Professional golfer Tyrrell Hatton has recently expressed his frustration at the slow pace of play during the prestigious Masters tournament, held at Augusta National. The 32-year-old completed his second round with a score of two-over-par, positioning him well for the upcoming rounds, but he is increasingly concerned about his ranking and the lack of recognition from the Official World Golf Ranking (OWGR) due to his involvement in the LIV Golf scene.
For elite golfers, invitations to all four major tournaments are customary unless they have secured a major victory in the past five years or received a special invitation. Hatton, who has recently dropped from 16th to 19th place in the rankings, can no longer rely on his OWGR to guarantee his participation in major golf events. Winning a major tournament this year would effectively solve this issue.
Hatton has raised concerns about the Masters in the past, particularly two years ago when he criticized the course setup, labeling it as “unfair” following challenging performances over the weekend rounds. In his most recent remarks, Hatton expressed dissatisfaction with the slow pace of play from the group ahead of him, consisting of Patrick Reed, Sungjae Im, and Kurt Kitagama, who took nearly five hours to complete 18 holes in windy conditions. He expressed his disappointment with the officials, highlighting that it took 32 holes to put the group on the clock to speed up their play.
Furthermore, Hatton highlighted the impact of the slow pace of play on his own performance, explaining the difficulty he faced in maintaining a rhythm while waiting for the group ahead. His frustration was compounded by a less-than-ideal restart to his first round, resulting in a double bogey and subsequent bogey in his second round. Referring to his performance, Hatton acknowledged that he experienced a series of unfavorable breaks and described his score as being “as bad as it could be.”
Amidst his challenges, Hatton’s Ryder Cup teammate Nicolai Hojgaard is positioned as a frontrunner, aiming to become the first rookie winner at the Masters in 45 years. Hojgaard, currently ranked 38th in the world, demonstrated a strong performance with rounds of 67 and 73, placing him at four-under par at the midway point of the tournament. Despite encountering setbacks towards the end of his rounds, Hojgaard expressed his enjoyment of the competitive challenge and his satisfaction with his overall performance.
As the Masters tournament unfolds, it is clear that Hatton’s frustrations and challenges are reflective of the competitive and demanding nature of professional golf. The tournament also presents an opportunity for emerging talent, such as Nicolai Hojgaard, to showcase their skills and potentially make history through a groundbreaking victory.