AUGUSTA, Ga. — The good news for Tyrrell Hatton? His three-under 69 on Sunday at the Masters has secured him a spot inside the top 12, which means he gets to come back to Augusta National next year. The bad news for Hatton? He has to come back to Augusta National next year.
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From now until then, Hatton may be thinking about the par-5 15th, AKA “Firethorn.” The Englishman played that hole in four-over par this week, which as of now is the difference between T-10 and T-4. He made double on Thursday, then went bogey-bogey on Friday and Saturday before finally making par on Sunday. What’s supposed to be a gettable par 5 turned into Hatton’s personal house of horrors at the 2024 Masters.
To the surprise of no one, Hatton had some thoughts on “Firethorn” following his round Sunday.
“I was trying not to think of 15 until I got there,” Hatton said. “That hole lives rent-free in my head. I hate it. I absolutely hate it. And I think it hates me with the scores that I end up producing on it. Again, I’ve played that hole in 4-over this week.”
Another hole that gave Hatton fits was the 18th, which he made double-bogey six on Saturday evening to spoil a solid round. He also played that hole in four over for the tournament.
“You take them out, and it shows that I’ve played some really good golf,” he said. “Can’t do anything about it now.”
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Hatton also lamented the fact that Augusta National simply doesn’t fit his eye, which explains why he’s voiced so much displeasure with it over the years. Oddly enough, he’s improved his results dramatically since his first Masters appearance in 2017, when he missed the cut. After a T-44, a T-56 and a MC in his next three starts, he’s now finished T-18 or better in two of his last four.
That doesn’t mean his opinion on the Alister MacKenzie gem is changing any time soon.
“I’ve doubled my tally now for rounds in the 60s,” said Hatton “I don’t think there’s another golf course in the world that I’ll play 25 times and only shoot in the 60s twice. It’s a really hard golf course, one that I’ve always really struggled on.
“It’s just more down to the fact of my shot shape, and I’m not going to change my golf swing or how I want to play golf just to try and get around one golf course. Around most courses, it’s fine. It’s just here, they just love having trees on the front left of tee boxes.
“It would be nice if we come back and they just put a few on the right just to take out some of the people that draw it, mess them up for a change.”
Augusta National certainly isn’t afraid to move a few trees around, but something tells us that the club isn’t interested in consultation from one of its biggest critics.
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This article was originally published on golfdigest.com
