Ryder Cup duo Tommy Fleetwood and Tyrrell Hatton confirm LIV Golf conversations

English pair insist they are committed to DP World Tour and PGA Tour for the time being

Tommy Fleetwood looks on from the 15th tee during round three of the Hero Dubai Desert Classic at Emirates Golf Club. Picture: Ross Kinnaird/Getty Images.

Ryder Cup team-mates Tommy Fleetwood and Tyrrell Hatton have both confirmed holding conversations with LIV Golf about joining Jon Rahm on the Saudi-backed circuit in 2024.

But, speaking after completing their third rounds in the Hero Dubai Desert Classic, the English duo insisted they are both committed to the DP World and PGA Tour for the time being.

On the back of Masters champion and world No 3 Rahm being lured by LIV for a whopping $476 million, Fleetwood, Hatton and Nicolai Hojgaard were all targeted after being among the Spaniard’s team-mates in last year’s Ryder Cup win Rome.

So far, though, LIV CEO and commissioner Greg Norman has been rebuffed in his bid to add more members of the European team at Marco Simone Golf Club to his player roster for the 2024 campaign, which starts in Mexico next month.

“I think it comes at that time of the year where there are always rumours flying around,” said Fleetwood, speaking to a small group of golf writers at Emirates Golf Club in the United Arab Emirates. “It’s nothing, really. There’s nothing going on. I’ve been playing here for the last two years and I’m still playing here now. You know, I’m pretty boring news-wise, so that’s just what it is (laughing).”

Asked if he’d been approached by LIV, the seven-time DP Word Tour winner replied: “Yeah. But I think people have been getting approached for a long, long time. So I don’t think it is like flash news that people are still getting approached by LIV. You know, some people will go and some people won’t. And then at some point we’ll either all play together or we won’t. Like everybody else, I’ll wait to find out.”

Hatton also responded to rumours about him being a LIV target. “I’d say there’s several people who have had conversations,” said the two-time Alfred Dunhill Links champion. “I think that’s part and parcel of golf at the moment, but I’m quite happy playing the PGA Tour and DP World Tour.”

Has he had those conversations? “I’ve just said that,” added Hatton. “There’s a lot of people who have and I don’t think there is anything to shy away from.” But is he staying put? “As of right now, yeah,” he insisted.

It is understood that Hojgaard, winner of the season-ending DP World Tour Championship in January, has also turned down his offer, with Fleetwood revealing that they conversations haven’t been about them becoming members of star signing Rahm’s new team. “No,” he replied to that line of questioning.

It remains to be seen if LIV will come back in with fresh offers for the trio, but Fleetwood insisted he’s not unsettled by the rumours and is focused on trying to build on his flying start to 2024 by winning the inaugural Dubai Invitational last weekend.

“I’ll speak for myself as a professional golfer and still someone who is still chasing my childhood dreams and still trying to be the best golfer I can be,” said the Dubai-based player. “Until I decide I’ve had enough or retire, I’ll always be doing what I think is best for my golf game and, at the moment, that’s what I am doing. Who knows if that changes in the future. But, for now, that’s where I feel I want to be.”