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 damaged the turf and subsequently broke 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 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 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 tournament's new conduct policy. The incident occurred after Garcia began 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, without repairing the damage, struck it against a wooden bench, causing the clubhead to dangle from the shaft. Garcia declined to discuss the details of the warning, stating, "I'm not going to tell you," and later added, "Next question." When asked about his behavior after finishing with a 75 to place 52nd among the 54 players who made the cut, Garcia said, "Just obviously not super proud of it, but sometimes it happens." Garcia has struggled to replicate his 2017 Masters victory, failing to finish in the top 10 in the 29 majors he has played since then. He attributed his poor performance to "bad golf" and "bad shots." This is not the first time Garcia has been involved in a controversy, having been disqualified in 2019 for damaging greens in frustration and engaging in other incidents, such as 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, which The Masters was the first tournament to implement. 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.