Garcia Issues Apology for Outburst at Masters Tournament

Sergio Garcia has expressed remorse for his behavior during the final round of The Masters. Following a disappointing drive on the second hole, Garcia ripped up the turf and then damaged his driver by slamming it against a bench. In a post on social media, Garcia stated, 'I would like to apologize for my actions at The Masters tournament. I have great 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 tournament's new conduct policy. The incident occurred after Garcia began his round with a bogey and hit a weak fade on the par-five second hole, which was headed towards the bunker. He then smashed 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, saying, 'I'm not going to tell you.' When asked about it again, he replied, 'Next question.' Garcia also did not apologize for his behavior after finishing his round with a 75, placing 52nd among the 54 players who made the cut. 'I'm not particularly proud of it, but sometimes these things happen,' he said. Garcia has not finished in the top 10 in the 29 majors he has played since winning The Masters in 2017. 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 controversial incidents on the course, including being disqualified in 2019 for damaging greens and angrily kicking off his shoe during a tee shot in 2001. 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. A second violation during the tournament results in a two-shot penalty, while a third violation leads to disqualification.