Tyrrell Hatton was back in the groove in his first start after quitting LIV Golf, but he insists distractions caused by the league's demise were not the biggest cause of an 'inconsistent' season

Tyrrell Hatton admits he needs to improve his practice regimen when he is at home in England after lamenting an "inconsistent" season.

The former LIV Golf star, well known for downplaying his game, looked sharp in his first start since quitting the breakaway league, finishing second to Jon Rahm at the Abu Dhabi Aldar Championship on Sunday. The world No. 23 came into the event off back-to-back missed cuts on the DP World Tour, but he was back in the groove at Yas Links, finishing two shots shy of close friend Rahm.

The highlight of his season came at LIV Golf Andalucia, outdueling Rahm at the iconic Valderrama. He also finished third at the Masters, but it has been a lean year otherwise for the 35-year-old, and Hatton believes he needs to work smarter when he is practicing at home. It comes after Jon Rahm sent an adorable message to his wife and newborn daughter after an emotional Abu Dhabi win.

Sessions with former DP World Tour player-turned-coach Chris Paisley at Hatton's base in Orlando helped spark his return to form last week, and he is eager to ensure that his improved routines stick.

"Inconsistent," he said of his season. "My good weeks have been really good, and the bad weeks have been pretty bad, which is unusual. I've been fortunate over the last number of years of my career that I've been pretty consistent, and this has definitely been a bit more of an up-and-down year.

"So, it's just one of those things. When I'm in Orlando, I feel like my routine is going to be good, and I just need to figure out how to do that when I'm back in England.

"It was something I felt like I'd been struggling with for the last few years. Not really practicing very well, and Chris just helped with some structure and going through some different games, different wedge numbers, setting up putting drills, short-game tests.

"That definitely helped me a lot, and it was nice to be at the top end of the leaderboard again, as opposed to not playing the weekend."

Hatton quit LIV last month ahead of the league's collapse after a rescue deal fell through. The three-time Ryder Cup winner insists the uncertainty surrounding LIV's future did not play a significant role in his inconsistency.

"Not really. I've always come into the tournament weeks and been focused on trying to play well that week," he said. "Earlier in the year when I was playing on LIV, obviously I'm trying my best to play as well as I can at the LIV events, and when I've come back and played the DP World Tour the last three years, I've always tried my best here.

"Abu Dhabi was a big week for me because I wasn't guaranteed into Dubai, and that was not a nice feeling. So, I'm happy that I played well, and I had a good jump in the [Race to Dubai] rankings, good world ranking points, and good Ryder Cup points."

His performance at Yas Links elevated him 43 places to 12th in the Race to Dubai standings. He cannot win the season-long title at Jumeirah Golf Estates this week, nor can he earn a PGA Tour card due to a suspension for being a former LIV member, but he is determined to end a frustrating season on a high.