If you’re an avid follower of golf, you may have noticed that some of the most riveting moments on the course mysteriously vanish from your social media stream. The most recent casualty of this digital purge is a clip that had golf enthusiasts in stitches: Patton Kizzire’s legendary putter punt during the initial round of the 2025 Valspar Championship. However, within a few hours of this unforgettable incident being shared on various digital platforms, the video was inexplicably deleted, leading many to attribute this to the PGA Tour’s assertive copyright protection measures.
The contentious video captured a moment of unadulterated disappointment from Kizzire, a three-time winner of the PGA Tour. The incident struck a chord with recreational golfers globally. After missing a reportedly minimal putt on the 15th hole of Innisbrook’s Copperhead Course, Kizzire spectacularly lost control of his emotions.
The tense scene saw Kizzire delivering a powerful, punt-style kick, which sent his putter soaring an estimated 20 yards over the green, visibly warping the shaft upon impact. Left without a usable putter, Kizzire concluded the hole using his wedge to putt, adding a bogey to his already underwhelming round.
However, as quickly as the clip gained popularity, it disappeared, leaving golf enthusiasts and media figures puzzled and annoyed by what they perceived as an unnecessary exercise in content regulation.
This incident gained further traction when considered in light of Kizzire’s recent performance downturn. Since securing a T40 at The Sentry in January, the seasoned player failed to make the cut in six consecutive tournaments, a troubling phase for a player who had ended a six-year victory drought just months before by clinching the Procore Championship in September 2024. After another bogey on the 16th hole, followed by a par on the 17th, Kizzire pulled out of the tournament, citing back pain. However, rumors circulated that his aggressive kick might have influenced his discomfort.
The real controversy, however, sparked when the PGA Tour allegedly started issuing takedown notices to accounts that had shared the clip. A notable golf writer commented on his social media account, “It is with regret that I inform you the Patton putter-punting video has been removed. A travesty.” This removal prompted an instant backlash from golf fans who viewed the takedowns as an overzealous exercise of copyright enforcement and a missed opportunity for natural engagement with occasional followers of the sport.
Experts in the industry note that while sports organizations undoubtedly have the right to safeguard their broadcast content, the deletion of viral moments often backfires in terms of fan engagement. The PGA Tour’s apparent decision to remove these clips comes at a time when the organization, headed by Jay Monahan, is striving to modernize its image and appeal to younger viewers—a demographic that primarily discovers and interacts with sports content through social media highlights and viral moments.
The removal of Kizzire’s viral clip was met with widespread criticism on social media. Fans voiced their disappointment unequivocally, with one user describing the organization as a “soft ass tour” for its handling of the situation.
Many fans argue that Jay Monahan and his team are failing to see the bigger picture in terms of content strategy. One fan argued, “DMCA on this one is just a foolish business move. You guys are the dumbest with your content.” Adding fuel to the fire, one content creator mentioned, “The PGA Tour are DMCAing viral social clips just so that Skratch can do it exclusively. For anyone wondering if they still had a partnership…” This claim seems to hold water, as the viral video of Kizzire’s putter punt remains accessible on Skratch’s social media accounts.
These reactions underscore a growing chasm between how traditional sports organizations perceive their content and the expectations of modern audiences regarding the consumption and sharing of memorable moments.