Viral Videos
Watch a PGA Tour winner punt his putter into the stratosphere
Six months ago, Patton Kizzire ended a six-year winless drought on the PGA Tour by claiming the Procore Championship. But it was his demeanor and attitude that turned heads that week.
After enlisting a mental coach the month before, Kizzire went viral for hugging a tree before a round in Napa. He walked barefoot in the grass and literally stopped and smelled the flowers around him, all in an effort to feel more grounded. It clearly seemed to work that week and the PGA Tour vet told us more about his new approach earlier this month when he was a great guest on The Loop podcast.
"Obviously, you're in a good spot if you're on the back nine on Sunday, and you have to stay in it and keep your cool," Kizzire told us. "But doing that week in, week out is very important to give yourself a chance."
On Thursday at the Valspar Championship, however, Kizzire wasn't able to keep his cool. Playing the par-3 15th hole—his sixth hole of the day—at Innisbrook's Copperhead Course during the first round, the three-time PGA Tour winner missed a six-footer for par and punted his putter into the stratosphere. Whether it was frustration over his play or being hurt—Kizzire withdrew with a bad back a couple holes later—it was a wild scene. Have a look:
"Auditioning, maybe, for his NFL career?" one Golf Channel analyst joked. That putter definitely didn't stay grounded. Seriously, that thing had some major hang time.
As you can see in the clip, Kizzire's putter was damaged when it finally returned to earth, so he used a wedge to knock in his par putt. He bogeyed the following hole to fall to three over, and after a par on 17, he missed the green with his approach on 18 before WDing from the tournament.
It was the latest rough result for Kizzire. Since winning in September, the 39-year-old has missed eight of 12 cuts, including his past six. So while every golfer knows how frustrating a three-putt can be, this reaction was clearly about more than one miss. Anyway, feel better, Patton.