Hatton has signed a lucrative deal reported to be in the range of $60 million to join LIV and play on the new Legion XIII team captained by former world #1 Jon Rahm.
Summary
- Tyrrell Hatton has signed with LIV Golf, leaving the PGA Tour, in a deal reportedly worth around $60 million
- Hatton will join Jon Rahm’s new Legion XIII team, the first expansion franchise in LIV Golf
- Rahm’s team also includes Zimbabwe’s Kieran Vincent and University of Tennessee sophomore Caleb Surratt
- Hatton and Rahm were teammates on the European Ryder Cup team in 2023
- Hatton is the 16th ranked player in the world and has won once on the PGA Tour and six times on the European Tour
English star Tyrrell Hatton is the latest high-profile player to leave the PGA Tour for the controversial Saudi-backed LIV Golf circuit. Hatton has signed a lucrative deal reported to be in the range of $60 million to join LIV and play on the new Legion XIII team captained by former world #1 Jon Rahm.
The creation of Legion XIII brings the total number of teams in LIV Golf to 13. Rahm’s squad also includes Zimbabwe’s Kieran Vincent, who earned promotion to LIV Golf through a qualifying tournament in December, and University of Tennessee sophomore Caleb Surratt, currently the 10th-ranked amateur in the world.
For Rahm, securing Hatton’s commitment to his team was a top priority. “As we were developing the team’s brand it became clear that I wanted to fight alongside a group of guys who aligned perfectly with what the team stands for,” Rahm said. “Tyrrell is a fierce competitor, proven champion, and of course my Ryder Cup teammate.”
Indeed, Rahm and Hatton’s pairing was one of the success stories for Europe during its Ryder Cup triumph over the United States in 2023. The two men won both of their foursomes (alternate shot) matches together and were undefeated for the week as Europe reclaimed the cup.
ALERT:
Tyrrell Hatton has signed with LIV for a reported $60 million and will be joining Jon Rahm’s Legion VIII team.
Hatton is the 16th ranked golfer in the world according to the rigged OWGR. pic.twitter.com/IfKWKok725
— LIV Golf Nation (@LIVGolfNation) January 29, 2024
Their strong personal bond and chemistry made Hatton an obvious target for Rahm to recruit to LIV Golf after the Spaniard shocked the golf world by signing a deal reportedly worth up to $450 million himself last December.
At 32 years old, Hatton now brings a strong resume to LIV Golf. Currently ranked 16th in the world, he has won six times on the European Tour and broke through for his first PGA Tour win at the 2020 Arnold Palmer Invitational. His best major finish is 5th at the 2016 Open Championship, and he has compiled seven top-10s in majors overall.
Critically, Hatton’s world ranking should allow him to remain exempt for golf’s four majors, often viewed as the pinnacle events that lend legitimacy to players’ careers. LIV Golf has applied for world ranking points but has so far been rejected, meaning players must rely on their pre-LIV standing to keep playing in majors.
For Hatton and Rahm, retaining European Tour membership also offers a potential pathway back to the Ryder Cup through its qualification criteria. But competition bans and heavy fines enforced by the DP World Tour will pose challenges on that front.
In the meantime, Hatton will tee it up alongside Rahm, Vincent and Surratt as Legion XIII makes its debut at LIV Golf’s season opener in Mexico beginning February 2nd. His signing is yet another signal that LIV Golf remains firmly in acquisition mode, prying away top PGA Tour talent with exorbitant paydays as it continues to roil the landscape of professional golf.
