Arduous Augusta National can reduce even the most elite golfers to meltdowns and on Sunday, it claimed Sergio Garcia as its latest victim, with the Spanish star officially reprimanded by Masters chiefs.
The patrons who had risen early to catch the action at Augusta likely weren’t expecting to see fireworks until deeper into Sunday’s final round of The Masters when Rory McIlroy and co. tee off.
But the fiery Spaniard delivered the theatrics early when spectacularly imploded just two holes into his final round at The Masters.
Garcia has endured another onerous showing at Augusta this week. He scraped through to the weekend, but still found a 16-shot chasm between himself and co-leaders McIlroy and Cameron Young at the beginning of Sunday’s play.
And already one-over for the day, the 2017 champion hit his drive at the second into the right fairway bunker on the right corner of the long dog-leg par-five, taking a chunk of the tee box with it.
The shot was far from ideal with Garcia already needing a Masters miracle to claw back any positives from this year’s trip down Magnolia Lane. But it still did not warrant the tantrum that ensued.
The ball was still in flight when the LIV Golf star began to repeatedly batter the turf with his driver. When that was no longer a sufficient outlet for his anger, the 46-year-old turned to the cooler box on the right edge of the tee.
The veteran professional hammered the box with his club, the hit so hard that the impact snapped the driver head off the shaft.
Later on the same hole, hilarity ensued. Garcia was seen wandering down the fairway carrying a golf bag.
The bizarre twist? It wasn’t even his own. Garcia traipsed down the hill with playing partner Jon Rahm’s bag slung over his shoulder.
Rahm’s own caddie was left tending to a bunker, but why Garcia’s compatriot couldn’t carry his own bag was a mystery.
What Garcia intended to achieve with the classless act is beyond anyone in sound mind’s guess. All his childish temper tantrum resulted in was a reprimand from Augusta’s powers-that-be and the self-inflicted penalty of completing his round without a driver.
Garcia was issued with a code of conduct warning, with Geoff Yang, the chairman of the Masters competition committee, pulling him to one side on the fourth hole.
Meanwhile, under the Rules of Golf, Garcia was not allowed to replace his driver since it was damaged because of abuse.
Garcia, despite his tempestuous outburst, managed to make par, hacking himself out of the sand to within 120 yards of the green.
But now stripped of the greatest weapon in his arsenal, Garcia lacked any real attacking power. Forced to take his three-wood off the third, playing the third easiest hole on the course this week, Garcia had to settle for bogey.
The on-tee eruption from Garcia was the latest incident in a long rap sheet of behavioral issues for Garcia. 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.
It was also the latest indictment of LIV’s demise. Garcia, like his fellow Saudi-backed comrades, has been a pale impression of the man who outdueled Justin Rose for the green jacket nine years ago.
That 2017 victory alone is why the former champion is even in the field this week. He has been anonymous on the major stages since, failing to post a single top 10.
Garcia and his fellow LIV rebels have sunken into obscurity among The Masters field this week. The golfing titans are now largely has-beens.
Take playing partner and countryman Rahm, for instance. It is hard to shake the urge that his career has been stuck in reverse since he captured his own green jacket in 2023. He also barely snuck through to the weekend, as did Dustin Johnson and Charl Schwartzel.
Tyrrell Hatton was the breakaway’s only ray of light following the first two rounds. His six-under 66 to shoot into contention and lead the LIV charge. But even he has slunk backwards, his even-par on Saturday far from enough to keep pace with McIlroy and Cameron Young heading into Sunday.
Garcia’s outburst came after Robert MacIntyre had already risked the wrath of the green jackets this week.
The Scottish star found himself in hot water after cursing and flipping his middle finger during a foul-mouthed first round of The Masters.
