Hatton smashes tee marker but in contention in Dubai

Dubai Desert Classic third-round leaderboard

-13 D Hillier (NZ), -12 T Hatton (Eng), -10 E Ferguson (Sco), -9 R Fox (NZ), L Canter (Eng), -8 T McKibbin (NI), D Frittelli (SA), C Hill (Sco), S Norris (SA).

Selected others: -6 R MacIntyre (Sco), R McIlroy (NI), -4 T Clements (Eng), M Wallace (Eng), -3 R Mansell (Eng), T Fleetwood (Eng), -2 R Ramsay (Sco), M Armitage (Eng), J Smith (Eng).

Officials at the Dubai Desert Classic spoke with England’s Tyrrell Hatton after his third round, where he had reacted after hitting a tee marker in frustration on the seventh hole.

The three-time Ryder Cup champion bogeyed the eighth and ninth holes before regaining his composure on the back nine, carding a four-under-par 68 for a 12-under overall lead one over Daniel Hillier of New Zealand.

Hatton described the Emirates Golf Club as a frustrating day.

“Yes, I probably shouldn’t have done it”, he told BBC Sport. “Does it make me a bad person? No. It was a spur-of-the-moment thing. It happened. I can’t go back and alter anything, so I’ll just leave it.

With the putts I missed, I could have easily been a few shots better off and I’m happy with how I played the back nine. However, I’m in a good position for the final round.

“I should have enough experience to just go out and play tomorrow,” he said. I have a great chance of ensuring that I can win the tournament.

Hillier, whose only DP World Tour title is the 2023 British Masters, finished his third round with back-to-back birdies.

The field had a chance to catch up with him after he had three birdies in his first five holes to go four shots clear.

But at the 17th hole, he holed from six feet before birdiing once more for a two-under 70.

Scotland’s Ewen Ferguson, who led at halfway, shot a two-over-par 74 to sit on 10 under, one ahead of England’s Laurie Canter and Ryan Fox of New Zealand.