THE MODERATOR: Good morning. Welcome, everyone. We have with us today Tyrrell Hatton. Tyrrell is this year's Aon Risk-Reward winner. You've had a fantastic season. Can you talk about how it feels to add the Aon Risk-Reward challenge to your list of accomplishments.
TYRRELL HATTON: Yeah, this season has been great so far for me. The only thing missing had been a trophy, but I guess I get to take this one home now, so that's a nice bonus.
THE MODERATOR: Can you tell us a little bit about your approach on the course and your decision making, your strategy with your team, anything specific that you might have in the back of your mind as you're making shots, approaching shots throughout the season?
TYRRELL HATTON: Well, I mean, as you know, we play some pretty tough courses and some tough holes throughout the year. Sometimes you have to be smart. Sometimes you have to be aggressive.
I think it's just ultimately trying to make the right choice.
THE MODERATOR: Your scores include 21 birdies, one eagle across the counted rounds in this year's competition. Are there any specific decisions or holes that stand out in your mind?
TYRRELL HATTON: I mean, what we were just talking about there, the 10th at Riviera, which you can easily make a birdie and you can easily make a double or a triple if you end up in one of those bunkers.
That's always a nice hole to get out of with a 3.
THE MODERATOR: This is your sixth start here at the FedExCup St. Jude Championship, second at TPC Southwind. Can you talk about your excitement to be here for the FedExCup Playoffs.
TYRRELL HATTON: Yeah, it's nice to be back. Ultimately at the start of the season, you at least want to be teeing it up this week. We all knew the changes going into 2024.
Being a part of the Playoffs is really important, so yeah, happy to be here, and I like the fact that I've had a couple of weeks off, and excited to get going again.
Q. Does this course suit your game in a way that changes your mindset going into the Playoffs, or is it just business as usual?
TYRRELL HATTON: I mean, I think my results here maybe haven't been the best, off the top of my head. There's certainly not a week I can think of that I've done really well here.
Ultimately, we try our best every single week, and this week is going to be no different for me.
In some ways, I don't have the added pressure of being on the bubble getting into next week. I've already kind of -- that's already locked up. It's more a case of just trying to have a couple of nice weeks and make sure that I'm there in Atlanta.
Q. The changes now with just 70 guys here and cut to 50 after this week, is there any more pressure knowing you want to be in that top 50 as opposed to just the pressure of advancing towards the TOUR Championship?
TYRRELL HATTON: Well, I think we've all known since the start of this year that you need to be -- the top 50 is really kind of important number.
I think I'd be in the bracket with a fair few guys that have maybe played a little bit more than they typically would, just to try and give yourself the opportunities to make sure that you do finish in that top 50.
Fortunately for me this year, I've managed to play some good golf, and I've secured that. It makes it a lot easier to certainly plan next year because you know you're going to be in the elevated events moving forward.
Q. Do you sense that you might not play in some events next year that you normally would have because you are in those signature events?
TYRRELL HATTON: I haven't really sat down properly yet and looked at how the schedule really plays out next year. There's going to be some decisions to make, but ultimately I think if you've earned the right to be in those elevated events, then you should be playing in them.
Q. We had one guy that only took four weeks off all year; does that seem like a lot to you? Can you see yourself ever doing that?
TYRRELL HATTON: I mean, I can have some pretty good head-offs after having only three weeks off, so only having four weeks off over the course of almost a year, that would be brain damage to me.
That's some serious commitment. There's a lot of miles being traveled, and I'm sure there's been some highs and lows in that period for sure.
Q. Now that we're here, and you said correctly that you've known all along it's 70, 50, 30, now that we're here it seems to be one of the talking points is is 70 the right number. I'd like your opinion on that.
TYRRELL HATTON: Yeah, ultimately, it's still the 125 that keep status, though, right? It's not given to you that you go out there and earn your spot to be here this week.
If you haven't played well enough, then sure, that's frustrating and you want to be a part of the Playoffs, but you've still got status for next year. You can still play your way into the elevated events.
You still have the opportunities to be a part of it. I don't think -- I don't see it being a problem if it's starting at 70 compared to previous years where it started at 125.
Q. You were 49th to start last year and 63rd the year before that. I don't know if you're impressed that I knew that, but was that on your mind at all, the fact that there are no guarantees when you start the year?
TYRRELL HATTON: Yeah, but that's also partly because where golf had been over the previous years, from starting on the European Tour, DP World Tour, I tried to play a certain amount over there, as well, which then limits how often I can play here.
Going back to, I think, last year where I finished 49th and the year before in the 60s, I think my 16th event was the first FedEx. I actually had to play pretty well to even be a part of the first two FedEx events.
Yeah, this year I've played more and thankfully played well with that.
Q. The boys that can play their way in through either the FedEx or the swing events, what have you, what kind of advantage does someone like you have over them from being guaranteed to be in all the big events?
TYRRELL HATTON: I mean, the biggest thing is you kind of know where you're going to be. You have the luxury of maybe adding in an event last minute if you choose to, whereas some guys it might be a case of where you've played three in a row but actually you've -- there's not many guys like playing four in a row or more. You're going to have some guys that have done three or four in a row and then there would be like mini Order of Merits to get in, so then you might end up playing the extra event, which is not a bad one to be a part of. But then it's managing the other aspects of coming with playing four or five in a row.
Q. Four exemptions are awarded for each of the big events. Is that too many? Is that too big of a safety net?
TYRRELL HATTON: I guess time will tell. I think it's their choice, isn't it, who the exemptions go to.
I'm sure the right decisions will be made if necessary.
Q. Amid a time with a lot of golf politics, does playing in a tournament for a cause like St. Jude give you any different perspective?
TYRRELL HATTON: I mean, ultimately our job this week is to -- like every other week, is just to go out and play golf. But yeah, it's a pretty special cause, and the amount of money that is raised this week and throughout the rest of the year is important to carry on the great job that those guys do.
THE MODERATOR: Thank you. Good luck this week.
FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports