'Pitiful Setup' And 'Overrated' - Pro Rips Southern Hills

After shooting an eight-over-par round of 78, Patton Kizzire took to Instagram to slam Southern Hills' setup

Patton Kizzire hits a hybrid off the tee
(Image credit: Getty Images)

On Saturday, American Patton Kizzire, took to Instagram to voice his anger and frustration at the Southern Hills layout, with the 36-year-old posting a story that called the course "pitiful" and "overrated".

He isn't the first pro to voice their views on the Tulsa golf course. On Thursday, Tyrrell Hatton took his anger out on one of Southern Hills' greens, with the Englishman striking his putter into the turf. The 30-year-old wasn't done there though, as he lambasted the greens further on Friday, comparing them to what an amateur might expect to find at their local club, stating: "We're playing a Major championship, not a monthly medal."

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Kizzire, who had shot rounds of 69 and 75 to make it into the weekend at the PGA Championship, had fired a five-over-par front nine on Saturday. A birdie then followed at the 10th, before four bogies over his final five holes meant an eight-over-par round of 78, with the American left in a tie for dead last.

Following his round, Kizzire took to Instagram, with a post on his story reading: "Pitiful golf on a pitiful setup on an overrated golf course." Since the outburst, he has deleted the post, but that hasn't stopped many individuals screenshotting it and posting it on social media.

So far, only Kizzire and Hatton have spoken out about the course, with both men openly admitting that they hadn't been playing their best stuff either. An incident we perhaps have seen more often at Southern Hills though is the amount of individuals being struck by errant shots.

On Thursday, ESPN SportsCenter anchor, Sage Steele, was hospitalised after being struck by a stray drive from Jon Rahm. The following day, Players Championship winner, Cameron Smith, accidently hit fellow pro, Aaron Wise, with a wayward tee shot. 

Teeing off on the 2nd hole, the Aussie carved his drive right and struck Wise on the full. The impact was so hard, it apparently left a Sharpie mark on the American's hat.

Matt Cradock
Staff Writer

Matt joined Golf Monthly in February 2021 covering weekend news, before also transitioning to equipment and testing. After freelancing for Golf Monthly and The PGA for 18 months, he was offered a full-time position at the company in October 2022 and continues to cover weekend news and social media, as well as help look after Golf Monthly’s many buyers’ guides and equipment reviews.


Taking up the game when he was just seven years of age, Matt made it into his county squad just a year later and continues to play the game at a high standard, with a handicap of around 2-4. To date, his best round came in 2016, where he shot a six-under-par 66 having been seven-under through nine holes. He currently plays at Witney Lakes in Oxfordshire and his favourite player is Rory McIlroy, despite nearly being struck by his second shot at the 17th during the 2015 BMW PGA Championship.


Matt’s current What’s In The Bag?

Driver: Honma TW747, 8.75°

Fairway Wood: TaylorMade Rocketballz Stage 2, 15°, 19°

Hybrid: Adams Super Hybrid, 22°

Irons: Mizuno MP54, 5-PW

Wedges: Cleveland 588 RTX 2.0 Tour Satin, 50°, 56°, 60°

Putter: Cleveland TFI 2135 Satin Cero

Ball: Titleist Pro V1x