2 weeks Ago By Tom Sunderland
Patton Kizzire has vowed to be a "better version" of himself after a heated moment at the Valspar Championship coaxed a response from Rory McIlroy . The American golfer was in the spotlight recently when he vented his frustration by kicking his putter after a fluffed shot. During the event at the Innisbrook Resort, Kizzire was caught on camera angrily booting his club following a missed putt.
And the move did not amuse golf legend McIlroy. Kizzire subsequently withdrew from the competition while three over par, attributing his exit to a back injury. He later took to Instagram to acknowledge his mistake and commit to self-improvement as he 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 and earnings of £10.5million from 255 events, Kizzire is no stranger to the pressures of professional golf.
Bearing that in mind it's only right he should recognise the need to better manage his emotions around the course. While McIlroy was somewhat understanding of Kizzire's error in judgement, he did not shy away from highlighting the need for better behaviour. Although he was fairly lenient given the severity of his peer's explosion "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." A post shared by Patton (@pkizzire) Alabama-born Kizzire appeared genuinely remorseful in his apology and promised to improve his conduct. But he is not the first golfer to publicly express his frustrations during a game.
It was earlier in March that broadcasters had to apologise on behalf of McIlroy following an outburst at the Arnold Palmer Invitational. A poor shot on the final hole led to the four-time major winner shouting: "F*** off!" McIlroy also lost his cool at the same tournament one year prior after a bad drive at the eighth hole. Cameras quickly captured images and the sound of a tee marker that had been smashed to pieces, suggesting it had come into contact with McIlroy's club.
The Holywood-born golfer showed some sympathy for Kizzire after his own outburst in Florida. However, Kizzire does not benefit from the same high-profile status to help him regain favour with the public after his club-kicking incident..
