Rory McIlroy and Tyrrell Hatton find themselves on opposite sides of the PGA Tour-LIV Golf divide, but will reunite on the DP World Tour in Scotland in October
Rory McIlroy and Tyrrell Hatton will reunite (
Image: 2023 Getty Images)
Rory McIlroy is set for a reunion with his Ryder Cup ally Tyrell Hatton, after the four-time major champion committed to competing in October’s Alfred Dunhill Links Championship – eight months on from his LIV Golf move.
McIlroy’s entry into the DP World Tour event was confirmed on Monday, with the Northern Irishman set to play in the Pro-Am event alongside his dad Gerry. The father-son duo returns to the Scottish-based event as a past winners, having won the team side of the event alongside each other in 2019.
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One man who has also tasted success at the Dunhill Links event is Hatton, who is a two-time champion of the individual DP World Tour crown, with his victories coming back-to-back in 2016 and 2017.
The spotlight is set to shine on Hatton when he makes the trip to Scotland having spent the majority of the 2024 campaign with LIV Golf. The European star signed with the breakaway league at the 11th hour, having been poached by his Ryder Cup partner Jon Rahm to join his Legion XIII team.
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His decision to make the Saudi switch has come with some problems though, most notably surrounding his chances of representing Team Europe on the Ryder Cup stage in 2025. The Englishman – alongside both McIlroy and Rahm – played a key role in Europe’s victory over their American rivals last Autumn.
And whilst his decision to join LIV does not make him ineligible, he does have to abide to qualifying criteria. As a result Hatton must remain a member of the DP World Tour compete. A number of LIV stars – including Ian Poulter and Sergio Garcia – opted to resign their membership with the circuit last year, having been sanctioned for competing in ‘conflicting’ LIV events.
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LIV Golf’s Tyrrell Hatton is determined to stay in Ryder Cup contention ( Getty)
Hatton meanwhile has decided not to give up his Tour card, but does need to compete in four DP World Tour events by the end of the season to keep hold of his place – something that has proved difficult due to his LIV commitments. As things stand, Hatton has played in one event on the Tour, playing the Hero Dubai Desert Classic in January prior to his move.
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He has since committed to play in next week’s British Masters at The Belfry, whilst also revealing his intent to tee it up at the Spanish Open and Dunhill Links later this year. “I’m down to play British Masters, Spanish Open and Dunhill Links,” he claimed last month.
“Pretty much around obviously signing with LIV, those conversations were had [about the Ryder Cup], so the DP World Tour kind of knew where I stood with wanting to obviously maintain my membership and things like that, and the Ryder Cup is obviously very important to me.
“I need to be a member of the Tour, and I’m hoping that I can earn enough points in those three events that I just said to be able to play Abu Dhabi [HSBC Championship] and Dubai [DP World Tour Championship] in November. Yeah, once the LIV season finishes, then obviously my attention turns to the DP World Tour to try and gain the points that I need to gain, and Ryder Cup points start the week of Dallas. Yeah, that’s another incentive to go play.”
