Tyrrell Hatton is known for his piquant thoughts on golf course setups and profane self-flagellation seemingly every time a shot goes awry but his greatest challenge during tournament weeks is lunch in the locker room.
“The sound of people chewing, it drives me mad,” he says, citing Haotong Li as the worst offender. At home, Hatton plays music during meals because, he says, “I can’t stand to hear myself chew.”
It’s not easy being wired like Hatton. Just driving around his native England often sets him off. “I just have to vent in the car, maybe do a little shouting. I’m not going to follow the person that cut me off and have a tear at them, though sometimes I want to.”
Yet somehow this cat on a hot tin roof is thriving on golf’s most stressful course at its most pressure-packed championship. With rounds of 68-71, Hatton is in contention at the 124th United States Open. He is already halfway to a unique Grand Slam, having flipped the bird at both the Masters and Open Championship. But now this six-time winner on the European Tour, and champion of the 2020 Arnold Palmer Invitational, is in position to become known for more than just his temper.
And the key is—get this!—being a little more chill.