Garcia Offers Apology for Outburst at Masters Tournament

Sergio Garcia has issued an apology for his actions during the final round of The Masters. Following a disappointing drive on the second hole, Garcia damaged the turf and then broke his driver by slamming it against a bench. In a post on social media, Garcia expressed regret for his behavior, stating, "I want to apologize for my actions at The Masters tournament. I have great respect and appreciation for The Masters and Augusta National Golf Club, and I regret the way I acted, as it does not reflect my true feelings 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 newly introduced conduct policy. Garcia, the 2017 Masters champion, started his round with a bogey and then hit a weak fade on the par-five second hole, which was headed towards the bunker. He reacted by slamming his driver onto the tee and into the turf, causing damage, and then further damaged the club by hitting it against a wooden bench. Garcia declined to comment on the warning he received from the official, saying, "I'm not going to tell you," and when asked again, he replied, "Next question." After his round, Garcia did not apologize for his behavior, stating, "Just obviously not super proud of it, but sometimes it happens." Garcia has not achieved a top-10 finish in the 29 majors he has played since his 2017 Masters win. When asked about his performance, Garcia attributed it to "bad golf" and "bad shots." Garcia has a history of outbursts, including being disqualified from the 2019 Saudi International for damaging greens and kicking off his shoe during a tee shot at the 2001 World Match Play. 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 of the policy during the tournament results in a two-shot penalty, while a third violation leads to disqualification.