Dame Laura Davies believes Tyrrell Hatton has proven he is ready to win a major tournament this year following his success at the Hero Dubai Desert Classic.
Hatton won his first Rolex Series event since 2021 after holding his nerve on Sunday to hold off New Zealander Daniel Hillier in a thrilling finale.
The 33-year-old is yet to seriously compete in one of golf's four major tournaments, but he could be a factor at The Masters in April, if his form continues, having also finished strongly last season on the LIV circuit and won the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship. Championship for the third time.
“He's got his game in the right place,” Davis said. “The next step is a major championship. Is he ready to win a major championship? Absolutely.” Sky Sports Golf.
“I'm telling you, Augusta National, the way he drives, you have to think it's going to suit him because he'll hit it both ways if he wants to.
“The next step is a big step, there's no doubt about that, and I'm looking forward to seeing what he brings this year.”
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Highlights of the final round of the Hero Dubai Desert Classic
Hatton competes in the LIV Golf League, so he will only have the top four teams this year to pick up more Ryder Cup qualifying points.
He is unbeaten in the 2023 Ryder Cup, has won 3.5 points and is likely to be part of Team Europe, as an automatic qualifier or selection to captain Luke Donald.
The top six players automatically qualify for the popular team golf event through a single Ryder Cup points list, with points distributed throughout the season up to the Ryder Cup itself on September 26-28 in New York – live on Sky Sports.
“This event and the Grand Slams this year are massive for me to try and gain as many points as possible to be automatically qualified, so this is a big step in the right direction,” Hatton said.
DAVIES: McIlroy is going to have a tremendous year
Rory McIlroy ended 2024 on a high by winning the DP World Tour Championship, winning the Race to Dubai and recording a sixth Harry Vardon Cup.
After a heartbreaking end to last year's US Open, McIlroy is desperate to end his wait for a major tournament dating back to 2014.
On Sunday, he rose up the leaderboard from 12th to fourth during a dramatic final round in his first appearance of 2025. He fell short of winning the Dubai Desert Classic for a fifth time, but Davies believes McIlroy will gain confidence from his strong finish.
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Rory McIlroy says winning the Seve Ballesteros Award is “a really nice compliment” and shares the improvements he aims to make in 2025.
“He was rusty but he finished fourth in a really good field. The likes of Jon Rahm missed the cut. It was a tough test and he didn't play for a long time and that's a nice feeling,” she said.
“When he gets back to the PGA Tour, and plays regularly, week in and week out, he'll smooth out those little wrinkles.
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“If his wedge play is as good as it was in Dubai at the end of last season, we know he misses birdie putts, but he gives himself plenty of chances.
“He's going to have a tremendous year and I think Scottie Scheffler and Xander Scheufele could have their hands full for Rory this year.”
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