Patton Kizzire said the word folks had been saying, albeit accidentally.
In a heavier moment, the Freudian slip lightened things up.
“It wasn’t my punt — my putter’s fault,” Kizzire said. “Punter. Putter. It wasn’t my putter’s fault.”
Punter. Putter. If you missed the news, the three-time PGA Tour winner summed things up. On Thursday, during first-round play at the Valspar Championship, Kizzire had missed a 5-foot putt for par on the 15th hole at the Copperhead Course at Innisbrook Resort when golf and football suddenly came together.
As seen during the broadcast, Kizzire started to walk before his par putt reached the hole. He took three steps. He moved his putter out in front of him. He swung his right leg back, then through, then into the middle of the club. Kizzire booted it.
It went up, up, up; nearby broadcast cameras panned upwards but didn’t catch its peak. A couple of seconds later, the putter dropped back down onto the green, about 40 feet away.
A putter punt from Patton Kizzire 🏈🏌️♂️
He went on to WD from the Valspar due to a back injury 😲 pic.twitter.com/WaO7qTiQb5
— NUCLR GOLF (@NUCLRGOLF) March 20, 2025
Analyst Gary Koch said on the Golf Channel broadcast, “Auditioning maybe for his NFL career?”
Analyst Brad Faxon said, “That was about a 20-yard — that would have been a field goal. The extra point.”
Sands said, “Your [Tampa Bay] Bucs looking for a kicker?”
Koch replied, “No, I think they’re comfortable with who they have.”
A close-up showed Kizzire’s leg strength, though — the putter was bent where he struck it. From there, he ended up hitting his remaining putts with a wedge, then withdrew two shots into his 18th hole with what was reported as a back injury.
Early Monday afternoon, Patton took to Instagram to give his side. He said he lost his cool and that the action was unacceptable. The complete message is below.
View this post on Instagram
“Hey, everybody, Patton Kizzire,” he began. “I just wanted to address the situation at the Valspar Championship last week. I wasn’t feeling well, and I certainly lost my cool. It wasn’t my punt — my putter’s fault. Punter. Putter. 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.”
Ahead of the kick, Kizzire had struggled a bit. On the 10th (he started play on the back nine), he missed a 17-foot putt for par. On the 11th, he missed a 13-foot putt for birdie. On the 12th, he missed a 3-foot putt for birdie. On the 13th, he missed a 15-foot putt for birdie. On the 14th, he made a 4-foot putt for par.
After the 15th, Kizzire took just 10 more shots. He bogeyed the par-4 16th. He parred the par-3 17th. On the par-5 18th, he hit a tee shot and a second shot — and then he withdrew.
Kizzire is currently in the field for this week’s Texas Children’s Houston Open.
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