“This all happened over the weekend in Dubai,” Hatton told BBC Sport. “The following week was quite stressful. I almost wanted a crystal ball to know what the right decision would be.
“I talked to so many people that week, almost to the point of wanting someone to make the decision for me. It was difficult. You don’t know what the right decision is.
“I knew that if I stayed and played on the PGA Tour, if I played like I have been for the last seven or eight years, I should stay in the top 50 and give myself the best chance of making the Ryder Cup and to play in all the major championships and that’s what I want to do.
Hatton says the lure of being part of champion Masters Rahm’s new Legion XIII team was key to his decision. They had forged a successful partnership in Italy when winning the Ryder Cup last September, winning both of their foursome matches.
“We obviously get on very well and we had a good record in Rome,” Hatton said. “So there were some things with LIV that I really liked. But, like I said, we were heading into the unknown and I didn’t know if it would be the right thing.
“But so far I’m happy and ultimately that’s the most important thing.”
And he says money wasn’t the main reason for his decision. “Everyone knows that aspect,” Hatton said. “Yeah, it’s nice but ultimately that’s not all.
“I like this idea of being part of a team, I like the schedule and not the sense of playing less. That’s not my goal at all. I like the fact that we go to different places in the world .”
But he also knows that moving to a circuit where he has finished eighth, 12th, 15th and 21st in his four appearances to date comes with plenty of risks.
“It’s taking that risk, but it’s something that I was excited about and I ultimately decided that was the route I was going to take,” Hatton added.
As the PGA Tour has resumed negotiations with Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund, it admits its conclusion could have been even tougher to make.
“I think talking about golf hopefully made the decision slightly easier, but it was still a very difficult decision for me to make,” he said.
The atmosphere is less hostile between the rival tours than it was when Lee Westwood, Ian Poulter and Sergio Garcia left at the start of LIV’s first season in 2022. “It’s definitely softened,” Hatton said .
“Some guys described themselves as looking like Swiss cheese with all the holes they had taken out because of the abuse they suffered.
“Unfortunately, social media isn’t the nicest place. I actually deleted my social media because I knew there would be negativity.
“I just didn’t want to have that judgment and negativity in front of me. So I took that out and it’s been pretty nice actually.”
Hatton says the biggest drawback to LIV’s 54-hole shotgun tees is the fact that rounds can start at any part of the course.
“My routine, I always walked off the tee two or three minutes before tee time and you keep that pace from the stand,” he said. “Sometimes you have to leave 20 minutes before the gun starts.”
But the biggest downside is undoubtedly the loss of a steady source of world ranking points, the currency he needs to maintain his status as a major player. This year he is eligible for the full set; the Masters, the US PGA, the US Open and the Open Championship.
“It’s hard,” he admitted. “I need to gain 20-25 points in the world rankings this year to compete in the four majors next year. That’s the equivalent of finishing fifth all by yourself in a major tournament.
“It’s doable and it would be great if I could have a really good week next week at the Masters – even though it’s been a challenge for me in my previous seven visits.”
Winner of the BMW PGA Championship at Wentworth and the Alfred Dunhill Links at St Andrews, Hatton still wants to compete in European Tour events. The move to LIV makes things more difficult unless fines and suspensions are lifted as punishment for tour members who participate in its events.
“While I understand it makes things a little more difficult, there is still some sort of opportunity to compete in DP World Tour events, unlike the PGA Tour where we were suspended,” Hatton said.
He also wants to retain his place in the European Ryder Cup team and has spoken to captain Luke Donald to remind him of this ambition.
But it’s a long-term goal. More immediately, he’s playing this week’s LIV event here at Donald Trump’s Doral Resort near Miami. And then it’s the Masters next week where 2018’s share of 18th place is his only top 20 finish.
The quest for a green jacket this year, given the decision that agonized him earlier this year, seems to exert more pressure than ever, but while it seems like a deflection tactic, he tries to downplay that importance .
“On paper, the majors are going to put more emphasis than in previous years,” he said. “But I don’t really see it that way. There’s no reason why I can’t have a good week.”
