Tyrrell Hatton set to play at the Sony Open in Hawaii amidst LIV Golf rumors

Following Jon Rahm's signing with LIV Golf, Tyrrell Hatton has been at the center of speculation about who will follow the Spaniard to join his team. This Thursday, December 14, the issue appears to be coming to a definition.

A week after Rahm rocked the golf world, the title sponsor of the Open in Hawaii, Sony Group Corporation issued a press release in which, among other details, it assures Tyrrell Hatton to be is one of the "notable players" who will be part of the field.

The press release is not a definitive statement, since it clearly mentions that the list of players is "subject to change". However, it is still an official statement that the organizers are counting on Tyrrell Hatton at Waialae Country Club next January.

The release includes a group of several players who are expected to join Tyrrell Hatton at the 2024 Sony Open in Hawaii. They include defending champion Sii Woo Kim, Matt Fitzpatrick, Lucas Glover, Hideki Matsuyama and Justin Rose.

Sony also confirmed that the purse for the event will be $8.6 million and that the winners' share will be $1,494,099. It also said that all proceeds from the event will continue to benefit Hawaii's communities through the Friends of Hawaii Charities.

Sony has been the title sponsor of the tournament since 1999. Over the years, more than $24 million has been raised and reinvested in Hawaii.

Tyrrell Hatton and rumors linking him to LIV Golf

Almost immediately after Jon Rahm confirmed the rivers of rumors linking him to LIV Golf, the Spanish media outlet Ten Golf published that the Spaniard had put forth a group of names on Greg Norman's table, of the players who might be interested in joining the circuit, with Tyrrell Hatton's name on it.

Subsequently, the rumor has gone back and forth in the golf world, although no one has said anything concrete. The player himself has remained silent, while Norman said to ESPN, that "eight to 12" top players were interested in joining the tour, without mentioning their names.

Other players who were also rumored to be in the orbit of LIV Golf have spoken out. Such is the case of Tony Finau (another much talked about), who took to Instagram to showcase his commitment to the PGA Tour for 2024.

Hatton had an excellent 2023 season, which he crowned with victory in the Ryder Cup as part of the European team. He had previously played 26 tournaments between the PGA Tour and DP World Tour, with 24 cuts passed.

His season results include 16 Top 25s, with second place at THE PLAYERS Championship as his best result of the year. He also finished runner up in the BMW PGA Championship.

Hatton has six DP World Tour victories and one PGA Tour victory in his career. His performance in majors includes four Top 10s.