Tyrrell Hatton made history on the third day of the Abu Dhabi Championship. Jon Rahm's teammate on the 13th Legion staged an unprecedented start in the 53-year history of the European Tour, now called the DP World Tour, sinking an astonishing sequence of eagle, eagle, birdie, birdie to begin a round of 64.
Hatton holed a 40-meter wedge from the rough on the par-4 first hole and then, on the par-5, left his second shot less than a meter from the hole. The sequence, unparalleled in recent memory, was completed with birdies on the third and fourth holes.
Tyrrell Hatton, results
Lacking the momentum of this performance, the fiery English golfer finished the round, played in calm conditions with no wind until lunchtime and temperatures of 30 degrees Celsius, with three more birdies, but missed the two par-5 holes on the back nine. Even a mistake on the 18th, missing a five-foot putt, prevented him from posting the best score of the day, which went to Scotland's Connor Syme (63), who carded 11 birdies and two bogeys. After the 14th hole, he had only two pars on his scorecard.
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Hatton's feat recalled the start that Spain's Alejandro del Rey had in the second round of the 2021 Swiss Challenge, when he shot a 58, 14 under par, the best under-par score ever recorded in professional golf. So, the Madrid native started with a birdie and two consecutive eagles.
At the top, Nacho Elvira joined the fight for the win, just as he did two weeks ago in Korea. The Cantabrian (65 strokes) sank eight birdies in the last 14 holes, after a stumble on the fourth, and finished two strokes behind the leader, Englishman Aaron Rai.
The rules of golf are relatively complicated compared to other sports because they are played outdoors, close to nature and animals. Respecting the rules is a fundamental element in the game of golf, which, almost always based on self-control and the free conscience of the players, often sees distorted results, sometimes consciously, but often unconsciously or through carelessness, due to the failure of many players to comply with the rules of the game. In addition to the rules, golf adheres to a code of conduct, known as etiquette, which generally means playing the game with due respect for the golf course and other players. Etiquette is an essential component of this sport.
