Tyrrell Hatton will join forces with Ryder Cup team-mate Jon Rahm in the LIV Golf League after becoming the latest high-profile name to join the Saudi-backed circuit.
The 32-year-old – who is ranked 16th in the world and a past winner on both the PGA Tour and DP World Tour – will be part of Rahm’s ‘Legion XIII’ side for the 2024 season, beginning in Mexico on Friday.
Rahm and Hatton formed a formidable partnership at the Ryder Cup in Rome last September, winning both their foursomes matches together and finishing unbeaten during the week as Team Europe regained the trophy with a 16.5-11.5 victory over the United States.
Rahm and Hatton have played in the last three Ryder Cups, making their debuts in 2018 before featuring in the 2021 contest at Whistling Straits
The Englishman becomes the latest player to switch to LIV and is its first big-name capture since Rahm, the reigning Masters champion who signed what was understood to be a deal worth up to £450m at the start of December.
Sky Sports News reported last month that Hatton was Rahm’s No 1 target to recruit for his team, with the Spaniard getting his man after he joined for a rumoured fee of $60m (£47.3m). Both have retained their DP World Tour membership for now, making them – as things stand – still eligible for next year’s Ryder Cup in New York.
“I’m really excited for this next chapter, to link up with Jon Rahm and Legion XIII, and to get started this week in Mexico,” Hatton said.
Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player
After Rahm’s move to LIV Golf was confirmed, we took a look back at some of his remarks about the rival tour over the past year
Legion XIII confirmed the signing via their social media accounts on Tuesday, just three days before the start of the season, where LIV Golf’s newest team also confirmed the other two names to complete their line-up.
Rahm and Hatton will be joined in their team by Kieran Vincent – who came through the LIV Golf Promotions event in December – and American Caleb Surratt, who was part of Team USA’s winning Walker Cup team last year, with 13 teams now part of an expanded LIV Golf League for the forthcoming season.
“We’ve come a long way in a short period of time and are extremely proud of the team and brand we are building,” Rahm said. “Tyrrell is a fierce competitor, proven champion, and of course my Ryder Cup team-mate.
“Caleb is one of the brightest next-gen stars of the game. And Kieran is a steady, talented ball striker who earned his promotion to LIV and is elevating his game every day.”
Hatton started the year with back-to-back top-15 finishes on the PGA Tour before claiming a share of 31st at the Hero Dubai Desert Classic, with the three-time Ryder Cup player initially scheduled to appear at the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am this week before announcing his switch to the LIV Golf League.
The recent moves come amid the ongoing talks between the PGA Tour and Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund (PIF) on the ‘framework agreement’ aimed at striking a peace deal in golf, with the discussions having been extended beyond an initial end-of-December deadline.
Who else has joined LIV Golf?
DP World Tour player of the year Adrian Meronk withdrew from the PGA Tour’s Farmers Insurance Open last week and is expected to be confirmed as a LIV Golf player when final rosters for the 2024 season will be unveiled Wednesday.
Adrian Meronk is among the other players set to feature on the LIV Golf League in 2024
Meronk has won four times over the past 18 months and narrowly missed out on a place in Europe’s Ryder Cup team, with the Polish player linked with a move to the Cleeks GC captained by Martin Kaymer.
Australia’s Lucas Herbert has not teed it up since back-to-back DP World Tour starts last month on home soil, with the former Irish Open champion hinting on social media that he was joining Ripper GC, captained by compatriot Cameron Smith.
Kalle Samooja and Jinichiro Kozuma took the other two spots on offer from the LIV Golf Promotions event last month, a 72-hole qualifying event in Abu Dhabi, while Andy Ogletree earned his spot by topping the Asian Tour’s International Series Order of Merit and will play for Mickelson’s HyFlyers GC.
Get Sky Sports on WhatsApp!
You can now start receiving messages and alerts for the latest breaking sports news, analysis, in-depth features and videos from our dedicated WhatsApp channel!
Get the best prices and book a round at one of 1,700 courses across the UK & Ireland