Sergio Garcia received an official warning from Augusta National for causing damage to a tee box and breaking his driver during the final round of the Masters tournament.
Throughout the week, Garcia displayed a despondent demeanor despite making the cut, failing to make a significant impact on the leaderboard. His frustration peaked at the second hole on Sunday when his drive went off course, landing in a bunker on the par-five.
At six over par, Garcia was visibly upset with the shot, leading him to forcefully strike his driver against the ground twice, resulting in a chunk of turf being uprooted. Subsequently, he wrapped the driver shaft around a nearby water cooler, causing the shaft to snap, leaving him to complete the round without a driver. By the 10th hole, he was two over par for the day and seven over par for the tournament.
Viewers expressed disappointment over Garcia’s actions on the course, prompting calls for disciplinary action from Augusta National. Shortly after, Geoff Yang, head of the Masters’ competition committee, approached Garcia to address the incident, issuing him an official code of conduct warning.
Garcia arrived at Augusta National with a lack of confidence following a slow start to the current golf season. Expressing his discontent with his performance, he acknowledged the need for improvement throughout the week.
Despite starting with a promising even-par round on Thursday, Garcia failed to advance up the leaderboard in the subsequent round, finishing with a 75. However, he managed to secure a spot for the weekend.
Garcia’s behavior was not the only instance of misconduct during the tournament week. Bob MacIntyre also faced reprimand for displaying improper conduct during a disastrous opening round, where he notably made an offensive gesture on the course. MacIntyre further exacerbated the situation by sharing an inappropriate image on social media, portraying himself as a Masters gnome.
Additionally, it was revealed that MacIntyre was dealing with a neck injury that nearly forced him to withdraw from the tournament.
