‘He was shocked’: Tyrrell Hatton responds to Rory McIlroy’s pointed message with weight jokes

Despite being in the group at this week’s Dubai Desert Classic with European Ryder Cup teammates Rory McIlroy and Tommy Fleetwood, Tyrrell Hatton might have expected some clumsiness in the opening round.

Earlier this week, McIlroy had sent a surprising and pointed message to Hatton and fellow LIV pro Jon Rahm during his pre-tournament press conference.

But according to Hatton, the main topic of conversation between him and McIlroy on Thursday was Hatton’s indulgent offseason, which resulted in an impressive weight gain that left McIlroy “horrified.”

Here’s what you need to know.

Rory McIlroy’s surprise challenge against LIV Ryder Cup teammates: ‘Prove it’

The most notable feature of the European team’s 2025 Ryder Cup victory (aside from the fan abuse they faced) was their ability to play as a team. On the course and during press conferences, the European star players repeatedly proved that they cared about and supported each other.

That’s why it was especially surprising when McIlroy went after two of his teammates during his press conference at the Dubai Desert Classic this week.

The topic that sparked McIlroy’s response was the annual fines the DP World Tour charged LIV professionals for playing in the upstart league. The fines, which run into millions, were previously paid by LIV. But from this year onwards, players will have to pay the fines themselves. If they don’t pay, they risk losing their DP World Tour membership and forfeiting their chance to play Ryder Cups.

When asked if his teammates should pay the fines to continue playing the Ryder Cup, McIlroy argued that they should, using their own criticism of the US Ryder Cup team to make his point.

“Look, this is my opinion. We went very hard on the Americans to get paid to play the Ryder Cup, and we also said we would pay to play in the Ryder Cups. There are two guys who can prove it. Great,” McIlroy said on Wednesday.

Given the personal nature of McIlroy’s message, which could only be addressed to Hatton and Rahm, some wondered whether the two players would show any coldness on the court.

But Hatton revealed that another topic dominated their discussions: Hatton’s offseason celebrations.

Tyrrell Hatton Jokes About Off-Season Weight Gain: ‘I Was Running Like the Titanic’

“We haven’t really talked about that,” Hatton said after the first round, referring to McIlroy’s comments about the DP World Tour fines. “I mainly asked him if he drank good wine at Christmas, to be honest. It was better than the wine I drank, but my wine was also very nice.”

Then Hatton revealed something that really disgusted McIlroy:

“He was shocked when he heard how much I weighed on January 1,” Hatton said. “I weighed 204 pounds, which at 6-foot-4 is aggressive.”

He went on to explain that he was “enjoying” December with “no cardio and lots of drinking,” aided by “a Guinness tap in the house.” The result of all that fun? A weight gain of 14 pounds.

“Before the Ryder Cup I was 190 [pounds]. So I put one stone on it [14 pounds]. Yes, I enjoyed my December,” Hatton joked. “I did some training. No cardio and lots of fluids. I had a Guinness tap at home and I enjoyed it. And yes, now is the time to lose some weight.”

Hatton’s self-mockery continued.

“I was spinning like the Titanic. I still feel quite stiff. The backswing is not that big of a problem. When I started again I felt like my backswing was shorter than Jon [Rahm’s]which is not ideal!”

Eventually the jokes stopped and Hatton directly addressed McIlroy’s comments.

“Yeah, I mean, at the end of the day, I saw what was said. That’s his opinion, so everyone is entitled to an opinion, and I have nothing more to add to that,” Hatton said diplomatically. “I think something will be sorted out, hopefully something soon. I think everyone is very keen to see that. So yeah, we’ll see what happens.”

Hatton’s play on the court may have influenced his measured response. Hatton defeated McIlroy by three strokes in round 1, 70 to 73. He backed this up with a 69 on Friday to reach five under halfway through the Dubai Desert Classic. McIlroy also shot a 69 in Round 2 and will start the weekend at two under.