Patton Kizzire Was Having a Bad Day and Took It Out on His Putter

Patton Kizzire punted his putter out of frustration during the first round of the Valspar Championship, then withdrew.

Patton Kizzire took out his frustration on his putter after a bogey at the Valspar Championship. / Kyle Terada-Imagn Images

Although it’s not a frequent occurrence, professional golfers displaying emotion on the course is one of the reasons golf feels so relatable to fans. Whether it’s the world’s top players or weekend amateurs, everyone experiences the frustration of a bad shot.

During Thursday’s opening round of the Valspar Championship, Patton Kizzire had an outburst that went a bit farther than what we’re used to seeing on the PGA Tour. We’ve seen plenty of club throws and the shouting of an obscenity here or there. One thing we haven’t seen much of is a player kicking a club out of anger. That’s exactly what Patton Kizzire did on the par-3 15th (his sixth hole of the day).

The 39-year-old lagged a 40-footer to around 5 feet, but missed the par putt. That’s when Kizzire punted the putter, which went quite a long way.

Unreal hang time on this putter punt 👏 pic.twitter.com/WuQvbfr0el

— Skratch (@Skratch) March 20, 2025

Two holes later, at 3 over, Kizzire withdrew from the tournament with a back injury according to the Tour.

Kizzire enlisted the help of a mental coach before winning the Procore Championship last fall. However, it hasn't been smooth sailing so far for the former Auburn Tiger in 2025 as prior to this week he had missed six consecutive cuts.