Maja Stark gave in to anger and frustration in the final round of the 2025 KPMG Women’s PGA Championship.
The reigning US Open champion was struggling at PGA Frisco, and after missing a birdie putt on the 16th hole, she threw her putter at her golf bag, and the head came off.
This forced her to use another club in her bag to putt with. She carded a six-over 78 on Sunday to fall well out of contention.
Stark experienced the crowning moment of her career so far at Erin Hills, winning the US Women’s Open by two shots from Nelly Korda and Rio Takeda.
Do you remember these golf meltdowns?
Shane Lowry was far from impressed in the second round of the 2025 PGA Championship at Quail Hollow, as on the 8th hole, he found his ball in a pitch mark in the fairway.
If it was his own pitch mark or if the tournament allowed players to play preferred lies in the murky, wet conditions in Charlotte, the former Open champion could have rolled his ball out of the embedded lie.
But neither was the case, and Lowry played it as it lied. He didn’t advance it far, and after he hacked out, he dug up the ground even more, enraged by the situation.
Stand by for some colourful language…
This isn’t the only tantrum we have seen in the 2025 PGA Tour season. Patton Kizzire had a moment of his own at the Valspar Championship earlier in the calendar.
I defy anyone to watch what Kizzire did in the first round of the Valspar and not at least crack a smile.
After missing a short putt at the Copperhead Course, Kizzire kicked his putter into orbit and it landed on the green from some height and some distance away. It must be said that potential damage to the golf course is certainly not funny.
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When the red mist comes over golfers, as it did with this three-time PGA Tour winner, it goes viral and this short clip was no exception.
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It proves even the best players in the world are overcome by emotion from time to time. It isn’t uncommon to see open shows of anger and rage at golf’s top level.
This has been the case for many years. Rory McIlroy, Tiger Woods, Sergio Garcia. You name them, and somewhere in the archives, they will have committed an unforgivable act of petulance as a result of a bad swing.
I dug further into the archives to find the best meltdowns from years gone, and I’m delighted to say I’ve unearthed some of the best golf meltdowns there have ever been…
Sam Burns buries his driver
On the 9th hole at the 2024 FedEx St. Jude Championship, Sam Burns hit an errant tee shot and had enough with his driver.
He threw it to the floor, it snapped and he couldn’t use his big stick on the back nine. He went on to shoot 70.
Abraham Ancer was vexed at Valderrama
As recently as July 2024, LIV Golf’s Abraham Ancer was recorded launching his club at Valderrama, adopting the trajectory of a low punch, piercing through the wind.
Rory McIlroy says ‘Goodbye’ to his 3-iron
We’re heading back to 2015 now when Rory McIlroy was competing at the Cadillac Championship held on the Blue Monster Course at Doral.
After a bad approach to the par-5 8th hole in the third round, the four-time major champion slung his 3-iron into the drink. It was later retrieved by a scuba diver.
Sergio’s shameful sweeping of a Saudi bunker
You could probably make a list full of Sergio Garcia rages, let alone include other players. One of his most famous tantrums came at the 2019 Saudi International. Before being disqualified for damaging as many as five greens, the former Masters champion went berserk in a bunker in what became a forgettable week for the Spaniard.
Hennie headloss
Hennie Otto appeared to take leave of his senses at the Nashua Masters in 2005. After missing a short, looping putt, he took a full swing with his putter in complete rage, thankfully not letting go of it.
Otto continued to take five more putts, behaving like a child who’d just taken up the game, as a result of pure anger. Try not to watch the below clip without smiling.
Daly takes his club for a dive
On the par-3 7th hole of Whistling Straits at the 2015 PGA Championship, John Daly put his first three tee shots into Lake Michigan, ending any chances of contending for his second PGA title.
He found the green with his fourth attempt, but after this he sent his 6-iron sailing into the lake, joining his first three golf balls.
Sergio’s anger at his shoe
While playing at the World Match Play during his rookie season, Garcia showed the fans a sign of things to come when he took his shoe off and put it into the crowd.
When it was thrown back to him, he then booted it forward with his other foot – a quite unbelievable showing in public.
Pieters bends his club over his neck
Thomas Pieters, now of LIV Golf, was always a firey character when ascending the ranks on the DP World Tour.
In 2018 at Wentworth, the Belgian hit a shot that he wasn’t pleased with (to say the least) and snapped his iron over his neck. Ouch…
Brooks breaks his driver
In 2017, Brooks Koepka sent two drives sailing right in round two of the Honda Classic. The five-time major champion had simply had enough of his driver at this point.
Although the camera didn’t capture the snap, you can see Koepka apply severe pressure and motion at his driver. He then picks up the broken head.
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Charl churns his club at Muirfield
Another tantrum and it’s another major champion. This time, it was Charl Schwartzel who was unhappy with an iron shot at Muirfield at the 2013 Open Championship.
The 2011 Masters champion threw his club down on the floor during the first round. The shaft absolutely exploded.
NOW READ: Can slamming your golf club into the ground get you into trouble?
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Which is your favourite from this golf tantrums list? Can you relate to these golf meltdowns? Are they similar to golf meltdowns you have seen yourself? Tell us on X!
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