Palm Beach Gardens, FL …
Tyrrell Hatton was left ‘gutted’ after missing birdie putts at both his 17th and 18th holes that saw him slip from securing PGA Tour ‘Temporary Membership’ status in sharing fourth place in the Honda Classic.
Hatton, who went into the last day in second place, eventually posted a final round two over par 72 for a seven under par total.
American Rickie Fowler collected his fourth PGA Tour title, and a very first at five attempts when leading going in last round, courtesy of a one over par 71 to win by four strokes at 12-under par.
Hatton looked a forlorn figure sitting with just his caddy for company in a corner of the PGA National locker-room ahead of packing up his belongings and heading for nearby West Palm Beach Airport and a special charter flight bound for this week’s WGC – Mexico Championship in Mexico City.
The 25-year old High Wycombe-born golfer went into the final day trailing Fowler by four but got off to a poor start in finding a green side bunker on route to further bogeys at the fourth and seventh holes.
Tyrrell Hatton and Rickie Fowler shake hands after Fowler captures the Honda Classic. (Photo – PGA Tour)
It wasn’t till he holed his 22-foot third shot at the 10th that the reigning Alfred Dunhill Links champion managed a first birdie before his only other birdie in getting up-and-down from 50-feet after finding a green side bunker with his drive and proceeding to sink an eight-footer for birdie.
However, his biggest disappointment was seeing his three-and-a-half-foot birdie putt at the par three, 17th hit a spike mark just in front of the cup and miss the hole for an eventual par.
Then to add insult to injury, Hatton left his 30-foot birdie attempt at the last right right in the jaws of the cup.
A birdie at either hole could easily have handed Hatton a share of second with the Americans Morgan Hoffman and Gary Woodland while birdies at both second on his own and in his first ‘invitation’ PGA Tour event.
“I’m just really gutted about 17 as I hit such a good shot in there and obviously being last out, you get a lot of spike marks that late in a round as it was a straight putt of about three-and-a-half feet and it didn’t even hit the hole,” Hatton said.
“I was pretty devastated about that and then to leave the birdie putt on 18 short again in the jaws when if I had of holed it, I would have earned second on my own and there’s my temporary membership’.
“So, I’m pretty disappointed at the moment”.
Hatton earned a prize cheque for $US 232, 000 whereas Hoffman and Woodland each won $US 563,200.
The Englishman has some seven events to earn around $US 700,000 required to secure ‘Temporary’ PGA Tour membership.
“I good thing is that I felt pretty calm out there even though the conditions were pretty tough out there,” he said.
“I didn’t get off to a great start and I missed a lot of shots left today, so I was just struggling a little bit and I was pleased with myself as I dug in there pretty well after dropping three shots going out.
“So, overall I just didn’t think it was my day but sometimes that’s the way it is.
“It was pretty cool playing with Ricky and he clearly had a lot of support out there, and there was the situation when he putted out many in the crowd would then move to the next tee before I putted out.
“That’s to be expected and it really didn’t affect me.
“The whole atmosphere was great. Ricky played well and he’s a great champion but I’m just disappointed particularly with the last two holes.”
