The golfing world seems to be entering a new era this season– one filled with intense physical show of frustration. And we are not even talking about the hot mic takes that show LIV fans their players’ thoughts come to life. In the ongoing LIV Dallas tournament at the Maridoe Golf Club. On the first day, Smash GC’s Brooks Koepka started strong with a birdie on the opening hole. However, his continued slumping form got the better of him, pushing his performance decidedly downhill. He first triple-bogeyed both the par-4 4th and the par-5 7th. Then, on par-4 9th, as he hit his tee shot, he was seemingly not very happy. 

He first smashed his driver right there and then turned to hit the tee marker towards the crowd lining the tee box. Fortunately, no spectator was hurt but Koepka’s shot ended with a bogey, and he withdrew from the round citing illness. Before his T12 US Open outing, the Florida native was quite open about his low form getting the better of his temper, he even confessed having to “apologize to my wife, my family” who wouldn’t have wanted to be around him at that time. However, it seems like he is not alone to show his frustration in physical forms. 

One of the names is Tyrrell Hatton, who came very close to winning the Open but failed to clear the rough late. As the ball he hit stayed on the lip of the steep bunker, he gave his caddie a look and smashed his driver into the ground. But that, which he openly stated, “If that’s the worst thing I do as a human, then, I mean, it’s not that bad,” wouldn’t be his only visual frustration. Earlier, he also went after a tee marker in Dubai. Now, in Dallas, it seems like his temper has gotten the worst of him again.

Hatton was brilliant in the opening round at Maridoe Golf Club, carding a 7-under to grab the early lead. But his momentum stalled on Day 2 with a 2-over round, dropping him four shots behind Patrick Reed, who sits atop the leaderboard at 9-under. But the moment that lit up social media came on the par-5 7th hole, where Hatton, after a solid drive down the fairway, went for the green in two, and things quickly unraveled from there.

The British stepped up to the 266-yard shot with confidence, opting for a fairway wood. He clearly believed it would get the job done, but it didn’t quite go as planned. The ball barely reached the front edge of the green, then trickled down a slope and straight toward the water. Frustrated, Hatton erupted: “Worst hole on the planet! That is F**KING BULLSH1T!” — a moment caught loud and clear on the mic for everyone to hear. Over the season, many golfers too have been in the spotlight over such behavior though.

At the U.S. Open, Rory McIlroy made headlines when he, too, smashed a tee marker and threw a club. Wyndham Clark damaged Oakmont’s historic lockers. Adam Hadwin unleashed on a sprinkler at the Valspar Championship. But the hot mics have been a troubling thing for LIV’s players recently. Needless to say, fans had a field day with his fiery reaction.

Fans react to Tyrrell Hatton’s outcry on the course

While several fans could relate to Hatton’s situation and reached out with ‘been there, done that,’ some fans were displeased by his behavior. “Lol you hit it short into a bank and it’s somehow the holes fault? Layup next time,” a fan advised Hatton with a mocking tone. The fan added that instead of accepting his own mistake, Hatton blamed the hole, and he should probably work on his course management the next time.

Another fan added, “YOU CANT TEACH JUDGEMENT! Learn To Pick Your Shorts Correctly, Fade The Ball & Over Club. But He Was Probably Hitting His Driver.” The strong statement by the fan implied that Hatton made a bad strategic choice, and good judgment on the course comes naturally to players. The ability to make smart decisions, especially under pressure, is something a golfer either has or doesn’t. And clearly, Hatton’s decision implied that he bit more than he could chew.

But sometimes, no matter what choice golfers make, the outcome is never in their control. And sometimes, external factors play a role too. Another fan chimed in sarcastically, “Welcome to Liv courses.” While the entertainment factor is high, many viewers have complained that LIV courses are in poor condition, and even the tournament is poorly executed. Even in 2023, when it was hosted in Tulsa, there was a lot of backlash because parts of the course were in terrible condition.

“Hatton is known as a headcase on the course and has no fanbase in America; fans enjoy seeing him meltdown weekly like at the 17th hole at Oakmont at the US Open,” a fan reminded the rest of us of Tyrrell Hatton’s outburst at Oakmont, when his long drive on the 17th hole, found the thick rough by the greenside bunker. And we all are aware of how Oakmont’s rough test the mental strength of even the best players.

Hatton’s outburst also led some fans to believe that LIV players have been visibly frustrated in recent times. “I realize that these are just isolated clips that get posted on here, but it seems like no one is happy playing LIV? I don’t know,” a fan expressed, as the incident comes just a day after Koepka’s outburst. Even Dustin Johnson has been on a decline ever since he moved to the Saudi-backed tour and was caught cursing on the hot mic. At this rate, LIV Golf is entertaining for all the wrong reasons.