Golfer Sergio Garcia apologized on Tuesday after he lost his temper and damaged the turf and his driver during the final round of the Masters on Sunday.
Garcia, 46, whose only major victory on the PGA Tour came in 2017 at the Masters, slammed his driver into the turf twice at No. 2 after his tee shot at the par-5 hole at Augusta National Golf Course, ESPN reported. Garcia then broke the golf club on a cooler situated behind the tee.
Garcia received a code of conduct warning on the fourth tee, CBS Sports reported. The action was a first at the Masters, and Garcia was prohibited from replacing the broken club in his bag, according to ESPN.
Garcia issued an apology in a social media post on Tuesday.
“I want to apologize for my actions on Sunday at the Masters tournament,” Garcia wrote. “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.”
Garcia finished his final round with a 3-over-par 75 and was 8-over for the tournament.
He declined to discuss the specifics of the incident during his post-round interview, the Golf Channel reported.
“Obviously not super proud of it,” he told reporters, “but sometimes it happens.”
Garcia, who was paired with 2023 Masters champion Jon Rahm during the final round, was able to cut the tension moments after his meltdown on the tee. He carried his playing partner’s bag down the fairway at No. 2 as Rahm’s caddie raked a fairway bunker.
Garcia has not finished in the top 10 in the 29 majors he has played since defeating Justin Rose in a playoff to earn his green jacket at Augusta National nine years ago, ESPN reported. He has missed the cut six times in eight appearances at the Masters since winning.
“Bad golf,” Garcia told reporters after his final round.