulter seems to be a really role model because he has got the passion but he sort of focuses it. Is that the sort of thing that you can look at this week?
TYRRELL HATTON: Yeah, I get on with Poults really well. Obviously we're playing World Cup together, and we've been out for dinner a few times this year, so we've spoke about a few things.

So yeah, he does obviously a very good job of managing that and obviously having passion, so it's something obviously that I can learn from and hopefully get better at.

Q. A bit related to the previous, but did you have a Ryder Cup hero when you were younger?
TYRRELL HATTON: Well, one of my favourite golfers when I was younger was Monty (laughter). From the age of five, I was looked after by Callaway. They sent some golf clubs out through till I was about 10 or 11, and obviously he was their No. 1 player.

So naturally, you kind of look up to that, as well, as a kid. Obviously he's a Ryder Cup legend, as well. If you could end up having half the kind of career that he did, you would end it very happily.

Q. What was the most nervous you've ever been on the first tee, and how did it go? And how do you think you will feel when you get to the first tee this time?
TYRRELL HATTON: Well, there's no doubt about it this week that you're going to be nervous. Everyone is in the same boat. It's very natural to be nervous. It's a massive event. Obviously there's going to be the biggest grandstand we've seen at a golf tournament behind the first, which is special.

And I can't think of -- well, actually, now thinking about, it probably the most nervous I've been was when I was 18 trying to qualify for The Open at Lady Bank. I knew that I was doing pretty well. I remember standing on the 17th, so it was my 35th hole of the day. I could see the head of the 7-iron sort of shaking.

But still, you kind of go into autopilot and just do what you always do, and you make a swing. As long as you keep a good rhythm, then you're going to hit a good shot.

We've all been nervous on the past and done well, so there's no reason why we can't do it this week.

Q. Jon Rahm is another guy obviously with a bit of a fiery side. He was saying at the PGA that he got to the point where he thought he needed to grow up and that he was seeing a mind coach. Have you got to a point where you just thought, I need to make that change, and I don't know, have you seen a psychologist or anything like that to try and temper it a little bit?
TYRRELL HATTON: I haven't seen a psychologist. I've seen psychologists in the past. But being honest, I struggled to kind of buy into certain things.

I guess I've done things my own way with my dad. So it's not something that I'm looking at to potentially go into. Yes, I will agree with Jon, saying obviously you need to grow up. We kind of -- obviously people say at times we're role models, obviously for kids watching on TV.

If I look back and if I've played a tournament, and I know I've been bad, like you're at home cringing on the sofa watching it, I'm exactly the same watching myself be stupid. It's obviously not great, but at the same time, it's not something I'm kind of thinking about on the course. It's almost just a reaction at times. But that's when I've gone too far, where it's not something I'm thinking about. I'm just doing it.

So if I can, like I say, if I can just -- I know when I've been bad. I know when I can get bad, and it's just obviously being more aware of that and trying to find a way of calming myself down and not allowing myself to get to that stage.

Q. Would you and Jon Rahm make a great partnership or a terrible one, do you think? And have you thought about what you're going to hit off that first tee? Do you go for an iron for safety or something with a slightly larger club head to make sure of making contact?
TYRRELL HATTON: I don't see any reason why we wouldn't make a great team. Obviously he's a fantastic player, as everyone is here. They are all great players. Playing with anyone on the team wouldn't be an issue.

In terms of the first tee, it's going to be interesting. Obviously it's very cold in the morning. At the French Open, we'd normally hit like 3-iron or something similar because it's quite firm, so we'll see. It might be a 3-wood. I'll be very surprised if it's anything more than that, but like I said, we'll get a good feel for that over the next few days and make a game plan and go from there.

STEVE TODD: Tyrrell, thanks for joining us.

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