Garcia Issues Apology for Outburst at The Masters

Sergio Garcia has expressed remorse for his on-course outburst 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 statement posted on social media, Garcia said, "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 was unacceptable and not reflective of my respect for the game, the patrons, and the tournament officials." Garcia received a code-of-conduct warning from Geoff Yang, chairman of The Masters competitions committee, on the fourth tee. The warning was issued under the new conduct policy implemented at The Masters this year. After starting with a bogey, Garcia hit a weak fade on the par-five second hole, which headed towards the bunker. In frustration, he smashed his driver into the turf and then struck it against a wooden bench, causing damage to the club. When questioned about the incident, Garcia declined to discuss the details, stating, "I'm not going to tell you." Later, when asked again, he replied, "Next question." Garcia also chose not to apologize for his behavior after completing his round with a 75, finishing 52nd among the 54 players who made the cut. "Just not super proud of it, but sometimes it happens," he said. Garcia has struggled to replicate his 2017 Masters victory, failing to finish in the top 10 in the 29 majors he has played since. He has missed the cut six times in eight appearances at The Masters. When asked about his record, Garcia attributed it to "bad golf" and "bad shots." This is not the first instance of Garcia's on-course frustrations; in 2019, he was disqualified from the Saudi International for damaging greens. The PGA Tour has been developing its code-of-conduct policy over the past few years, with The Masters being the first tournament to enforce it. A second violation during the tournament would result in a two-shot penalty, while a third violation would lead to disqualification.