Tyrrell Hatton reacts to Rory McIlroy comment: "He knows me well enough by now"

Tyrrell Hatton says he agrees with Rory McIlroy that he doesn't need to change his behaviour on the course. 

The hot-headed Englishman held his nerve on Sunday to claim the Hero Dubai Desert Classic in dramatic circumstances. 

Hatton, 33, came up clutch on the 72nd hole by jarring a nine-foot putt to avoid a playoff with New Zealand's Daniel Hillier and win by one stroke. 

Once again Hatton's temper attracted headlines, though, after he was filmed damaging a tee box marker following a loose iron shot during the third round. 

Hatton was spoken to by tournament officials about the outburst and he later conceded that he shouldn't have done it. 

But he said: "Does it make me a bad person? No. 

"It was a spur-of-the-moment thing. It happened. I can't go back and change it so [I will] just move on."

Clearly, unless Hatton has a significant drop off in form it appears more than likely that the LIV recruit will be a dead cert to feature in the 2025 Ryder Cup. 

Hatton was instrumental in Europe's victory in Rome and formed a formidable partnership with former World No.1 Jon Rahm. 

The aforementioned McIlroy has already put his neck on the line by suggesting Europe will win in hostile territory for the first time since 2012. 

To do that, though, the Northern Irishman reckons Hatton will need to be there. 

"He does not give a flying fig what anyone thinks of him," McIlroy said of Hatton.

"He has balls and is a massive asset for our Ryder Cup team."

Asked about McIlroy's comment, Hatton said: "Well, he obviously knows me well enough by now to know what I'm like and the type of person I am. 

"I mean, a lot of people don't like how I'll be on the golf course."

He added: "Some people might enjoy watching it. 

"But that's up to those people to decide, the people that know me as a person and what I kind of stand for. I think I'm a pretty honest person."

Hatton said he was just being himself. 

"Yeah, I guess I agree with Rory that I don't need to change," he said.

Hatton will now take a short break before LIV's third full season kicks off in Riyadh on 6 February. 

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