LIV GOLF VIRGINIA

May 7, 2026

Tyrrell Hatton

Trump National DC

Legion XIII

Press Conference

THE MODERATOR: Let's welcome to the Media Center Tyrrell Hatton of Legion XIII. Tyrrell, 6-under 66, currently tied for second place following round 1. First, just walk us through today's round and how you felt out there today.

TYRRELL HATTON: Very happy with my round today. The weather was perfect, and the greens were rolling really nice.

Yeah, I put a new putter in this week with a slightly different grip than what I'm used to using, and it seemed to work pretty well today. Hopefully that continues as the week goes.

Q. We spoke earlier this week about hoping to continue the momentum from Augusta, in Mexico City, into this week. One day in, is that the type of result that you think could carry on throughout the weekend?

TYRRELL HATTON: Obviously it's a good start. The golf course is pretty tricky. There's some tough driving holes. It's pretty easy to make mistakes. Obviously I'm aware of that. Today I didn't do too much wrong. There's still three days of golf left, and there's going to be periods of each round probably where things get a little bit difficult. Yeah, hopefully I can deal with those situations and stay high up on the leaderboard.

Q. Do you change putters very often?

TYRRELL HATTON: No. It's basically the same head as what I've been used to, the same visual. It's just this one has an insert so the ball comes off slightly quicker.

I just felt like the putter that I have been using for the best part of, I think it was Miami in 2024 when I put that putter in play. I just felt like that one just comes off a little bit soft. I've been leaving a lot of putts short. That's obviously frustrating.

So this one comes off a little bit quicker. So far my start line has been really good. With it being the first round, you have that nervousness towards is it actually going to be okay? Thankfully, I hit a lot of good putts today, and there was quite a few putts that went in. So that gives me confidence.

Q. I don't know how many times you started a round out here on a par-5. Do you like that? Do you like having the chance of that kind of quick birdie opportunity?

TYRRELL HATTON: I mean, I guess, yeah, it helps. Then you stand on the 3rd tee, and you've got a really tough par-3. You don't have to do a lot wrong there. I made bogey straight on 3. Didn't feel like I hit that bad a tee shot. Unfortunately, a 4-iron plugged in in the bunker, which I mean, a 4-iron shouldn't have a plug in a bunker, but here we are.

Yeah, I made bogey, so that was annoying, but thankfully made some birdies after that.

Q. One last question from me. Obviously a lot of guys out there wearing white Polos, navy pants. What was it like to kind of see that tribute to Seve out there today?

TYRRELL HATTON: Jon was very passionate about us wearing this outfit today. It's very obvious what Seve means to us as a European team and what he means for golf in general. For us to wear this as a tribute to him is definitely the right thing to do. I'm happy that I can put a good round together wearing it.

Q. With all of the off-course news that's come over the last couple of weeks, what has been your method of staying focused on the game and screening out or paying attention to everything that's happened?

TYRRELL HATTON: For me personally, what I do doesn't affect anything off the golf course. Like my job is to play golf, and that's all I can do. So I try to prepare and get ready for this tournament like I would any other time that I have a few weeks off.

Yeah, as I said, my job is to play golf, and that's all I do.

Q. Do you look at social media or articles or anything like that and keep an eye on things?

TYRRELL HATTON: No. Actually, I deleted X off my phone 2 1/2 years ago, and I deleted Instagram almost two years ago off my phone. I've replaced that with looking at Daily Mail and Sky Sports News and other things.

Yeah, it's nice to not have social media and the negativity that kind of comes with that. So I definitely don't miss it.

Q. Can you talk about that par you made on 11, and that kind of keep the momentum going when you're up on the lip of the bunker?

TYRRELL HATTON: 11, oh, yeah, where I missed the green left?

Q. Yeah, you still got it 172 from right at the lip of the bunker, then you made a 13-footer for par.

TYRRELL HATTON: Yeah, that was a surprise to not fat it or knife it into the bunker to be honest. My fairway bunker play is normally one of the worst parts of my game. So I think that was the first surprise that I actually got ball first and it didn't hit anything on the way through.

Unfortunately, yeah, I missed it in a pretty horrific spot short left. Probably hit the best pitch shot that I could hit from that lie and with how the green was sitting above me. Yeah, to hole the putt was a bonus.

The fact that Cam Smith turned around and clapped when that putt went in shows that it was a good up-and-down. Obviously his short game is pretty filthy. So if he was impressed, it must have been good.

Q. Then you birdied the next two. Did that maybe start some kind of momentum for you?

TYRRELL HATTON: It obviously kept things ticking along nicely. I'd had -- what was it? I had three birdies in a row at the end of the front nine. Yeah, that definitely kept momentum going. Then hit a nice tee shot down 12. I had 7-wood in. Obviously in that situation on a fairway on a par-5, you're kind of expecting to make birdie. So thankfully I did.

Q. You seem to be peaking right now around major season. Is that something you consciously did leading into this year, after last year getting so close in the U.S. Open? Maybe trying to peak at the right time?

TYRRELL HATTON: I think my major record has been horrific, to be honest, with the amount of majors I've played. More recently it's been nice to actually play well in some majors, but it's not anything that I've like changed in my game or changed my thought process and how I'd go into those weeks. I still go out there and try my best like any other week.

It's good to play well, and hopefully I can finish well here this week and take momentum into next week.