LIV Golf star Tyrrell Hatton aiming to exploit Ryder Cup loophole

Tyrrell Hatton is on course to fulfill his four-event requirement, thereby securing his ongoing membership of the DP World Tour after clinching victory at the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship.
Hatton, who has now won the tournament three times, made a return to compete on some of Scotland’s most renowned courses, where he previously triumphed back-to-back in 2016 and 2017. This return is noteworthy as the English golfer is vying for his future in the Ryder Cup.
Earlier this year, Hatton emerged as one of the leading figures to transition to LIV Golf, following European teammate Jon Rahm into Legion XIII just before the commencement of the 2024 LIV season.
His loyalty to the new league meant that his obligations to the DP World Tour had been reduced, putting his membership with the Wentworth-based circuit at risk. Concerns were voiced that Hatton might be dropped from the members’ list, and consequently lose his chance to compete in the 2025 Ryder Cup.
This worry stems from the fact that all DP World Tour members are required to participate in at least four events each year to maintain their Tour card, which is a prerequisite for being part of the European Ryder Cup team.
Prior to his move to the Saudi Arabia-funded league, Hatton competed in the Hero Dubai Desert Classic, but that was his sole competition until the end of August.
Hatton successfully appealed against fines and suspensions, which were imposed due to his participation in ‘conflicting’ events on the LIV setup. This enabled him to compete in the remaining starts required to complete his four-event tally.
Following his play in Dubai in January, Hatton took part in his second event seven months later at the Betfred British Masters. Earlier this month, he made a third start, joining Legion XIII teammate, Jon Rahm at the Spanish Open, where he finished tied for 10th place.
His critical fourth start occurred this week when he played across St Andrews, Carnoustie and Kingsbarns with his father, Jeff in the Pro-Am event. However, there remains a potential question mark over his Ryder Cup future, which revolves around Hatton’s appeal against his punishments.
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The resolution of this appeal is yet to be determined, and it is unclear whether this will happen after next Autumn’s Ryder Cup to allow Hatton and his teammates to focus on their performance on the course. Hatton’s ally, Rahm, is also facing the same predicament but still needs to complete one more event, expected to be the Andalucia Masters in two weeks.
He also resolved to dispute his fines, emphatically communicating he has no plans to comply with the financial penalties. Back in September, Rahm asserted: “I’m not a big fan of the fines. I think I’ve been outspoken about that. I don’t intend to pay the fines, and we keep trying to have a discussion with them about how we can make this happen.”