Ryder Cup: Team Europe will hope potty-mouthed pair Jon Rahm and Tyrrell Hatton can turn the scorecard blue… as Luke Donald considers pairing them up in Rome
- The couple will have their short fuses tested by the expected feverish atmosphere
- Rahm’s former playing partner Sergio Garcia is unavailable due to his LIV defection
Europe’s Ryder Cup team may not be described as 12 Angry Men, but captain Luke Donald is doing everything he can to bring out his most combustible combination this year.
With Sergio Garcia’s LIV defection making him unavailable, Donald is considering teaming Jon Rahm with Tyrrell Hatton, whose short fuse will be tested by the expected febrile atmosphere.
Rahm and Garcia were an isolated success for Europe at Whistling Straits in 2021, winning three times together.
Rahm also gained a half point paired with Hatton, and practice days suggest they may be reunited.
The prospect of this led to the Englishman being asked who would win a swearing match between the two players with little history of hiding their emotions on court.
Tyrell Hatton (left) and Jon Rahm could be paired together at the Ryder Cup in Rome this week
Donald is hopeful that the passionate duo can turn the scoreboard European blue
Hatton has a ten-minute showreel entitled: Tyrrell Hatton – Angry Golfer
“I’d give it a pretty poor shot,” Hatton said. “I wouldn’t want to embarrass myself or upset Jon, I guess. I think I would probably win in a swearing-in. I’ve got everyone covered when it counts. It doesn’t matter what we do, I swear.’
Warmly echoing his theme, he added, “I don’t understand why Jon doesn’t swear in Spanish. Why does he swear in English? I do not understand. He could probably get away with it as long as he swore in Spanish. Maybe the English language has a little more spice with certain words.’
Hatton suffers from white line fever perhaps more than any other golfer.
With a reputation for being witty and courteous off the court, his outbursts after not being perfect at shot making have marked him.
So much so that the DP Tour actually produced a showreel video of his self-beration that lasted over 10 minutes, entitled Tyrrell Hatton: Angry Golfer.
The 31-year-old from High Wycombe was happy to play along with the stereotype, using one example to flippantly tell the media: ‘F*** off’.
More seriously, he assessed his relationship with Rahm, saying, “I think we’re pretty similar, pretty fiery people. But Jon is of course a fantastic player and obviously brings a lot of energy. I really enjoy being in Jon’s company.
Rahm also has a short temper, although that has been softened by parenthood
Rahm’s former playing partner Sergio Garcia is unavailable due to his defection from LIV Golf
“He likes to call me Ty-Rell, which is an interesting move. He started calling me that in Whistling Straits and maybe after that I would have had a good chance. That week they were very few.
“I don’t think being emotional – I don’t think that’s a negative thing.”
Rahm also has a simmering temper, although the experience of parenthood – he has two sons, born in 2021 and 2022 – seems to have mellowed him somewhat.
Either way, there will be no shortage of fire they bring with them, with Hatton aiming to better his previous Ryder Cup record by gaining two and a half points from the seven he has played for.
“At the end of the day you are playing against the best players in the world,” he reasoned.
‘On the European side, the highest percentage of victories is around 70 percent. So if you win half your matches, it’s still quite an effort.’