English could be the language of choice at this year’s Open de España presented by Madrid. Tyrrell Hatton and Shane Lowry touch down at Real Club de Campo Villa de Madrid with two very different personalities, but they also share some common ground; they both know what it is to win big, they both have a special relationship with the fans, and they both have plenty of reasons to believe they can lift the trophy in the Spanish capital.
Wherever Hatton goes, the entertainment follows. The Englishman is back at the Open de España after a brilliant debut in 2024, when he finished tenth. His return comes after a spectacular season at the majors. Third at the Masters and seventh at the US Open, a pair of performances that few can match. But Hatton is a man who needs no introduction.
He is the bad boy of golf, a player capable of converting every round into a roller coaster of gestures, outbursts and insults. One particular incident, on the 9th hole at Bay Hill, goes a long way to explain who the Englishman is. After sending his second shot 20 metres right of the green, he turned to his caddie and asked him if he had ever seen a worse shot in his life. When he didn’t receive an answer, Hatton drove his point home until he elicited a ‘no’. Of course, he ended up saving par. And that is Hatton in a nutshell, his volcanic nature belies a hugely talented golfer who is guaranteed to entertain every time he tees it up.
While Hatton provides the fireworks, Lowry adds heart. The Irishman is back for his third visit to Madrid after one of the biggest moments of his career at the Ryder Cup. In Bethpage, in one of the most hostile atmospheres in the history of the competition, Lowry stepped up when his team needed him, sinking the putt that meant Europe retained the cup for Europe.
Lowry is a player for the big stages. He proved it at The Open in Royal Portrush, but his story started years earlier, when he became one of the few players to win a European Tour event as an amateur at the Irish Open. Now, he is back in Madrid with yet another home triumph under his belt. Just three weeks ago he swept aside the competition, finishing 11 shots ahead of Patrick Reed and Joaquin Niemann. It was the biggest winning margin in the history of the tournament. Lowry’s confidence is through the roof.
Moreover, he likes Madrid. Real Club de Campo is also to his liking. He knows the course, and he is ready to change the narrative of his first two appearances. Last year the wind and rain had their way with him and he missed the cut. Could it be third time lucky?
Two players. Two personalities. Two very different approaches to golf. Hatton brings the fireworks. Lowry brings the character. Two of England and Ireland’s biggest talents are coming to Madrid. This could very well be an English-speaking Open de España.
