Tyrrell Hatton keeping cool in battle for maiden major at US Open

By Phil Casey, PA Golf Correspondent, Pinehurst

Tyrrell Hatton kept his “internal screaming” to a minimum to remain in contention for the US Open, despite an unlucky break on the 13th hole at Pinehurst.

Hatton’s approach to the par four pitched into the edge of the hole and span back into a greenside bunker, from where he was unable to save par.

However, the fiery Englishman – who was half of “Team Angry” with Jon Rahm in last year’s Ryder Cup – managed to maintain his composure and add a 71 to his opening 68 for a halfway total of one under par.

“That wasn’t a nice break,” Hatton said of the 13th. “I hit a really good second shot in. Obviously too good.

“Pitched up to a foot from the flag, and it basically landed in the back corner of the hole and then spun off 25 yards way down into the bunker. I hit four good shots there and walked off with a five. Not ideal.

“Accepting sometimes that if you have hit a good shot and you get a bad break… I’d say I’ve done better at that the last two days than maybe I have done so far this year.

“But it’s more just trying to accept that everyone is going to be making mistakes. It’s not like other weeks where the winning score is quite a few under par and you need to make birdies and bogeys hurt a lot more than maybe they do this week.”

Asked what goes through his head during a US Open, Hatton added: “Sort of internally screaming for the most part. Yeah, there’s just no rest. There’s no easy shots. It’s quite a stressful five and a half hours, to be honest.

“I think everyone would say the same thing. But it is what it is.

“Some guys can bottle it up. I’m always pretty good at just showing you how I feel.

“I’m not afraid to just get it out of my system. Although this week I’m trying not to sort of blow up too much because I’m trying to give myself a little bit of grace on occasions.”

Hatton believes he can draw on his experience of winning the Arnold Palmer Invitational in difficult conditions in 2020 as he bids to win a first major title over the weekend.

“That was brutal,” the world number 20 recalled. “I think I shot three over that weekend and still won the golf tournament.

“I feel like I’ve proved to myself that I can compete with the best players in the world. Winning Bay Hill was very similar to a US Open, to be honest, and Bay Hill generally has one of the best fields on the PGA Tour.

“I know if I play the kind of golf I’m capable of, then I’ll give myself a chance.

“I haven’t really done that so far in majors. I haven’t had a chance going into Sunday. But I’d like to think if I got myself into position, then I’d deal with it as well as I can.”