Top News

Tyrrell Hatton has revealed the hefty fines Rory McIlroy urged him to pay to the DP World Tour were not a topic of conversation when they spoke at the Dubai Desert Classic. McIlroy, 36, had called on Hatton and Jon Rahm to settle their combined £4.5m fines with the tour as a show of loyalty to Team Europe.

Rahm and Hatton were only able to participate in last year's Ryder Cup after appealing against penalties imposed on them for defecting to LIV Golf. The pair played pivotal roles in the triumph at Bethpage Black, with Hatton even sinking the winning putt that clinched victory for Team Europe.

But if the duo continue to dig their heels in regarding their outstanding fines, they will lose their tour cards and subsequently their chance to play for Team Europe at Adare Manor in 2027. Just a day after McIlroy's call for Rahm and Hatton to cough up their seven-figure fines, Hatton found himself paired with the five-time major champion at the Dubai Desert Classic.

• Francesco Molinari gives Ryder Cup update after Luke Donald's Dubai departure

• Dustin Johnson predicts huge boost for LIV Golf after making major change for new season

However, Hatton was adamant the £4.5million issue wasn't raised and also seemed unperturbed by McIlroy's order. When quizzed about whether it had been discussed, Hatton responded: "We didn't really talk about that.

JOIN US ON FACEBOOK!All the best sports news and much more on our dedicated Facebook page

"It was me mainly asking if he had any good wine over Christmas. It was better than the wine I was drinking, but my wine was very nice, too. And then he was horrified to hear what weight I was on 1 January."

After Hatton revealed he had tipped the scales at 204lbs - roughly 14.5 stone - he commented: "Which at 5ft 8in is aggressive. Just before the Ryder Cup, I was 190lbs. So what's that, another stone I'd put on.

"I enjoyed my December, zero cardio and a lot of drinking. I had a Guinness tap in the house, which was enjoyable. So now it is time to lose a little bit of weight."

Responding to McIlroy's forthright remarks, where he stated Hatton and Rahm should "absolutely" pay their fines as they "made the option to go to LIV [and] knew what they [rules and regulations] were," the World No. 21 continued: "I don't think we need to talk about that.

"We're out there to focus on trying to play good golf and that was pretty hard to do this morning in the conditions that we played in. I ended up seeing what was said.

"And he said that's his opinion. So everyone's allowed an opinion. I've got nothing more to add to that. I guess something will get sorted, hopefully, soon. Everyone is pretty keen for that to happen."

McIlroy finished the first round in the United Arab Emirates trailing current leader Francesco Molinari by eight shots, after posting a disappointing one-over-par 73. Meanwhile, Hatton remains in contention, four shots behind Molinari.