ORLANDO, FLORIDA (AP) – There are golf courses where Tyrrell Hatton sees the lines on the greens well, and others where he doesn’t. So, how does he handle the latter list’s event venues?
“You just stay away from them,” Hatton explained.
The Bay Hill Club and Lodge is not one of them. Hatton, the winner of the 2020 Arnold Palmer Invitational, has always putted well around Arnie’s Place. Hatton has been on a roll this week, buoyed by his confidence with the flatstick. He has approximately 182 feet on only 27 putts through 36 holes (22 of which came in Friday’s second round) and leads the field in strokes gained: putting.
He’s back in the API mix at 7 under heading into the weekend, despite the fact that he didn’t look like a guy who just scored 4-under 68 with an eagle and four birdies, including one on the difficult par-4 18th hole, his ninth of the day.
Hatton stated, “I think the score is quite flattering.” “I’ve putted incredibly well, which is why I’ve achieved this number, but I know I can’t keep hitting it like that, especially since it’s going to be lot tougher this weekend.” I know deep down that if I keep playing like this, I won’t be able to win the long game. So, yes, I’ll just have to see what I can come up with this afternoon.”
When Hatton finished on Friday, he was losing more than a shot to the field with his approach play, but he’s not the type of golfer who goes straight to the range after a tournament round. This time, neither of those things happened. But that’s not to say Hatton won’t hit a few balls on Friday evening.
Hatton, who lives in Lake Nona, approximately a half-hour away, is spending the week at home. He indicated he might go try to unlock something after dinner.
“Just hit a few,” he continued, “and see if I can get a little more of a nice feeling to make us feel a little more at ease going into the weekend.” Simply because I’m in this position, I want to play better tomorrow and Sunday and relieve some of the strain on my short game. I’ve felt like I’ve been tinkering with minor things the last several days, trying to find a pleasant sensation, something that felt wonderful. I thought I got it on my second shot into the fifth, but I hit a couple of terrible shots on the way in, so it’s still not where I want it to be.
“Yeah, but tomorrow is a new day.”
