Q. You have a chance this week to end the season as European Tour No. 1 and win that magnificent Vardon Trophy behind you. How excited by that prospect?
TYRRELL HATTON: Yes, very. I'm in a great position obviously dominating into the final event. It would be very special to win the trophy at the end of the week. Certainly be a massive moment in my career.
Q. If not this year, is it something you've targeted: I want to win this trophy and be the European No. 1?
TYRRELL HATTON: I've not set that as a goal. I don't often set goals to be honest. I think that would just come with -- it's one of those things that comes with playing good golf, and I do try to go out there every week and do that.
So, yeah, I haven't really set that as a goal but it would be nice to achieve.
Q. You are inside the top five of the rankings alongside other world-class players. How comfortable do you feel in that environment now compared to when you first came out on Tour?
TYRRELL HATTON: Yeah, I mean, it's my eighth time, my eighth season on The European Tour, eighth time playing this event. I guess I've been lucky enough to be Top-50 in the world since near the end of 2016 after my first win. So I've been around the top players in the world for quite a while now. So yeah, I feel obviously pretty comfortable with the sort of shoes I'm in. There's no added pressure there.
Q. Sum up your year for us.
TYRRELL HATTON: Inconsistent, very. Obviously got off to an amazing start in Abu Dhabi, and feel like it just hasn't clicked. We had a tied second at the Dunhill and obviously that event has been very good to me over the years.
Yeah, aside from that, I wouldn't say it's been a good year. So it almost feels a bit weird that I'm in the position I am on The Race to Dubai all things considered.
Q. Take us back to Abu Dhabi. What was the highlight of the week for you?
TYRRELL HATTON: Well, I made the choice not to play in Hawai'i the week prior, the Tournament of Champions. Thought I wanted to come out to the Middle East and do some warm weather stuff here and start any season on The European Tour. It was nice that it kind of paid off to make that decision. Obviously I may be cost myself some FedEx points and whatnot but I really liked starting my year in the Middle East. It's a nice sort of easy opener, chill week, great golf courses, all in good condition. So it's a nice way to get back into it.
Also playing with Rory over the weekend, I had not played with him at all before that time. So again, it was nice to have his company for the weekend and then to go on and win the trophy was very special.
Q. What does Tyrrell Hatton need to do to keep moving forward and rising up the rankings and potentially all the way to the top?
TYRRELL HATTON: Stay motivated. I think that's a big thing. Even sort of mentally and sort of have -- I guess probably going back to what I said, I don't set goals. I think that potentially moving forward might be a better thing for me to actually have something I'm working towards, where I guess I don't have a goal, I'm not really moving towards it. I'm just going through the motions.
Maybe that's why I've been so inconsistent. Obviously when I played good golf, I gave myself a chance to win, and perhaps my preparation hasn't been as good as it could have been this year going into tournaments because I haven't been as motivated because I don't have anything to go towards.
Certainly after The Ryder Cup in Paris, that was -- that's probably when I start the struggling from that moment in terms of mentally because it's like, well, I played The Ryder Cup now and it's such a huge moment to be on that team and I kind of lost my way a little bit there and made it -- I think I've ascended on from that, although I've had good moments and been motivated, it's definitely been in waves. I think that's definitely a thing for me to try and figure out.
Q. Your thoughts on The European Tour announcement last week that we will be the DP World Tour from now on.
TYRRELL HATTON: Yeah, obviously an exciting announcement. It's going to be a good season next year. Obviously the guys will have more playing opportunities and more money for the guys to play for, which is nice. The Tour has been a worldwide tour for a long time, so I guess the name suits.
It will be a little strange for us in interviews and stuff like that, not saying The European Tour anymore, what we've always known it to be. But it's a great announcement and a good time for golf.
FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports