The key stats behind Hatton's victory in Abu Dhabi

Tyrrell Hatton put on a second-shot masterclass on his way to winning his fourth Rolex Series title at the Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship.

Hatton arrived at the first event of the European Tour season after admitting he spent the majority of the lead up practicing on his long game, and it was his long irons and fairway woods that proved to be key in Abu Dhabi.

On a week where players commented on the unusually tough and windy conditions in the Middle East, Hatton led the field in both Strokes Gained: Tee To Green and Eagles– two of which he carded on the opening round thanks to sublime approach shots at the 10th and 18th holes. That translated into the Englishman being a collective 12-under for the week on the four par-fives, ranking him second for the week in Par 5 Scoring.

The 10th hole was an important one for Hatton. After making an eagle there on the opening day, he added three further birdies, and on Sunday that particular hole would be the key to holding momentum. Having found himself out of position from the tee, he made a long-range birdie putt to keep the gap open between him and Rory McIlroy.

“I think the big moment for me today was the putt on 10,” he said. “Maybe that was going eight feet past and just hit the hole. That's huge.”

Hatton’s impressive approach play was not limited just to the par-fives, however. He ranked second for Strokes Gained: Approach The Green (gaining 2.09 strokes over the field average), fourth for Par 4 Scoring (where he gained 3.90 strokes), and eighth for Greens In Regulation (hitting 77.78%).

He also excelled in limiting mistakes, ranking second for total bogeys after dropping just four shots across the week – which including two bogey-free rounds on Thursday and Sunday.

Interestingly, in comparing his statistics to that of his Rolex Series victory at the 2020 BMW PGA Championship, there are some clear consistencies. Although his short-game was given a far bigger share of the credit at Wentworth, he also ranked first for Strokes Gained: Tee to Green, second for Par 5 Scoring and inside the top 10 for birdies and Par 4 Scoring during that win too.

Below, take a look at the key statistics from his Abu Dhabi victory.

The Key Statistics

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1st: Strokes Gained Tee To Green (+3.34)
1st: Eagles
2nd: Par 5 Scoring
2nd: Stroked Gained – Approach the green (+2.09)
2nd: Bogeys
4th: Par 4 Scoring (+3.90)
6th: Birdies
8th: Greens in Regulation – 77.78%