With good golf on the course and good fun off it, Hatton and Rahm roll like Europe's Spanish Armada

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FARMINGDALE, N.Y. (AP) — There was wine, margaritas and some kind of “strawberry lemonade vodka thing.” Tyrrell Hatton's celebration just for making the Ryder Cup team sounds like quite a blast.

Europe might have another one coming Sunday, thanks in part to Hatton's sterling play alongside partner — and drinking buddy, during that celebration — Jon Rahm.

Hatton and Rahm paired for another win Saturday morning, beating Xander Schauffele and Patrick Cantlay, 3 and 2, to remain undefeated as a team in the Ryder Cup. They are 4-0 in foursomes, approaching the famed “Spanish Armada” of Seve Ballesteros and José María Olazábal for most points earned by teammates in that format.

Hatton, who is from England, and Rahm, who is from Spain, recall barely talking to each other in 2018 in Paris, when they were Ryder Cup rookies. But they have built a solid friendship, strengthened by being LIV Golf teammates, and perhaps that's helping them play such dominant golf.

“We’ve shared the golf course for many, many holes, and it’s absolutely incredible watching him play, and what he did on the greens today was nothing short of spectacular,” Rahm said after the morning victory.

Hatton and Rahm went back out with different partners in the afternoon as Europe increased its lead to 11 1/2 to 4 1/2 — Hatton won with Matt Fitzpatrick; Rahm lost with Sepp Straka — but they appear at their best together, two guys with perhaps less hair and bigger stomachs than when they started but matching temperaments for the ups and downs of match play.

“Well, he’s certainly a good partner to play with,” Hatton said. “He pulls out some unbelievable shots at very special times. Yeah, he’s an incredible player, and a good person to walk the fairways with.”

LIV players face a tough road to the Ryder Cup, with limited opportunities to play in events in which they can earn qualifying points. Hatton did what he could to capitalize on them, with a victory this year in Dubai, a tie for fourth at the U.S. Open and a tie for 14th at the Masters.

But he thought he would be passed in Europe's standings late in the season. When captain Luke Donald called Hatton to say his place among six automatic qualifiers was safe and he would be on the team for a fourth consecutive time, the party started.

They had just finished playing in the BMW PGA Championship at Wentworth and were celebrating not only Hatton's Ryder Cup spot but also their team title at LIV Golf — Legion III is captained by Rahm. Hatton drank himself to sickness — “I do not want to feel that bad the next day. Yeah, that was aggressive,” he said — but Rahm understood why.

“What he did is outstanding. I understand why he was — the pride he felt, why he wanted to celebrate. And plus being the end of the season for us,” Rahm recalled just before the Ryder Cup began.

“But the problem was the amount of things we mixed. I’m not going to get into amounts. I’m sure he did. But between wine, gin and tonic, Amaretto Sours, one margarita for some reason and then this strawberry lemonade vodka thing that we don’t know what it was, the bartender was very creative. That was just a little bit too much, yeah. None of us were feeling good on Monday, but he was definitely feeling the worst.”

They've clearly recovered. Hatton and Rahm beat Bryson DeChambeau and Justin Thomas 4 and 3 in the first match of the event Friday before going out third Saturday. Combine those with their two victories in Rome in 2023 and they are tied for third all-time in points in foursomes play, with Ballesteros and Olazábal having racked up 6 1/2.

“I mean, ultimately, we’ve gone out there with a job to try and win a point for Europe,” Hatton said. “Just so happy that we are able to do that.”

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