Professional golfer Tyrrell Hatton faced criticism on social media after a video clip showed him slamming his putter onto the green during the second round of the DP World Tour Championship in Dubai.
Putter Slam and Tournament Response
During Friday’s round at Jumeirah Golf Estates, the English golfer dropped the heel of his putter onto the seventh green twice before apparently smoothing the spot with the back of his club. Although numerous social media users demanded disciplinary action, tournament officials determined the incident did not require a penalty. Hatton successfully converted his par putt and faced no consequences from the officials.
Leading the Tournament Alongside Rory McIlroy
Despite his visible frustration, Hatton shot a 2-under 70 in the first round and a 69 on Friday, reaching 5-under par and sharing the lead heading into the weekend with Rory McIlroy.
Hatton described his performance as mostly solid despite a few poor tee shots that felt similar to struggles he experienced during the previous week’s event in Abu Dhabi. He noted that these errant shots made him feel somewhat uncomfortable with his driver for the remainder of the round.
Having recorded 10 birdies across his first 36 holes, Hatton acknowledged that he will need to improve his performance to outplay McIlroy, a three-time winner of the tournament.
“[McIlroy] has an amazing record around this golf course. It just sets up pretty well for him,” Hatton said. “I’m happy enough with where I’m placed after two rounds. Hopefully I can play better over the weekend and give myself more birdie opportunities.”
Hatton and McIlroy are scheduled to begin their third round together in the final pairing at 12:40 p.m. local time in Dubai, corresponding to 3:40 a.m. ET on Saturday in the United States.
