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 then broke his driver by slamming it against a bench. In a social media post, Garcia stated, "I want to apologize for my actions at The Masters tournament. I have respect and appreciation for The Masters, Augusta National Golf Club, and the golf community, and my behavior was not reflective of that." Garcia received a code-of-conduct warning from Geoff Yang, chairman of The Masters competitions committee, on the fourth tee. The warning was part of a new conduct policy introduced at The Masters this year. Garcia, the 2017 champion, started his round with a bogey and 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 then into the turf, causing damage. Without repairing the damage, Garcia proceeded to smash his driver against a wooden bench, causing the head of the club to hang loose from the shaft. When asked about the incident, Garcia declined to discuss the details, saying, "I'm not going to tell you." He also did not apologize for his behavior after completing his round with a 75, finishing 52nd among the 54 players who made the cut. Garcia has not had a top-10 finish in the 29 majors he has played since winning The Masters in 2017. He attributed his poor performance to "bad golf" and "bad shots." Garcia has a history of outbursts, including being disqualified from the Saudi International in 2019 for damaging greens and angrily kicking off his shoe during a tee shot at the World Match Play in 2001. The PGA Tour has been developing a code-of-conduct policy, which was first implemented at The Masters. A second violation during the tournament would result in a two-shot penalty, while a third violation would lead to disqualification. The PGA Championship will also enforce this policy next month at Aronimink Golf Club.