Sergio García was issued a warning by Masters officials after a temper tantrum on the second hole of the final round at Augusta National. The Spaniard, who slammed his driver against a water cooler and snapped the club, was spoken to on the fourth hole under the club's new conduct policy, which escalates from a warning to a two-shot penalty and disqualification for repeat offences.
García's outburst began when he found a bunker off the second tee. He struck the grass twice, requiring greenkeepers to repair the turf, before breaking his driver. Despite the incident, he later carried the bag of playing partner Jon Rahm after Rahm's caddie stopped to rake the bunker. García described the act matter-of-factly, saying, 'Just put it down, I'll get it so you can go and get a yardage.'
When asked about his conversation with officials, García refused to disclose details, responding 'Next question, please.' He expressed limited remorse, stating, 'Just obviously not super-proud of it, but sometimes it happens.' The 46-year-old finished the tournament at eight over par, extending a run of poor form since his 2017 Masters victory, with no major top 10s since.
Rahm, who finished at one over par, sympathised with García, noting, 'Obviously he hasn't been swinging it the way he would like.' Rahm also reflected on the challenging course conditions, describing the firmness of the greens and fairways as unprecedented.
