Garcia Offers Apology for Outburst at Masters Tournament

Sergio Garcia has issued an apology for his on-course outburst during the final round of The Masters. The incident occurred after a poor drive on the second hole, where Garcia ripped up the turf and then broke his driver against a bench. In a social media post, Garcia expressed his regret, stating, 'I want to apologize for my actions at The Masters tournament. I have immense respect and appreciation for The Masters and Augusta National Golf Club, and I regret my behavior, which does not reflect the respect I have 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. This warning was part of a new conduct policy introduced at The Masters this year. The 2017 champion began his round with a bogey and then hit a weak fade on the par-five second hole, which headed towards the bunker. He reacted by slamming his driver onto the tee and then into the turf. Without repairing the damage, Garcia then smashed his driver against a wooden bench, causing the club head to dangle from the shaft. When questioned about the incident, Garcia declined to discuss the details, stating, 'I'm not going to tell you.' He also did not apologize for his behavior after his round, simply 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 win at Augusta National. He has missed the cut six times in eight appearances at The Masters since his victory. When asked about his record, Garcia attributed it to 'bad golf' and 'bad shots.' This is not the first time Garcia has been involved in an on-course incident. In 2019, he was disqualified from the Saudi International for damaging greens in frustration. Other notable incidents include kicking off his shoe during a tee shot at the World Match Play in 2001 and spitting into a cup during a World Golf Championship at Doral. The PGA Tour has been developing its code-of-conduct policy over the past few years, with The Masters being the first tournament to implement it. The policy states that a second violation during the tournament will result in a two-shot penalty, while a third violation will lead to disqualification. The PGA Championship will also be using this policy next month at Aronimink Golf Club.