Sergio Garcia’s Turbulent Day at Augusta National
Sergio Garcia had a dramatic day on the second hole of the Masters, which saw him break his driver and receive a code of conduct warning – a first in the tournament’s history. The incident occurred after the Spanish golfer showed visible frustration on the tee box.
Garcia’s outburst began when his first shot of the day veered far to the right, resulting in an opening bogey. On the par-5 second hole, he hit another drive that headed toward the bunker, leading to further frustration. He slammed his club into the turf twice before taking a swipe at a table with a green cooler on it. This caused the head of his driver to hang loosely from the shaft, which Garcia then removed completely.
According to club officials, Geoff Yang, chairman of the competitions committee, spoke to Garcia on the fourth tee and issued the code-of-conduct warning. Garcia declined to comment on the details of the conversation, stating, “I’m not going to tell you.”
The PGA Tour has been developing a code-of-conduct policy for competition, and the Masters is the first to implement it. A source involved in the process mentioned that the PGA Championship will also use the policy, along with the other two majors. The second violation would result in a two-shot penalty, while the third would lead to disqualification.
Garcia expressed regret over the incident, saying, “Just obviously not super proud of it.” However, he added, “But sometimes it happens.” This is not the first time Garcia has faced consequences for his behavior on the course. In 2019, he was disqualified from the Saudi International for damaging greens in frustration.
Over the years, Garcia has had several notable incidents. In 2001, he angrily kicked off his shoe during a tee shot at the World Match Play, nearly hitting an official. He also spat into a cup during a World Golf Championship at Doral after three-putting.
After breaking his driver, Garcia played the rest of the final round without it and appeared to have calmed down. “It makes it very easy,” he said. “I just have to hit 3-wood all the time. I didn’t have to choose another club.”
A Lighter Moment Amidst the Drama
Despite the initial tension, the situation took a comical turn shortly after Garcia damaged the tee box. He started carrying Jon Rahm’s clubs while Rahm’s caddie was raking the bunker. The crowd applauded as Rahm took the bag from Garcia and began carrying it himself, with his caddie Adam Hayes rushing to catch up.
Garcia explained the situation, saying, “There was nothing.” He added, “Adam 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.’ Just as simple as that.”
Garcia managed to make par on the second hole before bogeying the third and fourth holes. He ultimately shot a 75 for the day. “If you don’t hit good shots, you’re not going to score well here. It’s very simple,” he concluded.
