Radar analyses Tyrrell Hatton missing out on European Tour treble bid after five-shot lead disappears
Sunday 7 October 2018 17:05, UK
Wayne Riley reflects on Lucas Bjerregaard’s dramatic victory at the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship and runners-up finishes for Ryder Cup duo Tyrrell Hatton and Tommy Fleetwood.
Bjerregaard a deserving champion as Hatton suffers back-nine collapse
A couple of weeks ago, he nearly won up on the mountains at Crans Sur Sierre. He has won before and snuck up under their guard.
I am amazed. I really thought it was Tyrrell's - he was four in front and was cruising around and it was going to be a stroll on the back nine. It just goes to show you in our game that you can't take your foot off the gas for one second.
[Bjerregaard] has had a number of top-10 finishes - all in big events which is fantastic - so he has racked up the money.
He is in good shape and is a fine player. We have known it for a long time. Sometimes it takes some players longer than others to get over the line.
This is a great win here at a big tournament, which everyone treasures. You play at Kingsbarns, Carnoustie and an iconic venue in St Andrews. This kid is now up there.
We have got big tournaments to come so maybe we will see him win another one this year because he has been knocking on the door and may continue to.
I believe he is a Ryder Cup player of the future. I wrote an article about the lad a few years ago. I watched him on the range a lot because I think his golf swing is sensational.
He is a fine young man, a great golfer and has all the attributes of being a great champion. Whether he will follow in the footsteps of the great Dane Thomas Bjorn, I am not sure but he has the chance of doing so.
Hatton has potential to be as good as Fleetwood
Let's not change Tyrrell Hatton. He is a fine player, a Ryder Cup star and a champion now and for the future.
I would like to see Tyrrell calm it down. I think that would make him a better player and that will eventually come but right now he is finding it hard to do that.
Let's not change Tyrrell Hatton. He is a fine player, a Ryder Cup star and a champion now and for the future.
He has the potential to be of the same calibre. Right now, Tommy is naturally calmer than Tyrrell. There is nothing wrong with having a little fire in your belly as a professional sportsman - not just as a golfer.
'Brutal' final-round conditions test golfers
My job is to bring the sounds and the smells from the course and they were just in your face!
My eyes were watering and Bjerregaard had a snood on him protecting his face. It was just brutal and to shoot that score today you have to take your hat off to him.
Because it was one heck of a score and to slip under the radar off the other two, who were tired you would think. But you shouldn't be tired coming down the last nine holes of a championship four in front.
You should be right up for it because you are going for three in a row. Tommy was trying to sneak back in there but Bjerregaard did it.
Hatton, Fleetwood's psychological struggle after emotional week
There were up to the challenge. I think they both got mentally tired, these guys don't get physically tired. These boys are up for it every single week.
They are around 25, 26 years of age. They shouldn't be tired and are playing for big money and trophies every single week.
Tyrrell and Tommy now have that ability to put their names on the board. When I was out there I had a look at the leaderboard and saw Fleetwood's name close to Hatton, I said 'you have got a really good chance of winning this'.
Everyone would look at a guy like this and Tyrrell and know they are not going to go away.
But I was wrong today, they did and someone came and took this championship away from them. After a Ryder Cup they have both had a great week to come second - hats off.
Sky Sports British Masters next stop
I am going to say Tommy is going away from here saying 'job well done'.
[He] let one slip but it's still a job well done and next week he has got the Sky Sports British Masters. There are big championships to come.
He will have a week off after next week and then he can go along. You can't win every week.
The next stop on the European Tour is the Sky Sports British Masters and there will be live coverage throughout the week beginning with the Hero Challenge from 6.30pm on Tuesday.
