Former Masters champion Sergio Garcia has issued a public apology following an emotional outburst during the final round of the Masters tournament at Augusta National on Sunday.
The Spanish golfer, who won the prestigious green jacket in 2017, lost his temper after hitting a shot into a bunker on the par-five second hole. Garcia slammed his driver into the turf twice before striking a nearby cooler, which snapped the head off his club.
"I want to apologize for my actions on Sunday at the Masters tournament," Garcia stated in a social media post. "I respect and value everything that the Masters and Augusta National Golf Club represents 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."
Because the club was damaged in anger, tournament rules prevented Garcia from replacing it, leaving him without a driver for the remainder of his round. Masters competitions committee chairman Geoff Yang issued a code-of-conduct warning to Garcia on the fourth tee.
The 46-year-old golfer, who joined LIV Golf in 2022, went on to shoot a three-over-par 75, finishing the tournament at eight over par and placing third from last among the 54 players who made the cut. When asked about the incident after his round, Garcia simply attributed it to "bad golf."
This year's Masters was won by Northern Ireland's Rory McIlroy, who became only the fourth golfer in history to win back-to-back Masters titles.