While the golf world was focused on Tiger Woods’ second straight withdrawal from the Players Championship Thursday, at least one other players’ antics were flying under the radar. One such participant was 2010 Deutsche Bank Champion Charley Hoffman, who had something of a Tiger moment during his first round at TPC Sawgrass.
After missing an 18-inch putt on the 18th, a fuming Hoffman cracked his putter in half — but not in the knee-snapping way that frustrated golfers traditionally take their anger out on the innocent bats in their bags. The guy with the locks of blond, surfer-dude hair bent and then broke the flat stick with his bare hands, eliciting snickers from the guys in the Golf Channel booth.
One can easily imagine the outrage had Woods treated a club in a similar manner. In fact, we’ve all heard the harrumphing from every corner of the earth after Tiger tossed a club, let fly an expletive-deleted emotion, or expelled a glob of disgust on the green. When Hoffman displayed his bit of fury, the talking heads marveled at his strength and uncovered a 2008 flashback of him throwing his putter (we’re sure it was a different one than Thursday’s offending item) into the pond at Sawgrass’ 13th hole after missing a 20-inch putt.
Of course, we’ll never know whether the PGA Tour officials will punish Hoffman’s crime against putters with a fine — not that shrinking millionaire golfers’ wallets by a few coins would have any impact anyway. But we can be fairly certain that the vitriol toward a Woods, everybody’s favorite Public Enemy No. 1 Rory Sabbatini, or a John Daly will go missing as amused observers chalk Hoffman’s mini-temper tantrum to his go-for-broke personality.
Hoffman, by the way, entered Friday’s second round at even-par 72, eight shots back of leader Nick Watney.
(Emily Kay is a regular contributor to New England Golf Monthly. Check her out on the Waggle Room, Boston Golf Examiner, National Golf Examiner, and GottaGoGolf websites. You may also follow Kay on Twitter @golfexaminer.)
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