HERO DUBAI DESERT CLASSIC

January 21, 2026

Tyrrell Hatton

Majlis Course at Emirates Golf Club

Press Conference

BRIONY CARLYON: Good afternoon, everyone. It's great to welcome our defending champion of the Hero Dubai Desert Classic, Tyrrell Hatton, back here to the Media Centre.

Tyrrell, maybe take us back to a year ago and what memories you have of that victory. Just give us a sense of what it's like to be back here in Dubai.

TYRRELL HATTON: Yeah, it's always great to be here playing this event. This is my 13th year on Tour, and this was always one of the events I looked forward to playing or hoped that I would play in one day. I remember as a kid, I'd like wake up early before going to school and I'd enjoy watching this event on TV.

So, yeah, to play in this event, and to come back here as defending champion is somewhat surreal but very special and yeah, I always enjoy starting my season here.

Q. Just winning here, I mean, we've always looked at you winning for fun at the Dunhill, what is it about your game that makes you win on such totally different tracks?

TYRRELL HATTON: I guess, like maybe with how I play golf, my game in general, I think is pretty solid across the board. There's, okay, maybe putting was more of a strength than other areas but the other areas of my game have been pretty good, too.

So maybe when I play well, that's what allows me to compete on different types of golf courses but not something I think about. I just go to each week and stride my best.

Q. Do you find yourself making a big adjustment for weeks like this, when maybe you've been practicing at home in not such great weather?

TYRRELL HATTON: Well, to be honest, I went to Orlando for a couple of weeks. I flew out there on New Year's Eve, or the day before that, and well, I was greeted with a cold front that come through. So it was like 2 degrees on, yeah, last day of the year, which wasn't ideal.

But yeah, I tried to find some warmer weather to practice in. It was good to hit off grass again. It had been a while, and yeah, I mean, I enjoyed my time off. I always try and do that. So, yeah, just trying to get back into the swing of things.

Q. How does it work for your season? LIV Golf starts in a couple of weeks. Is this preseason for you or is this already a big enough event for you to get ready right from the get-go?

TYRRELL HATTON: No, I mean, this is a massive event for me. So as I said earlier, this is a tournament that I always look forward to playing in. Off the top of my head, I don't think I've missed this event since I got my Tour card.

So, yeah, I love playing here. I'd love to give myself a good chance to defend the title this week.

Q. Rory was in talking about Ryder Cup fines, etc. Can you give us an update where you are with your legal case and how you see it progressing?

TYRRELL HATTON: To be honest I don't have an update to give. It's still with legal teams and there's guys that are still in conversations working it all out.

So I haven't put any more thought into that. Like I don't really know what's happening. So, yeah, I'm just here to play golf as always.

Q. Rory just suggested a very simple solution, if you just pay -- you and Jon just pay the fine to get on with it and play for Team Europe, what is your reaction to him saying that?

TYRRELL HATTON: Well, I've literally just come off a Pro-Am. So I'm not on my phone in the Pro-Am. So I don't really have anything to add towards what he said.

Q. All of your DP World Tour wins have either been at St Andrews or in the Rolex Series. Is there a conscious mindset change that contributes to you performing so well in a stage like this?

TYRRELL HATTON: No, I don't think so. I guess I've just been lucky that I've played well in the big events. Yeah, I'm proud of my record to win five Rolex Series, and three wins at the Dunhill, as well, is really special.

Yeah, the events I've been lucky enough to win, they are all pretty prestigious with the tour, so, yeah, something I'm proud of.

Q. How would you feel if you were to win this week and go past Jon Rahm in terms of Rolex Series wins? Would you drop him a text?

TYRRELL HATTON: It's a pretty easy reply to him. He'll still send me two major trophies that I haven't got near yet. So I think he still wins (laughs).

Q. Just taking off from that question, you've got some really big trophies. Do you think you've been able to do justice to the talent that you have in terms of big events, especially at the majors?

TYRRELL HATTON: Sorry, I missed that.

Q. Have you been able to do justice to your talent and your potential in terms of majors?

TYRRELL HATTON: For sure, like sitting here right now, I'd have loved to have won a major. I'd have loved to have had more chances to win majors. Being realistic, the only chance that I've really had was the U.S. Open last year, and obviously that didn't end up going my way. That was pretty tough to deal with initially.

But it was fun to be in that situation and a situation that you always -- that you want to be in regularly.

But every event that I play, I try my best. So it's certainly not through lack of effort. Golf's, as we know, a pretty stupid game. ALL you can do is try your best. Hopefully this year something will click in the majors.

Q. Congratulations on your win last year. Great to see you here again. What does artificial intelligence and the science of nutrition play into preparation of your game and how it impacts the Tour altogether?

TYRRELL HATTON: What? Sorry?

Q. There's a lot of tools when it comes to artificial intelligence that analyze the swing and help you to prepare to peak at certain hours of the game or prepare yourself for the Tour, and there's the science of nutrition goes behind it. How does it play for your preparation, or do you use it as all?

TYRRELL HATTON: I'm sorry to disappoint you, but I'm probably the worst player in the field to ask that question to. Like, I would hate seeing my swing on video. I think it looks disgusting. I don't really look at stats. I don't look at what areas of the game I need improve on.

Yeah, I'm sorry for being terrible for your question there.

Q. Hopefully a more straightforward one. Hypothetically, would you have imagine not being a member of the DP World Tour and not playing in a Ryder Cup?

TYRRELL HATTON: No. I mean, hopefully not. I've always been extremely proud to be a member on the DP World Tour, and certainly over the last couple of years, I've shown commitment to playing events here.

And then with the Ryder Cup, it's pretty hard to make those teams, and I've been fortunate to play the last four. And everyone says once you've played one, you never want to miss another one, and I'm certainly no different from that. Hopefully I'll be able to play more in the future.

But hopefully the only thing that stops me from being able to play in them would be age and some younger, much more talented players taking my spot in that sense.

So hopefully that's the way that my Ryder Cup career would end.

Q. Every time I've seen you outside the golf course, you are smiling, laughing, even item perked. Is it only when you are playing golf that you get angry? Otherwise, how are you?

TYRRELL HATTON: Yeah, obviously, you know that I get pretty angry on the golf course. I'd like to think that's normal for everyone that plays golf. No one enjoys hitting bad shots. I'm sure everyone gets angry in the car.

Yeah, normal things to get angry at, I feel like I'm pretty solid at losing my rage. But I guess an environment like this, I haven't got anything to throw my toys at the Pro-Am at, so I'm pretty content.

BRIONY CARLYON: Tyrrell, thank you for your time and good luck this week.