Tyrrell Hatton wins Arnold Palmer Invitational
Tyrrell Hatton claimed his maiden PGA Tour title as he won the Arnold Palmer Invitational at Bay Hill.
In what proved to be one of the toughest weeks of golf the PGA Tour has seen for a long time, Tyrrell Hatton held his nerve to claim his maiden PGA Tour title as he picked up the Arnold Palmer Invitational at Bay Hill.
The Englishman shot a two-over par round of 74 on Sunday to finish the tournament four-under par, one shot better than Australian Marc Leishman, while Honda Classic winner Sungjae Im finished in third place.
Conditions at Bay Hill were extremely tough on the final day, with strong winds and firm greens making it very difficult to stay under par, which the majority of Sunday's field failed to do, including Rory McIlroy who drifted out of contention as he shot a four-over par round of 76 to drop into T5.
Hatton held a two-shot overnight lead but that quickly became one when he bogeyed the first hole after finding the sand from his tee shot.
The 28-year-old then dropped another shot at the fifth when he found some trouble from the greenside bunker and needed three shots to get the ball in the hole.
Hatton bounced back after a phenomenal shot at the par-three seventh left a tap-in bogey and he made another at the eighth to get back to level par for the day and six-under for the tournament.
Problems arrived at the 11th hole for Hatton after his drive found the water, before sending his next shot over the back of the green, leading to a double-bogey 6.
Conditions are brutal at Bay Hill. There has been only one round in the 60s since Round 2 ended.
Tyrrell Hatton makes double bogey on 11.
The lead is down to one. pic.twitter.com/WhmQsvkTCR— PGA TOUR (@PGATOUR) March 8, 2020
Im made his move and joined Hatton as the leader with a birdie of his own at the 12th, but the shared lead was short lived as he found the water at the next and made a double-bogey.
Leishman applied the pressure with two birdies on the back nine, but six pars in a row for Hatton saw him coming down the 18th with a one-shot lead.
Both players made par down the last, giving Hatton the victory and his first on the PGA Tour to add to his four wins on the European Tour.
