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 – even if that result comes with an invitation for next year’s Masters.
“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.