Ryder Cup 2018: 'Headcase' Tyrell Hatton on why he won't turn into The Hulk this week

There was a time when those around the England junior golf team wondered whether Tyrell Hatton’s temper would suffocate his talent. The teenage Hatton’s tirades were action-movie material, frequently pushing golf beyond the comforts of its customary PG rating.

And although the Ryder Cup rookie has denounced any doubters by earning a top-30 world ranking and adding three European Tour titles to his belt, Hatton’s still rarely more than a degree away from combustion.

But after speaking to European captain Thomas Bjørn, the crimson-cheeked detonator has vowed to at least partially defuse himself in Paris this week and assured that he won’t “turn into the hulk” come Friday.

“Thomas [Bjørn] said just to be myself,” Hatton said at his pre-tournament press conference. “I'm going to make mistakes. I'm human. Same as everyone else.”

“Obviously I'm going to be passionate but I need to stay as level-headed as possible. In the past, I've lost golf tournaments from getting in my own way.”

“It's just being more aware of that and trying to find a way of calming myself down and not allowing myself to get to that stage.”

Hatton was at his effervescent best earlier this month when in contention at the Dell Technologies Championship in Boston - eventually won by Ryder Cup rival Bryson DeChambeau. After miscuing a putt on the fringe, he began taking swipes and stabs at the evidently cursed grass below, reinforcing his self-made moniker “headcase Hatton”. And long after his round had deteriorated, Hatton comically frogmarched across the 18th green while saluting the hole with a theatrical thumbs-up after another miss.

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The gesture - hilarious to some - prompted criticism from a number of pundits who claimed it was high-time the hot-head matured. But turning 27 in three weeks, Hatton’s unlikely to ever totally harness his incendiary nature, but it often serves him well - at least until he goes green.

Hatton’s 8-4 record as a professional in the match-play format is one of either team’s most impressive and that all his wins have come by at least a two-hole margin suggests he’s not only cold-blooded but, crucially, cool-headed at the close.

Hatton spoke the media after a practice round on Tuesday with longtime friend Tommy Fleetwood, who is well accustomed to his comrade’s combative character having played together in the junior setup. But it's presumed that their fleeting partnership is merely mind games by captain Bjørn who continues to remain coy on Friday’s pairings.

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Instead, Hatton’s expected to partner his equally fiery - but not quite so unpredictably explosive - friend Ian Poulter who grew up just a short drive away in High Wycombe.

“If we were to play together this week, then it would be pretty special,” he said after being pressed on the matter. “Obviously [Ian’s] a Ryder Cup legend, and me being a rookie and all this being new to me, it would be good to obviously get some experience.”

“I get on with Poults really well. We've been out for dinner a few times this year, so we've spoke about a few things. He does a very good job of managing that [passion], so it’s something that I can learn from and hopefully get better at.

In the jaws of golf’s greatest grandstand, which will seat some 7,000 fans on the first tee at Le Golf National, Hatton will be a cocktail of teething gusto and anticipation. As long as he can expel the red mist, his doggedness will be a welcome virtue for the European’s this week, so long as it doesn’t descend into another x-rated horror show.