Arriving in Abu Dhabi as <a href="https://www.thenationalnews.com/sport/golf/tyrrell-hatton-wins-abu-dhabi-hsbc-championship-in-style-1.1152543" target="_blank">the defending champion</a>, to play a type of golf at which - history suggests - he is expert, you might expect Tyrrell Hatton to be full of the joys of spring. Characteristically, though, the world No 22 struck a more cautiously downbeat tone on the eve of the 2022 Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship. The move 16km <a href="https://www.thenationalnews.com/sport/2021/10/18/abu-dhabi-hsbc-championship-finds-new-home-at-yas-links/" target="_blank">from the National Course to Yas Links</a>, where the tournament will be played for the first time this week, means a step into the unknown <a href="https://www.thenationalnews.com/sport/2022/01/08/hatton-fleetwood-and-hovland-latest-stars-confirmed-for-abu-dhabi-hsbc-championship/" target="_blank">for all involved</a>. Switching from parkland to <a href="https://www.thenationalnews.com/sport/golf/2022/01/17/mcilroy-and-morikawa-play-practice-round-at-yas-links-ahead-of-abu-dhabi-hsbc-championship/" target="_blank">linksland golf</a> will pose new challenges, ones which it might be assumed Hatton would be well-placed to meet. Hatton’s first two Tour wins came at the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship, in 2016 and 2017. Even during the midst of a slump in form which saw him miss five cuts in the space of 10 starts last season, he managed a tie for second around the links courses of golf’s Scottish heartland. The 30-year-old Englishman remained circumspect, though, ahead of Thursday’s opening day. “I think it would be nice to be defending the tournament at the course that you won it at,” Hatton said. “This week is a new course for everyone, so it's hard to know what the rough winning score generally is. “I know we've got a lot of wind forecast for Friday and that's going to obviously be a challenging day for everyone. But we'll go out there, we'll give it our best and see what happens.” Hatton said his past results around links courses will count for little at Yas. “I kind of struggle when we come to different places where they are not generally designed on having, or not meant to have links courses, so, in my opinion, I don't think they look right,” he said. “You can't enjoy every golf course you play. But that being said, you still have to go out there and hit the shots.” Hatton, who will start at the <a href="https://www.europeantour.com/dpworld-tour/abu-dhabi-hsbc-championship-2022/tee-times?round=1" target="_blank">10th tee at 7.30am on Thursday</a> alongside Rory McIlroy and Lee Westwood, acknowledged he has been struggling for motivation of late. “My dad would say that I found [practice] a chore,” Hatton said. “I remember the winters when I was probably like 10 years old, and Dad [would say] ‘Come on, let's go to the range.’ “Don't want to go. Sort of happy being inside or trying to play football all weekend at that stage. “Some guys obviously really enjoy their practice. They have got a good routine in that sense and they do games and stuff to try to keep it interesting. “But I've always really struggled with that kind of thing. I definitely don't switch on to it, so I'm not really that focused whilst I'm there. It can be a little bit of a waste of time.”