Portugal Colonial - Hatton loves being at Masters but 'It's just so hard'

But the 33-year-old Englishman might just be falling under the spell of the famed layout after firing a three-under-par 69 in Thursday's opening round of the 89th Masters.

Add that to his best-ever Masters result of shared ninth last year and reporters wondered if a long-time critic had kindled a love affair, or at least friendship, with Augusta National.

"Do I like any golf course?" Hatton said, drawing laughter. "It's just so hard. It's like, you love being here and it's very special, but at any moment you can just hit a shot and it just does your head in. I just need to keep hitting perfect shots."

This is the same Hatton who called Augusta National's set-up "unfair at times" and often unrewarding to good shots. He has made obscene gestures and hand-gesture gunfire at the course after frustrating moments and in 2024 said, "I absolutely hate it."

So there's a ways yet to travel, especially after his lone bogey of the day at 17 denied him a share of second.

"Naturally I'm disappointed with making bogey on 17. I don't feel like I did a huge amount wrong there," Hatton said. "But I think that's kind of this place, as well. You don't really have to do anything wrong to drop shots."

Whether his improved results have come from patience in his manner or better tee shots, Hatton is finding greater success at Augusta National.

"I don't know if I've worked on my patience. I think it just depends what side of the bed I get out of, if I have a little bit or none," he said.

"Today was a good day. Drove the ball pretty well, which in years gone by is something that I've struggled with... It was nice to go out there today and play a pretty solid round."

Hatton hopes possible rain on Friday stays away so the course remains firm and fast.

"Ultimately I'm still just out there trying my best. It has been nice to have another good round," he said.

"Fingers crossed the rain stays away. The course is in great shape. The greens are for a Thursday pretty rapid already and pretty firm in places.

"If the rain stays away then the scoring has the potential to get a little bit worse. That just shows how hard it is around here."

Hatton, who joined the LIV Golf League in 2024, won his first LIV title last June in Nashville and captured his eighth DP World Tour triumph this past January at the Dubai Desert Classic.

H.Silva--PC