‘He’s got balls,’ says Rory McIlroy as Tyrrell Hatton wins after tantrum that saw him questioned for smashing tee box

TYRELL HATTON was warned for smashing a tee container connected his mode to winning the Dubai Desert Classic.

McIlroy praised Hatton for not “giving a flying fig what anyone other thinks” astir his temper tantrums.

Hatton, 33, fto his vexation get the amended of him arsenic helium smashed a tee container successful the 3rd round.

Officials spoke to the Ryder Cup prima astir his behaviour connected the seventh hole, earlier helium went connected to paper a four-under-par 68 for a 12-under total.

Hatton admitted it was a vexation day and suggested helium needed to beryllium much diligent with his game.

He told BBC Sport: "Yes, I astir apt shouldn't person done it. Does it marque maine a atrocious person? No. It was a spur-of-the-moment thing. It happened. I can't spell backmost and alteration it truthful conscionable determination on.

"I americium blessed with however I played the backmost 9 with and I could easy person been a fewer shots amended with the putts that I missed. But I americium successful a bully presumption going into the last round.

"Tomorrow is different circular of golf and I should person capable acquisition to conscionable spell retired and play. I americium successful a large presumption to springiness myself a accidental of winning the tournament.

"Hopefully I tin beryllium much diligent erstwhile I request to be."

Hatton kept his chill aft the tee container incident, adjacent erstwhile it looked similar the par 3 seventh would effort his patience again, arsenic his tee changeable threatened to rotation backmost into the water guarding the green. But it stopped a ft changeable of the water, and helium was capable to salvage par.

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After that his lone amusement of aggression came erstwhile helium punched the aerial successful delight aft sinking a five-footer for par astatine the past - giving the LIV prima 2 wins, a 2nd and a sixth-place decorativeness successful his past 4 DP World Tour outings.

McIlroy, who had won this lawsuit for the past 2 years, said Hatton is simply a worthy successor.

He commented: “What I respect astir Tyrrell is that helium does things his ain way. He doesn't springiness a flying fig for what anyone other thinks, which is simply a truly bully cognition to have. And he’s a large finisher. Yeah, he’s got balls.”

A last circular 66 hoisted McIlroy to 12 nether and a stock of fourth, 3 shots down Hatton. It was his 12th successive apical 10 decorativeness here, but helium ne'er looked similar making up the 7 stroke shortage helium faced astatine the commencement of play.

He added: “I conscionable near myself excessively overmuch to do. I burned the edges with a batch of putts implicit the archetypal 3 days, truthful it was nice to spot a fewer driblet today. I felt similar my crippled got a spot sharper each day, which bodes good for the coming weeks.”

Hatton’s signifier gives him an irresistible lawsuit for a 4th consecutive Ryder Cup quality successful September, adjacent if his LIV commitments forestall him from finishing arsenic 1 of Europe’s six automatic qualifiers.

He said: "This week and the 4 Majors are immense for maine successful presumption of qualifying for the Ryder Cup, truthful it feels large to tick 1 off. And this is 1 of the titles you would similar to person connected your C.V. It's specified an iconic event.

“To adhd my sanction to the database of the astonishing champions earlier maine - Tiger, Seve, Rory and the remainder - is simply a imagination travel true. It’s superb to person my sanction connected that trophy.

"I'm not going to lie, I was beauteous tense connected the backmost nine. I conjecture I conscionable wanted it a spot excessively much, and I was a spot scruffy down the last, leaving myself that 5 footer for par. To spot that putt spell successful felt amazing. Just truthful blessed to win.”