Garcia Issues Apology for Outburst at Masters Tournament

Sergio Garcia has expressed remorse for his emotional outburst during the final round of The Masters. Following a disappointing drive on the second hole, Garcia damaged the turf and then broke his driver by slamming it against a bench. In a social media post, Garcia stated, "I want to apologize for my actions at The Masters tournament. I have immense respect for The Masters and Augusta National Golf Club, and I regret my behavior, which does not reflect my appreciation for the tournament, its patrons, officials, and golf enthusiasts worldwide." Garcia received a code-of-conduct warning from Geoff Yang, chairman of The Masters competitions committee, on the fourth tee, as part of the newly introduced conduct policy. The 2017 champion started with a bogey and hit a weak fade on the par-five second hole, which was headed towards the bunker. He then slammed his driver into the turf and, without repairing the damage, struck it against a wooden bench, causing the club head to dangle from the shaft. Garcia declined to discuss the details of the warning, stating, "I'm not going to tell you." When asked again, he replied, "Next question." Garcia did not apologize for his behavior after his round, saying, "Just obviously not super proud of it, but sometimes it happens." Garcia has not finished in the top 10 in the 29 majors he has played since his 2017 victory at Augusta National. He has missed the cut six times in eight appearances at The Masters since winning. When asked about his record, Garcia attributed it to "bad golf" and "bad shots." Garcia has a history of outbursts, including being disqualified in 2019 at the Saudi International for damaging greens and angrily kicking off his shoe during a tee shot at the World Match Play in 2001. The PGA Tour has been developing the code-of-conduct policy, and The Masters was the first tournament to implement it. A second violation during the tournament results in a two-shot penalty, while a third violation leads to disqualification.