Garcia Issues Apology for Outburst at Masters Tournament

Sergio Garcia has offered a formal apology for his behaviour 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 statement on social media, Garcia expressed his regret, stating, 'I want to apologise for my actions at The Masters tournament. I have immense respect for The Masters and Augusta National Golf Club, and I regret my behaviour, which does not reflect my appreciation for the tournament, its patrons, officials, and golf fans 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 incident occurred when Garcia, the 2017 champion, began 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 later damaged it by hitting it against a wooden bench. Garcia declined to discuss the details of the warning, stating, 'I'm not going to tell you.' When asked about it again, he replied, 'Next question.' Despite his disappointing performance, finishing 52nd among the 54 players who made the cut, Garcia did not apologise for his behaviour after the round, saying, 'Just obviously not super proud of it, but sometimes it happens.' Garcia has struggled to replicate his 2017 success, failing to finish in the top 10 in the 29 majors he has played since his victory at Augusta National. He has missed the cut six times in eight appearances at The Masters since his win. The PGA Tour has been developing a code-of-conduct policy over the past few years, with The Masters being the first tournament to implement it. A second violation during the tournament would result in a two-shot penalty, while a third violation would lead to disqualification. The PGA Championship will also adopt this policy next month at Aronimink Golf Club.