ABU DHABI // The last time Tyrrell Hatton played competitively in the UAE, he left the Earth Course in Dubai trying his best to persuade everyone he was not going to be too downbeat about life.
The Englishman’s finish at the DP World Tour Championship in November was gut-wrenching. After a sensational save on the 71st hole of the tournament, he found water with his final tee shot of his breakthrough season.
It was a terminal lapse that allowed his young compatriot Matt Fitzpatrick to steal from his grasp what would have been the biggest win of his budding career to date.
The nature of the loss was crushing. What is more, he had six weeks to stew on it, before returning to European Tour action at the Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship.
Stew? Hardly. Instead of wallowing in self pity, Hatton chilled.
The Tour’s leading lights used their time off in differing ways. Fitzpatrick, for instance, spent some of the off-season scouring the Florida property market to invest his Dubai winnings — although he eventually opted against buying his first house.
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Henrik Stenson, the 2016 Race to Dubai winner, swapped fairways for pistes, while Martin Kaymer opted to redouble training ahead of the new campaign.
And Hatton? He loafed around playing Fifa and Call of Duty on his games console at home in the UK.
“I spent most of my time playing Xbox and chilling out at home, to be perfectly honest,” Hatton said after his third-round 68 took him to 13-under for the tournament, and a one-stroke lead. “It is a little bit of a surprise to see where I’m at this week, but I’m very happy with one round to go.”
Hatton does well to remain so chilled out. If he thought much more deeply about the company he keeps these days, he might be a little spooked.
During Round 3, he went round in three shots less than playing partner Stenson, who was the British Open champion last year.
Now he will tee-it up alongside Dustin Johnson, the reigning US Open champ, in the final match of the championship on Sunday.
There is plenty of illustrious company on their shoulders, too, given that 16 players will start Round 4 within three strokes of Hatton. As seems typical of him, the leader is phlegmatic about the prospect.
“Obviously, big names are up there, so I’ve just got to focus on my game and try to play as well as I can,” Hatton said.
“I love this place. It’s one of my favourite events of the year, so hopefully I can go out there tomorrow and have a good day.”
Stenson, the world No 4, is three behind. “It’s very bunched up and a lot of things that can happen in the final round,” Stenson said.
“I know I’ve got to shoot in the mid 60s to have a chance, and that’s definitely doable. Just got to try to carry on.”
Not all the contenders for the Falcon Trophy are gilded household names. Dean Burmester, whose third-round 66 took him to 11-under, only qualified to play here after finishing fourth in his home South African Open last week.
Even then, he was lucky to make it here in time, given the short timeframe to complete the administrative process.
“This is kind of a bonus week for me,” said Burmester, whose round of 66 was bettered only by Johnson.
“I didn’t get a visa until Tuesday morning, and got in here at 3.00am Tuesday night. It’s just nice to be here and to play well is just a bonus.
“Visas are a bit of an issue. Unfortunately our passport is not exactly the greatest one to be travelling on in the world, but I managed to get it sorted. I have a great team behind me and they managed to get the job done.”
pradley@thenational.ae
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