Tyrrell Hatton responded to questions over his LIV Golf future ahead of his return to the British Masters…

When Tyrrell Hatton walked out to Queen’s I Want to Break Free in Indianapolis last week, it was widely interpreted as a not-so-subtle signal that the Englishman wants out of LIV Golf.

Yet in his press conference at the British Masters on Wednesday, Hatton confirmed he still has multiple years left on his LIV contract, while also insisting he expects the breakaway league to continue into the 2027 season.

Hatton is headlining the field here at The Belfry after learning that LIV’s Team Championship in Michigan, originally slated for this week, had been cancelled. LIV’s season finale instead took place at Chatham Hills on Sunday against a backdrop of uncertainty about what comes next.

Hatton’s Legion XIII quartet won the $8.4million prize team prize, but celebrations with teammates Jon Rahm, Tom McKibbin and Caleb Surratt were cut short as the eight-time DP World Tour winner rushed to catch his flight home to the UK before this week’s tournament.

The subdued festivities, though, added to the speculation that Hatton could be about to leave as various players weigh up their futures without complete clarity over the league’s post-Saudi plans.

“To be honest, I haven’t thought about that,” Hatton said when asked about where he could play next year. “I’ve got enough to worry about, we’re playing golf for the rest of the year. I’ve got this week, the Irish Open, Wentworth, Dunhill, Spanish Open, Abu Dhabi, Dubai.

“I’ve still got multiple years left in my contract, I believe. And as I said, I’ve got plenty of tournaments this year, so there’s nothing really to focus on other than the golf.”

When asked if anything should be read into his song choice in Indianapolis, Hatton bluntly replied: “No.”

Hatton conceded it was “a little bit of shame” how LIV’s season finished so abruptly without its anticipated match play shootout in Michigan, but his rapid exit from Indianapolis paid off in the end.

“For guys that were trying to make international flights, you didn’t really have any time to spare after the round and I think that showed in how quickly we tried to get through some of the media,” he explained. “So there wasn’t really a huge celebration. I ended up making my flight by 15 minutes. I wanted to get home to my wife and daughter and have a night in my own bed.”

Despite the rampant uncertainty, Hatton still anticipates LIV to be operational in 2027.

“I would expect there to be LIV next season,” he said. “I know they’ve worked really hard to get the funding and stuff in place, so I know it’s full steam ahead on that front.”

Indeed, LIV chief executive Scott O’Neil has an agreement in place with a “lead investor” that he says will lead the league into a reimagined future, but a deal could still hinge on LIV keeping hold of its biggest stars.

The predicament facing players, however, is complicated by the likelihood of the DP World Tour resuming fines for those wishing to balance their LIV schedules with the European circuit. LIV is hoping to put together a lighter 10-event calendar next season, meaning players who remain will be required to look elsewhere for starts.

Hatton was one of nine LIV players who struck “conditional release” deals this season with the DP World Tour, enabling the members to compete on the league without incurring fines and suspensions for breaking the league’s conflicting event regulations. But those offers are unlikely to be forthcoming next season, with tour officials warning players not to assume they’ll be able to play on LIV without racking up the punishments.

“From my side, even when I joined LIV, I’ve continued to play where I can,” Hatton said. “I think I’ve shown that over these three years that I’m pretty committed to playing here and I’ve made every effort possible to do that. I don’t see why that should change for me in the future.”