Hatton deserves to be in the conversation when we consider contenders for this year’s four majors.
They start with the Masters in April. Danny Willett (2016) and Sergio Garcia (2017) are Desert Classic winner who claimed the famous Green Jacket in the same year.
Hatton, like Garcia, has often been driven to distraction by the unique ways of the Augusta National. The Englishman’s share of ninth last year was his best Masters in eight attempts.
But his game should match up well because he is such a consistent and solid ball striker, who possesses a very solid short game. These attributes should put him in the major mix more often than has been the case in his career to date.
Fifth at the 2016 Open is his best major result in 38 attempts but he has never been better equipped to improve that record.
“I don’t treat them any differently in how I feel when I’m playing on a Thursday or Friday and into the weekend,” Hatton reflected.
“You have weeks where you get on a run and you play well for a period, and for some reason, the majors haven’t fallen on the right week for me yet.
“I’d love this year for one of the majors to fall on the right week. But I’ll continue to do everything I need to to feel like I’m ready to go and play well at a major, and try and get my game in as good of shape and feel as comfortable as I can.
“It’s certainly not through any lack of trying. As we all know, golf is a pretty stupid game, how you can miss any amount of cuts and out of nowhere you go and win the next week. That’s all through perseverance and trying your best.”
This win came against a decent field and on a testing course which offer parallels with his 2020 triumph in the Arnold Palmer Invitational at Bay Hill, which is still his best win to date.
As he says, though, this one “is right up there” among his finest career moments. It undoubtedly lays foundations for a potentially career year. “I’ve been fortunate to win some big events, and with a world-class field,” Hatton said.
“The majors are just that. So if I give myself the opportunity, then of course you have to back yourself to think that you can go on and win.
“And doing it on courses that are set up ridiculously hard, and even courses where the setup is a little bit more forgiving, you still have to go out there and hit the right shots and make putts.
“So yeah, hopefully this year I’ll do better in the majors.”
