Sergio Garcia has finally apologized for his final round meltdown at The Masters on Sunday that led to calls for him to be banned from Augusta National.
The Spaniard, a 2017 Masters winner, saw red after finding a fairway bunker on Sunday, smashing his driver into the turf and then a cooler box, eventually breaking the club.
Initially, the 46-year-old showed minimal contrition – despite even getting a code of conduct warning from his round.
‘Obviously not super proud of it, but sometimes it happens,’ he said, after ending the round +3 to go +8 overall.
But now, two days on, he has apologized in a statement on social media.
Sergio Garcia snapped his driver after repeated smashing it in a fit of fury at The Masters
‘I want to apologize for my actions on Sunday at The Masters tournament,’ Garcia said. ‘I respect and value everything that The Masters and Augusta National Golf Club is to golf.
‘I regret the way I acted and it has no place in our game. It doesn’t reflect the respect and appreciation I have for The Masters, the patrons, tournament officials and golf fans around the world.’
And it was those fans watching on television who offered the harshest verdict on Garcia’s conduct, with plenty saying that he shouldn’t be allowed back next year.
Later on the same hole, Garcia was seen wandering down the fairway bizarrely carrying playing partner Jon Rahm’s golf bag. Rahm’s own caddie was left behind to tend to a bunker.
‘There was nothing. Adam (Hayes) stopped to rake my bunker, and Benji (Thompson), my caddie, was carrying both bags, so I told him, just put it down, I’ll get it so you can go and get a yardage,’ Garcia explained. ‘Just as simple as that.’
The on-tee eruption from Garcia was the latest incident in a long rap sheet. He was once disqualified at the 2019 Saudi International for ‘serious misconduct’ after purposefully damaging several greens the day after having a meltdown in a bunker.
He was embroiled in a tense confrontation with officials at the 2022 Wells Fargo Championship over a lost ball. At last year’s Open Championship, he snapped his driver during an outburst in the final round.
