Hatton, Ortiz disappointed after a great fight at the U.S. Open

OAKMONT, Pa. – The hurt is going to last awhile. But at some point, Tyrrell Hatton and Carlos Ortiz will take a step back and process Sunday’s finish at the U.S. Open as a step forward in their careers.

Both LIV Golf players were in contention on the back nine of a major for the first time, and eventually they will appreciate how they dealt with the intense pressure while also learning from the moment. Sunday will be a building block, something they hope will pay dividends in the future.

Sunday night at a soaked Oakmont, however, it was too soon.

“Going to hurt for a long time,” said Hatton.

“Disappointed right now the way it happened,” added Ortiz. “I did everything I can.”

Hatton was playing his 41st major, but his best previous finish was a backdoor top 5 at the 2016 Open. Ortiz was making just his 10th major start, having made the cut for just the third time. His previous best was a tie for 52nd.

Yet here they were with four holes left to play, among five players tied for the lead at 1 over, along with J.J. Spaun, Sam Burns and Adam Scott. The latter the only one of the five with a major victory, albeit 12 years ago.

Hatton (of Legion XIII) was even par on his round at that point; Ortiz (of Torque GC) was 1 over. Paired in the same twosome, each had patiently worked through their round, waiting for the leaders to struggle and come back to the pack on a course with diabolical 5-inch rough.

Ortiz’s ball-striking had been superb, especially in Saturday’s third round when he shot a 3-under 67 to move into contention. But at the par-4 15th, his tee shot sailed left into that thick rough, and he could only hack out onto the fairway. His third shot hit close to the pin but bounced into the rough. It cost him a double bogey and took him out of the running.

“It happens,” he said. “You hit a bad drive, and then on my third shot I hit it really thin. It was hard to get clean contact. It was really, really wet.”

That left Hatton. His iron play was tremendous on Sunday, and his birdie at the par-3 13th left him with a 4-footer that moved him to 1 under. He hit another terrific tee shot with his 4-iron at the par-3 16th but missed the 10-footer that would’ve given him the outright lead.

Still, he had the drivable 314-yard par-4 17th to play. It was the easiest hole on the course Sunday, playing to a stroke average of 3.680.

Hatton knew the appropriate miss was on the right side and into the bunker. That’s where his tee shot was headed – except instead of finishing on the sand, which would have given him a good shot at an up-and-down birdie, the ball held up in the thick grass on the downslope.

That left him with an impossible second shot; he barely cleared the bunker and landed on the other side in the rough. Then his third shot also got caught in the rough. He chipped out and two-putted.

Like Ortiz, a crippling double bogey.

“The finish at the end hurts a lot,” Hatton said. “If you're going to miss the 17th with that pin, you have to miss it right. I did my bit. I feel like I was extremely unlucky to finish where it did. …

“Obviously not a decent tee shot – that would have been on the green. But I feel I've missed it in the right spot and got punished, which ultimately, I don't think ends up being fair. … It was the first time I've been in contention in a major, and that was exciting, and unfortunately, I feel like through a bit of bad luck I had momentum taken away from me and ultimately ended up not being my day.”

More days will come, though. Hatton is 33 years old; Ortiz is 34. Each has displayed their world-class skills since joining LIV Golf. Ortiz won in Houston last year, part of three worldwide wins in the last 18 month. Hatton won in Nashville last year; he also has three worldwide wins in that same span.

Spaun, who emerged as the U.S. Open champion with birdies on his final two holes, is 34. Hatton was watching the telecast during his post-round interview when Spaun sank a 64-foot birdie putt at 18 to put the exclamation mark on a two-shot victory.

“Unbelievable,” Hatton said. “What a putt to win. … I'm sad about how I finished, but I'm very happy for J.J. To win a major in that fashion is amazing.”

Perhaps the roles will be reversed one day, and Hatton will be the one celebrating a major win on 18. For now, though, it’s disappointment. Ties for fourth, which is where Hatton and Ortiz each ended up, weren’t worth celebrating. At least not on this day.

“A major would have been nice to add to the list, but it didn't work out on this occasion,” Hatton said, “but I know that I feel like I handled myself pretty well.”

Legion XIII captain Jon Rahm – who had been the clubhouse leader for more than four hours after shooting an early 3-under 67 that left him at 4 over – waited patiently for Hatton to finish his media obligations, then gave him a hug and words of encouragement.

At the same time, Ortiz was walking toward his car when he stopped to shake the hand of a security officer – a small but sincere gesture that shouldn’t go unnoticed.

“I feel like I played good enough,” said Ortiz, who was bidding to become Mexico’s first male major golf champion. “I just made a few mistakes that cost me. Overall, pretty proud.”

It’s a feeling both players should share. Especially after the pain subsides.