Sergio Garcia Issues Apology After Smashing Driver in Frustration at the Masters

Sergio Garcia's Masters week ended in controversy on Sunday when the 2017 champion lost his composure on the second hole of his final round and broke his driver in frustration, an outburst he has since apologised for.

Garcia was paired with fellow Spaniard Jon Rahm during the closing round at Augusta National when his trouble began. After pulling his tee shot on the par-five second hole into a bunker, Garcia slammed his driver into the turf twice. The club then struck a nearby ice bucket, snapping the clubhead clean off. Because the damage was caused by anger rather than during a stroke, he was not permitted to replace it under the Rules of Golf, leaving him without a driver for the remainder of the round.

Geoff Yang, chairman of the Masters competitions committee, issued Garcia with a code-of-conduct warning on the fourth tee.

"I want to apologise for my actions on Sunday at the Masters tournament," Garcia wrote in a statement posted on social media. "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."

The 46-year-old's outburst drew criticism given his status as a former champion at the venue, though it came during a difficult week for the Spaniard. He ultimately finished the tournament at eight over par, third from last among the 54 players who made the cut. When asked after his round what had gone wrong, Garcia offered a blunt assessment: "Bad golf."

The episode cast a shadow over what was otherwise a historic Masters for the sport. Northern Ireland's Rory McIlroy won his second consecutive Masters title, becoming only the fourth man ever to win back-to-back Masters titles. The victory brought McIlroy closer to completing the career Grand Slam.