Tyrrell Hatton has broken the bank in Dubai, pocketing a massive 1.49million Euro ($A2.47million) winner’s cheque at the Desert Classic while Australian David Micheluzzi was also richly rewarded for his best week yet on the European tour.
Volatile English Ryder Cup star Hatton continued his fine run of form to hold off the challenge of Kiwi Daniel Hillier and win one of the Tour’s most iconic events by one stroke at the Emirates Golf Club on Sunday.
Micheluzzi ended the tournament as he’d begun it – with the best round of the day, a second seven-under 65 in four days on the demanding Majlis course.
But the 28-year-old Melburnian was left reflecting ruefully on disappointing second and third over-par rounds which cost him the chance to be in the mix for the victory as he finished joint-eighth on 10 under.
But world No.225 Micheluzzi’s reward for his final-round surge, which featured eight birdies and one bogey, was a cheque for 207,000 Euros ($A345,000).
Still, he finished five shots adrift of Hatton, who described his victory as “a dream come true”.
He had smashed up a tee box and been told off by an official during a third-round explosion on Saturday, before brushing it aside with the cheeky declaration: “I don’t want to be boring like everyone else.”
He certainly wasn’t boring on Sunday with some masterful shots in his three-under-par 69 giving him victory with a 15-under total for his record-equalling fifth Rolex Series title.
“It feels amazing,” said Hatton, who finished two ahead of fellow Englishman Laurie Canter in third.
“This is one of the events that you would like to have on your CV. It’s such an iconic event for the DP World Tour.
“To add my name to the list of the amazing champions that have been before me, and to have my name on that trophy now, it’s a dream come true.”
“I’m not going to lie, I was pretty nervous on the back nine to be honest. I guess I just maybe wanted it a bit too much.”
It was a ding-dong battle with unsung Kiwi Hillier, the overnight leader who had been hoping to earn a “life-changing” win, but Hatton came up big at a key moment on the 16th with a fantastic wedge approach that set up a tap-in birdie to send him two shots clear.
He still made hard work of it on the 18th, where his conservative approach meant he had to make the decisive five-footer for par after Hillier recorded a birdie.
“I knew the position I was in, and a little bit scruffy down the last. But yeah, to see that putt go in felt amazing. Just so happy to win,” said Hatton.
For Rory McIlroy, it was too little too late as a 66 took him to 12 under for the week for a tied-fourth finish.
Micheluzzi’s fellow Australians enjoyed a decent tournament too, with Min Woo Lee finishing joint-17th on six under after a level-par round and Jason Scrivener a shot further back in joint-21st after a 73.
Adam Scott finished with a 75 and a joint-37th place finish at two under, with Elvis Smylie joint-58th after a final-round 75 left him at one over.
https://thewest.com.au/sport/golf/hatton-wins-dubai-classic-on-big-pay-day-for-micheluzzi-c-17440322
