‘They Were Just Brutal’ - Tyrrell Hatton’s Stark Masters Slow Play Verdict

Tyrrell Hatton admitted he was disappointed in tournament officials at The Masters after saying slow play hindered his opening two rounds at Augusta National.

The Englishman is two-over through 36 holes and through to the weekend but felt he could be better positioned heading into the final two rounds of the first men’s Major of the year.

Out with Keegan Bradley and Matthieu Pavon on Thursday and Friday, Hatton was critical that the group of Patrick Reed, Sungjae Im and Kurt Kitayama weren’t put on the clock sooner after a near five-hour second round.

“The lads in front have been so slow,” Hatton said. “It's pretty poor from the officials that it took 32 holes to put them on the clock.

“Yesterday they'd lost a hole and a half, and then they weren't any better even this morning, and then for the second round they were just brutal.

“Fine for them - they're not waiting on any shot that they hit - but for us, we stood in the fairway, we stood on the tee.

“It was really hard to get a rhythm, so it was disappointing that it took 32 holes for an official to go, ‘Oh, we've put the group in front on the clock’.”

He added: “I said to someone walking up 8. We stood on the 8th waiting to hit our second shots and they're still putting out, and the lads in front of them have teed off 10.

“It's a small field. It's not hard to really keep up with the group in front. I understand if you've had a tough hole, but when it's just like every hole, then it's a bit more frustrating.”

Hatton also rued the two-and-a-half hour weather delay that meant he couldn’t complete his first round on Thursday.

He returned to the course early on Friday morning and stood on the par-5 15th tee at three-under for the tournament only to card an untidy double bogey before he dropped another shot at the last for a level-par 72.

The 32-year-old followed that up with a two-over 74 to make the cut for the fourth year running but was left feeling like he left plenty of shots out there.

“It [the first round] was probably one of the best rounds that I'd actually played here up to that point,” Hatton added. “I feel like with how I was hitting the ball yesterday, if I was then going to go and finish the round, I feel like I'd have had more of a chance of shooting 4-under than shooting level.

“That was really frustrating to come out first thing this morning. I said before I hit my second shot into 15, I don't want to leave myself 80 yards because I generally get quite a lot of spin with my wedges.

“It's such a hard shot to that pin. Hitting it low, I was trying to just pitch it on the green, and you don't quite hit it hard enough, and all of a sudden you make double and you're straight away on the back foot. So that was a horrible way to start this morning.

“I don't feel like I had too many good breaks. The score is as bad as it could be, I think.”