LIV Golf's Hatton to play Team Cup in Abu Dhabi
Englishman is one of 18 players announced for the Ryder Cup warm up event
LIV Golf’s Tyrrell Hatton has been announced as one of the 18 competitors for the Team Cup at Abu Dhabi Golf Resort, taking place from January 10-12, 2025.
Despite his allegiance with the breakaway circuit, the Englishman has remained a strong supporter of the DP World Tour since he defected after the 2024 Hero Dubai Desert Classic.
Hatton, who won the 2021 Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship, made his return to the global golf circuit in the summer by featuring at the British Masters.
After the conclusion of the LIV Golf season, the 33-year-old added the Spanish Open to his schedule before securing his third win at the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship a week later.
He capped off his 2024 season with back-to-back Rolex Series events in the UAE, finishing second at the Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship and competing at the DP World Tour Championship.
These performances saw him end the season ranked fourth in the Race to Dubai, earning automatic qualification for Justin Rose’s Great Britain & Ireland side, as the top four players on the Rankings secured spots.
Joining Hatton as automatic qualifiers are Dubai resident Tommy Fleetwood, Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship winner Paul Waring and Matt Wallace.
Race to Dubai No.1 Rory McIlroy appears to have opted out of the event, and as a result, Robert MacIntyre, who would have secured an automatic spot had McIlroy declined, is also absent from the team.
For the Continental Europe side, Dubai resident Thorbjørn Olesen is one of the four automatic qualifiers for Francesco Molinari’s team, alongside fellow Danes Rasmus Højgaard and Niklas Nørgaard, and Italian Matteo Manassero.
Sweden’s Jesper Svensson, who finished above Olesen in the Rankings, has seemingly chosen to focus on the PGA Tour after securing his playing privileges through the Race to Dubai, opting not to compete in this Ryder Cup warm-up event.
With Rose and Molinari both set to serve as playing captains, the remaining five players on each side have been selected by both men in consultation with Ryder Cup Captain Luke Donald.
Matthieu Pavon, Antoine Rozner, and the Danish duo of 2023 DP World Tour Championship winner Nicolai Højgaard and Challenge Tour Number One Rasmus Neergaard-Petersen will represent Continental Europe.
Molinari, the 2018 Open Champion and three-time Ryder Cup player, said: “It may be a new-look Continental European side but I’m really excited to lead these players at Abu Dhabi Golf Resort as we bid to defend the Team Cup next year.
“There is a fantastic blend of players who have hit the ground running at the start of their careers and those with a lot of experience on their side, and most of them have played in team competitions in the past as amateurs, which will have given them a great insight into these environments.”
For Great Britain & Ireland, Tom McKibbin, Jordan Smith Laurie Canter and Aaron Rai, who is the most recent English winner on the PGA Tour, have been selected.
Rose, who won the U.S. Open in 2013 and will Captain the Great Britain & Ireland side for the first time, said: “Having two Ryder Cup teammates in Tommy and Tyrrell in the team will be invaluable, but I’m looking forward to seeing how the rest of the team step up to this new arena. Having also played in 2023, I’m sure Matt and Jordan will be keen to go out there and win the Cup so it’ll be great to watch them in action again.
“Most of my team have also had the opportunity to represent either Great Britain & Ireland or England and Ireland separately in the past, so they have a lot of experience to draw on from their amateur days. They are all proven winners on Tour, but I think Europe as a whole is going to benefit massively from next year’s Team Cup as we look towards the Ryder Cup at Bethpage.”
The final member of each side will be selected after the Nedbank Golf Challenge, the third event of the 2025 Race to Dubai, which concludes on Sunday December 8.
Donald, who will Captain Europe for a second time at Bethpage Black next September, said: “Fran, Justin and I are really excited by the two teams which will assemble at the Team Cup in January. There’s a great mix of youth and experience on both sides and there will certainly be a competitive atmosphere at Abu Dhabi Golf Resort.
“This event provided valuable insight for a number of players who eventually made it to Marco Simone, with six of the 20 competitors in 2023 going on to play in the Ryder Cup, three of those making their debut appearances, and we’re excited to see who can make their mark in next year as they try and earn a place in my side for New York City.”
The teams will compete in one session of fourballs on the Friday, two sessions of foursomes on the Saturday and one session of singles on Sunday, with every player taking part in each session.