Garcia breaks silence about meltdown
LOS ANGELES — Sergio Garcia apologized in a statement and in person to the players in his group when the Saudi International. He apologized in a social media his locker Wednesday at
That has been the easy part. He has had plenty of
Garcia said the challenge now is to make sure it does not happen again, knowing that the scrutiny of his
“I’m sure I’m going to hear it throughout the year,” - - frustration early in the third round.
“My job is to make sure I deal with it the best way possible, and show them that I can grow, that I can who I am in the right way,” he said. “I want to face my mistakes head on. My job is to go out there and enjoy that no matter what, I can the classroom. ... I just hope I can maintain their respect.”
The Genesis Open is his head early in the third round at the Saudi International, which he attributed to a personal issue that put him in a bad frame of mind at the start of the week and greens at Royal Greens in Saudi Arabia that were new, grainy and slow.
He did not disclose the personal matter and said it was no excuse, and that he knew immediately he had done wrong.
“It hit me like on the 10th hole. I started thinking: ‘What am I doing? Get your head back on top of your shoulders,’” Garcia said. “I know I lost it.”
The 39-year-old Spaniard has put his emotions on full display since he turned pro in 1999 at age 19, challenged Tiger Woods in the 1999 PGA Championship at Medinah and played in the
There was great passion when he won the Masters whether it was kicking a shoe that nearly struck an official at Wentworth in shot penalty in Australia or accusing Woods of disturbing the gallery at the TPC Sawgrass, a rift that ended with Garcia making a about him.
Damaging greens in the middle of a round, which affected the players behind by surprise.
“We always think he gets that,” said Adam Scott, one of his closest friends in golf. “He said he needs to understand his emotions and channel that in a better way. I’m not a psychologist and don’t know how to do that, but I think it’s a good thing for him. The game can get the better of us at times. It seems to get the better of him more than some others.”
he would not be suspended straight top 10s worldwide, which began when he was picked for the Ryder Cup for the week at Le Golf National.
His game was in good shape. Now he has a reputation to mend.
“I feel terrible about it,” - ing about it for the last week, - tional player. That emotion is probably my biggest strength, but it’s also one
“If I channel it the right way, it’s amazing. I think that’s why people follow me the way they do. If I channel it the wrong way, it’s too extreme. My goal is make sure the bad gets better and the good stays.”
Rory McIlroy, another of his close friends, says being Spanish and full of emotion was “no excuse” for what Garcia did in Saudi Arabia.
“It doesn’t matter where you’re from. It’s not acceptable,” McIlroy said. “If you, let the course be your with that in the past.”
Some of the strongest comments came from threetime major champion Brooks Koepka, who said on “Playing Through Podcast” that the Saudi incident was “Sergio acting like a child.”
“You’re 40 years old, so - tually,” Koepka said.
Garcia pondered what he would say to Koepka when he sees him next week in the Mexico Championship.
“I’m going to tell him I agree,” Garcia said. “I’m the wrong. I agree with what he said. That’s why we’re here, to get better, to grow up and become better people.”
He paused and smiled before adding: “But I don’t agree with the age. He got my age wrong. I’m 39, not when I see him, I’ll tell him I agree, and I’m sorry for what happened. And I understand why he would say that.”