Heartbreak for Tyrrell Hatton in WGC Rules Breach

Tyrrell Hatton's WGC–Dell Technologies Match Play campaign came to an abrupt end with a nasty two–shot penalty. But at least he's going to The Masters.

Hatton's defeat to Rafa Cabrera Bello in the final round of group matches meant they both went into a play–off with Charles Howell to decide who would go into the last 16.

After he missed a birdie putt on the first play–off hole, Hatton touched his ball by accident as he was tapping in for par.

The ensuing two–shot penalty saw him eliminated, with Howell going on to secure victory at the fifth extra hole and book an encounter with Jon Rahm who had handed out Sergio Garcia a 6&4 beating.

Watch the whole caper here...

Hatton told Sky Sports: "I missed the putt that I had with the chance to go through and I've stood up to knock the [par] putt in. As I've gone to put the putter down behind the ball I've clipped it and knocked it a centimetre forward.

"Straight away you have to call it on yourself. Obviously it's a disappointing day for me to lose this morning and have a great chance to go through to the last 16.

"Maybe it's karma for me how I behaved the previous two days on the golf course. All I know it's a tough pill to swallow at the moment.

"It's probably the worst way it could have ended. The referee said 'Did I replace the ball?' because if I'd replaced it then I wouldn't have gotten the penalty, but obviously by then it was too late and I'd knocked the putt in.

"I'm only human, I'm going to make mistakes as I've done today. You just have to try and pick yourself up and hopefully I can have a good week at the Masters. That gives me something to smile about at the moment. I can't wait for that."

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