Tyrrell Hatton joins Jon Rahm’s team with LIV Golf after PGA Tour jump،
Three days before the season opener in Mexico, the LIV Golf League announced Tuesday the signing of Englishman Tyrrell Hatton to join Jon Rahm's new team, Legion XIII, the first expansion franchise in the history of the circuit.
Hatton, the 16th-ranked player in the official world golf rankings, will join Zimbabwe's Kieran Vincent and University of Tennessee sophomore Caleb Surratt on Rahm's team. His team will be the 13th team in a league that plays 54 holes and features shotgun starts.
“We have come a long way in a short time and are extremely proud of the team and the brand we are building,” Rahm said in a statement. “As we developed the team brand, it became clear that I wanted to fight alongside a group of guys who were a great fit for what the team stands for.
“Tyrrell is a fierce competitor, a proven champion and of course my Ryder Cup teammate. Caleb is one of the game's brightest next-generation stars. And Kieran is a steady and talented ball striker who has earned his promotion to LIV and raises his game every day.”
The London Telegraph reported Monday that Hatton received a deal worth around $60 million after LIV Golf officials belatedly pushed for him to sign.
LIV Golf officials have been courting Hatton and other PGA Tour players for months after signing Rahm on Dec. 7. Two weeks ago, Hatton told reporters in Dubai that he was staying with the PGA Tour and DP World Tour “for now” after having discussions with LIV Golf.
“The introduction of Legion XIII is a testament to the continued growth of LIV Golf as our league builds for the long term,” LIV Golf Commissioner and CEO Greg Norman said in a statement. “Jon Rahm is one of the best competitors in the world and his team will make an immediate impact on the league, both on and off the golf course.
“This is another exciting moment in the natural evolution of LIV Golf and the future of the sport.”
Hatton, 32, is a six-time winner on the DP World Tour and has won once on the PGA Tour, at the 2020 Arnold Palmer Invitational. The Englishman finished second in the 2023 Players Championship, one of his seven top 10 in 21 starts last season. Hatton competed in three Ryder Cups as part of the European team.
Surratt, a native of Indian Trail, North Carolina, won the SEC individual championship and was named the league's 2023 Freshman of the Year. He is the 10th ranked amateur in the world and was a member of the last year's Walker Cup.
Last week, LIV Golf added Poland's Adrian Meronk, a four-time DP World Tour winner and the tour's Player of the Year in 2023. Meronk was scheduled to play on the PGA Tour and DP World Tour this season; he withdrew from the field before last week's Farmers Insurance Open.
LIV Golf has not announced the addition of Meronk, who is expected to join Martin Kaymer's Cleeks GC team.
LIV Golf begins its third season Friday at Mayakoba Resort in Playa del Carmen, Mexico.
