Garcia Issues Apology for Outburst at Masters Tournament

Sergio Garcia has expressed regret for his behavior during the final round of The Masters. Following a poor drive on the second hole, Garcia damaged the turf and then broke his driver on a bench. In a statement posted on social media, Garcia said, "I apologize for my actions at The Masters. I have immense respect for the tournament and Augusta National Golf Club, and I regret my behavior, which has no place in golf. Garcia received a code-of-conduct warning from Geoff Yang, chairman of The Masters competitions committee, on the fourth tee. This conduct policy was newly introduced at The Masters this year. The 2017 champion started with a bogey and hit a weak shot on the par-five second hole, which was heading towards the bunker. Garcia then slammed his driver onto the tee and into the turf, causing damage. Without repairing it, he proceeded to smash his driver against a wooden bench, resulting in the club head dangling from the shaft. When questioned about the incident, Garcia declined to comment on what was said by the official. After his round, he stated, "I'm not going to discuss it," and when asked again, he replied, "Next question." Garcia did not apologize for his behavior after his closing 75, which left him in 52nd place among the 54 players who made the cut. He simply said, "I'm not proud of it, but sometimes it happens." It's worth noting that Garcia has not finished in the top 10 in the 29 majors he has played since his victory at Augusta National in 2017. He has missed the cut six times in eight appearances at The Masters since his win. 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 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, and The Masters was the first tournament to implement it. The PGA Championship will also be using this policy next month at Aronimink Golf Club. After the initial warning, a second violation during the tournament would result in a two-shot penalty, while a third violation would lead to disqualification.