Garcia Issues Apology for Outburst at the Masters

Sergio Garcia has expressed remorse for his conduct during the final round of The Masters tournament. Following a disappointing drive on the second hole, Garcia damaged the turf and then broke his driver against a bench. In a statement on social media, Garcia said, 'I want to apologize for my behavior at The Masters. I have immense respect for the tournament and Augusta National Golf Club, and I regret my actions, which do not reflect my appreciation for the event, the patrons, and golf enthusiasts worldwide.' Garcia received a code-of-conduct warning from Geoff Yang, chairman of The Masters competitions committee, on the fourth tee. This warning was part of a new conduct policy introduced at The Masters this year. Garcia, who won the championship in 2017, started 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 against a wooden bench. Without discussing the details of the warning, Garcia declined to comment on what the official said, stating, 'I'm not going to tell you.' When asked about it again, he replied, 'Next question.' Garcia did not apologize for his behavior after his round, saying, 'Just obviously not super proud of it, but sometimes it happens.' Garcia has not finished in the top 10 in the 29 majors he has played since his victory at Augusta National in 2017. When asked about his record, Garcia said, 'Bad golf,' and when pressed for more details, he simply stated, 'Bad shots.' Garcia has a history of outbursts, including being disqualified in 2019 at the Saudi International for damaging greens in frustration. The PGA Tour has been developing a code-of-conduct policy over the past few years, and The Masters was 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.