In-form Tyrrell Hatton to make Jonathan Bell his permanent caddie as he eyes Ryder Cup place in 2018

Tyrrell Hatton is set to appoint best friend Jonathan Bell as his caddie on a permanent basis as he fixes his sights on a boyhood dream double in the final four weeks of this season.

The 26-year-old initially asked Bell - a fellow pro who he has known since they were seven years old - to fill in until the end of the campaign, after parting ways with Chris Rice. Bell agreed on the understanding that he would return to the game’s mini-leagues next year to try to plot his own way to the top.

But the relationship has turned out to be such a staggering success that both have been forced to alter their plans. It is fair to say that both now believe neither could afford to do without the other.

Hatton had missed six out of seven cuts when he was joined by Bell at the European Masters six weeks ago. That week in Swiss mountains, Hatton left his form behind with a third place. In his next event, the British Masters, Hatton came eighth and then followed this up with back-to-back wins at the Dunhill Links and last weekend’s Italian Open.

In these four tournaments together, Hatton has re-entered the world’s top 20 and collected more than more than £1.6m.

Bell’s cut will have topped £150,000 and for a man who was working as a part-time gardener when Hatton called, this obviously constitutes ridiculous money. Understandably, Bell is ready to put his own golf career on hold for another year if and when Hatton makes the partnership official. “If the opportunity arose I would not turn it down,” Bell said.

After enjoying a week off, Hatton plays in the HSBC WGC Champions in Shanghai knowing that another win would all but confirm his Ryder Cup debut next year as well as drive him ever deeper into contention for the Race to Dubai order of merit title.

After China, there are three more weeks to go with Hatton playing in Turkey, Sun City and the finale in Dubai as he attempts to chase down the leader Tommy Fleetwood.

Fleetwood started the trend to employ best friends as caddies, linking up with Ian Finnis last year and rising from outside the world’s top 150 into the top 20. Since then, Rory McIlroy turned to his closest compadre Harry Diamond after dismissing JP Fitzgerald, while Jason Day replaced Col Swatton, his long-time coach who also acted as a bagman, with Luke Reardon, his former room-mate at college.

“They are all great players and maybe they have realised that if you take care of yourself emotionally and have a good time then the golf can take care of itself,’ Bell told National Club Golfer. “There is nothing worse than not getting on well with someone and spending all day with them. If he caddied for me he would be the same as I am with him. At the end of the day we just want the best for each other.”

Hatton is in fifth place on the money list with another Englishman in Ross Fisher in fourth, and Jon Rahm and Sergio Garcia in third and second respectively. Both the Spaniards have been playing in the Andalucia Masters at Valderrama, although mRah missed the cut on Friday.

However, going into the final round of the event his charitable foundation promotes, Garcia is one shot ahead and looking to close to within 780,000 points of Fleetwood.

Garcia’s three-under 68 to move to eight-under was anything but uneventful, featuring six birdies, three bogeys and nine pars. Daniel Brooks, the 30-year-old Englishman, is the nearest pursuer after a 64 containing nine birdies, while the Dutchman Joost Luiten is one further back in third with Wales’s Jamie Donaldson in a tie fourth with the Scot Jamieson on five-under following a 68 and 71 respectively.