Portrush in Northern Ireland – Not everyone loves the opening championship tee time, dispatching every group from 6:26 am to 4 pm. Because Hatton loves himself one pint or three.
The 33-year-old Briton was in the second straight round of the 1960s when some non-open topics appeared. First: He was found Wednesday night playing a cute little par-3 course just two miles from Royal Portrait Island.
Hatton and five of his companions took advantage of the idyllic situation and tore around the Ballyreagh Golf Club, which is 1,300 yards and 27 shots on the shoreline. Seeing a player spending his quiet time before the opening More Golf was a joy to us and it sounded very much to him.
“That's great,” Hatton said. “It's great to get out there. I think we played in six goals and it's great to get rid of the pressure of this week. It's great to actually go there and almost feel like a kid, just love it. It's easy to miss you when you first played.
“Yes, it's really fun. It was a beautiful night. I went to three pints of Guinness so this night got better.”
This is a quick and correct transition from kids to adults.
Hatton isn't the first professional to talk about recent tournaments and how players have to force themselves out of competition when they go beyond the ropes. He is also the only professional who enjoys a pint or two on the land that appears like water in Guinness. Most of Canada – Corey Conners; his caddies; Nick Taylor's caddies; Canadian golf representatives – a ceremony was enjoyed at the Port Bar Tuesday night. Jon Rahm stopped for supper (also a light soak). Defending champion Xander Schauffele is one of the dark drinks at an event Monday night at the town’s main bar.
Hatton didn’t say if he had gone to the Port Bar, but he’s been absorbing enough to understand the best Guinness people can consume before they start to become obstacles. After counting down 36 holes below five (winning another kick-off time in the process), he was asked if he had a few pints in the future.
“Irrecite,” Hatton said. “I think three are magical numbers.”
Your correspondent must agree. The good thing is that in this country, many bars even offer half of the national elixir. They call it baby Guinness. As we move toward the weekend, this may be exactly what Hatton needs to look for.
“If you walk three, you have it,” he said. “Yes, two to three. Because you're absolutely not close to a hangover, and you still feel like you have it-hopefully tomorrow I have a late T-shirt so I can get on the road, too.”
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