Rory McIlroy was vocal in his criticism of one PGA Tour’s actions after setting a poor example at the Valspar Championship – and the star in question wants a change
Rory McIlroy wasn’t in love with Patton Kizzire’s recent tantrum – and the American has owned up to his actions(Image: Jonathan Bachman/Getty Images)
Patton Kizzire wants to become a “better version” of himself after causing quite the stir at the Valspar Championship, where he notably unnerved Rory McIlroy. The American golfer was all over the news for displaying his anger less-than-ideally by punting his putter in anger.
The 39-year-old was spotted venting his frustration by giving his club a furious kick after missing a putt on the greens of the Innisbrook Resort in Palm Harbor, Florida. This led to him having to finish the hole with a wood, much to the chagrin of golf superstar McIlroy, who was not amused by the antics.
It wasn’t long before Kizzire bowed out of the competition, three strokes over par, citing a back injury as his reason for exiting. He later owned up to his misconduct, however, and pledged to work on his temper moving forward.
Kizzire took to Instagram this week and said: “Hey everybody, Patton Kizzire [here]. I wanted to address the situation at the Valspar Championship that developed last week.
“I wasn’t feeling well and I certainly lost my cool. It wasn’t my putter’s fault… I just lost my cool, and it’s unacceptable. I’m looking forward to being a better version of myself and I appreciate you guys understanding.”
With three PGA Tour wins under his belt, Kizzire has been around long enough to know that kind of behaviour doesn’t meet the standards expected of him. Since teeing off his PGA career in 2016, the seasoned golfer has pocketed £10.5million across 255 events.
While McIlroy was somewhat understanding of Kizzire’s lapse in judgement, he didn’t hold back in highlighting the error. The Northern Irish golfer urged his fellow PGA star to set a better example.
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“It can be relatable, but at the same time, you want to try to set a proper example,” he told reporters. “Like you don’t want – you don’t want 10-year-old kids punting their putters across the green every time they miss a putt.”
To his credit, Kizzire appeared genuinely remorseful in his apology while promising to do better. And he’s not the first golfer to let his frustrations show in front of spectators.
Just earlier this month, broadcasters had to apologise on behalf of McIlroy following an outburst at the Arnold Palmer Invitational. A botched shot on the final hole saw the four-time major winner lose his cool, shouting: “F— off!”
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And it wasn’t the first time McIlroy lost his temper at the same competition. One year prior, cameras captured images of a tee marker smashed to smithereens after a stray drive at the eighth, suggesting McIlroy was to blame.
It’s no surprise the Holywood-born golfer showed some empathy for Kizzire after his own meltdown in Florida. However, Kizzire doesn’t have the advantage of McIlroy’s major profile to help him bounce back into the public’s good graces.
Kizzire was back in action at the Houston Open this weekend, where McIlroy is tied for 14th on nine-under ahead of Sunday’s final round. However, the former failed to make the cut after shooting one-under after 36 holes.
