Sergio Garcia caused a stir during the Masters at Augusta National when he broke his driver after becoming frustrated on the second hole, leading to a rare code of conduct warning—this being the first instance of such a warning at the prestigious tournament. The former champion’s temper flared after a poor start, where his initial drive veered wildly right, resulting in a bogey. On the par-5 second hole, after hitting another drive that headed towards a bunker, Garcia’s frustration boiled over. He slammed his club into the ground twice and struck a table, ultimately removing the head of his driver from its shaft entirely.
Following the incident, Geoff Yang, chairman of the competitions committee, approached Garcia on the fourth tee to issue the warning, which the player declined to discuss. The code of conduct policy, designed by the PGA Tour, is being piloted at the Masters and aims to maintain decorum on the course. Future violations might incur penalties, escalating from a two-shot penalty for a second offence to disqualification for a third.
Despite the tension, Garcia managed to find a lighter moment during the round by temporarily carrying fellow Spaniard Jon Rahm’s clubs while Rahm’s caddie was occupied raking a bunker. “It was nothing,” Garcia commented, explaining that he stepped in to help when his own caddie was busy with both bags.
Garcia eventually completed the round without his driver and adjusted his strategy by opting to use a 3-wood. He expressed relief that this simplified his club selection but still faced challenges on the course, ending with a score of 75 after bogeys on the third and fourth holes. “If you don’t hit good shots, you’re not going to score well here. It’s very simple,” he reflected.
Garcia’s behaviour has been under scrutiny in the past, including a disqualification in 2019 for damaging greens out of frustration, and history of incidents like angrily kicking off a shoe after a misstep and spitting into a cup in anger during a tournament. His volatile nature mixed with comedic moments creates a multidimensional persona in the world of professional golf.