After the mistake comes the remorse. Sergio Garcia went berserk at Augusta National after a bad shot, destroying the tee box and snapping his driver in the process. He also made an unseemly history: the first to get a code-of-conduct warning mid-round at the Masters. 72 hours have passed since then, and regret has kicked in.

“I want to apologize for my actions on Sunday at The Masters tournament,” wrote the veteran golfer in an official statement, “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.”

To be fair to the beleaguered pro, Garcia appeared to regret his actions soon after. Not because he broke his club and was forced to play without a driver for the entire round. He has done that before for the exact same reason. Sergio Garcia looked ashamed of his outburst while walking down the fairway, even though he tried to portray himself as a defiant man while speaking to the media later.

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Asked about the conversation he had with Geoff Yang, the chairman of the competitions committee who issued the code-of-conduct warning, Sergio Garcia gave a curt response: “I won’t tell you.” Probed again on the incident and what led to it, the Spaniard sidestepped by asking for the next question. He appeared miffed at the entire charade of standing for a media interview, evident from his one-line responses, hasty gaze, and “just-leave-me-alone” expression on his face.

Sergio Garcia was battling with multiple issues before landing at Augusta. His game was way off the mark; he didn’t even think he would make the cut. Moreover, he admitted flirting with the idea of retiring altogether. Throughout the week, Garcia showed signs of his pent-up anger getting the better of him, and it reached a crescendo after a shabby drive on the second hole.

The 46-year-old struck his driver into the tee box turf twice, taking out a chunk of the grass. Then smashed the club against a nearby cooler. The clubhead snapped off the shaft and left the 2017 Masters winner with 13 clubs. Two holes later, he was issued a code-of-conduct warning.  The outburst drew widespread criticism online. Fans called him out for disrespecting Augusta’s hallowed grounds. Some even called for fines, reprimands, or even revoking his lifetime exemption as the 2017 champion.

Sergio Garcia is infamous for his on-course outbursts. Be it snapping his clubs, kicking things around, or even cursing, the Spanish veteran’s actions have riled up fans.

Sergio Garcia’s history of emotional outbursts

Sergio Garcia has a well-documented history of emotional outbursts and rule violations. They often involve club damage or course abuse. These incidents span decades and have led to penalties, disqualifications, and public apologies.

During the 2019 Saudi International on the DP World Tour, Garcia was disqualified under Rule 1.2a.

“It declares that players are expected to play in the spirit of the game by acting with integrity, showing consideration to others and taking good care of the course,” noted the USGA website.

This came after Sergio Garcia intentionally damaged five greens by scuffing them with his clubs. He already had a warning because of a bunker meltdown the day before.

In a similar event during the 2012 U.S. Open, he swung his 7-iron violently after a short approach on the third hole. It was so aggressive that it chopped an ESPN tee-box microphone in half. The microphone produced a 225-decibel sound. Before that, in the 1999 World Match Play, he threw away his shoe in frustration. It happened after he slipped on a tee shot.

At last year’s Open Championship, Garcia snapped his driver and was left to play the rest of the round without one. Rules of golf don’t allow replacement for broken equipment due to abuse. The Masters meltdown, however, has surpassed all, and quite naturally Sergio Garcia is now regretting every second of it.