Tyrrell Hatton has revealed his exuberance at qualifying for Europe’s Ryder Cup team involved him waking up in a pool of his own vomit in an Indianapolis hotel room.
Hatton’s drinking session in the company of fellow Europe team member Jon Rahm involved wine, gin and cocktails. “I was rushing to make the room somewhat acceptable before leaving,” Hatton said. “I ended up stripping the bed, leaving some cash and a note, saying: ‘Really sorry, I was sick in the bed in the night, please throw it in the trash.’”
Hatton’s media conference at Wentworth and the PGA Championship took an incredible twist after he was asked how delighted he had been to make the Ryder Cup without the need for a captain’s pick.
The Englishman’s switch to LIV had made that situation more complicated. Hatton joined Rahm in celebration at the conclusion of LIV’s stop in Indiana last month. Europe’s captain, Luke Donald, had called Hatton to inform him of his qualification.
“When I got back into the room, I fell across the bed sideways and fell asleep face down in that position,” Hatton said. “Then I had woken myself up, throwing up in that position. I had then fallen back asleep and then as I’d woken up I had sick all down my arms, both sides, all down my shirt.
“I got off the bed and walked to the bathroom to look in the mirror and I had sick in my face, in my beard. How I set an alarm to make a flight in a few hours’ time, I don’t know. I don’t ever want to get to that state again to be honest.
“I think that if you saw the room that we just sat in drinking, you’d be like: ‘What are you doing?’ But it ended up being fun. I fell asleep at the table and then I ended up getting woken up because everyone had basically left.”
Europe’s Tyrrell Hatton after winning his singles match on the last day of the 2023 Ryder Cup in Rome. Photograph: Ettore Ferrari/EPA
The 33-year-old had ignored the adage about not mixing drinks. “I had six glasses of wine at dinner,” he said. “Then I had a double gin and tonic, drunk that at a very normal rate. And then Jon was deciding what he wanted and he said [the Italian liqueur] Disaronno sours and I was like: ‘Perfect, go on then.’ They go down very easily. Then I was starting the chant of basically getting someone to down it so every cocktail that then followed was a shot.
“We then ran out of Disaronno. The guy at the bar made some hazelnut sour which wasn’t great and there was a few of them. Then there was a margarita and then there was a strawberry vodka thing. God, it was aggressive. It was horrible.”
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This all raises the question of what condition Hatton may be in if Europe retain the Ryder Cup at Bethpage this month. “I’d like to think that we would celebrate pretty well, and there is a good chance I will be throwing up,” he said. “Hopefully I’m not like falling asleep and I can enjoy most of the night with everyone.”
That Bob MacIntyre is alongside Hatton for rounds one and two at Wentworth raises the prospect of the pair appearing as partners at Bethpage.
Hatton followed what appears to be a deliberate European message by refusing to contemplate the prospect of overly rowdy New York fans influencing the Ryder Cup.
“I haven’t experienced it yet so I can’t comment on that,” Hatton said. “I would like to think they’re still going to be respectful and we’ll go from there.”
