When Sergio Garcia won The Masters in 2017, he earned the right to play in The Masters every year for the rest of his playing career.
But he is toying dangerously with that privilege after his actions during his final round of this year’s Masters. After hitting a drive that leaked slightly out to the right, Garcia took his frustrations out on the tee box in an unacceptable manner.
He slammed his driver onto the ground twice, tearing up the perfectly manicured surface, before turning around and smashing the clubhead against the water cooler next to the tee box.
Garcia, known for his fiery personality, crossed the line with this terrible etiquette, and fans have called for his invitation to be rescinded going forward.
Fans call for Sergio Garcia to be banned from The Masters
Garcia, an honorary member of Augusta National after winning The Masters, will have a lot of questions to answer at the clubhouse. One fan joked: “Fred Ridley going to be waiting for him in the champions locker room with some goons and a black bag.”
Fans took to X to express their anger, saying, “Rescind his invitation. I thought he was on the senior tour anyway. The Masters doesn’t need him.” Garcia, 45, plays on LIV Golf, but has been uncompetitive at the top level for a number of years.
That fan wasn’t the only one who wanted to see Garcia banned: “Strip his jacket and throw that fraud in the street.”
Some wanted a punishment that was slightly less harsh: “Deserved a fine, at minimum. Past champion with lack of class.”
Robert MacIntyre received a reprimand for showing the middle finger on the course, so you’d have to imagine the punishment for this would be much more severe.
Garcia then had to play the rest of his round without a driver, which he snapped during his tantrum, as one fan pointed out, “Ladies and gentlemen, Sergio Garcia is still Sergio Garcia. I believe tearing up the tee box is frowned upon at your local muni, let alone Augusta.
“@TheMasters He also snapped the head off his driver.”
Another fan pointed out that a groundskeeper would now have to clear up the Spaniard’s mess, adding: “Groundskeepers having to fix the destruction Sergio caused because of his typical temper tantrum. The guy is a d—-e.”
The only former champion who is banned from playing at The Masters
If Garcia were to be shockingly banned, he wouldn’t be the first former champion to see his playing rights at The Masters revoked. That honor goes to Doug Ford, who was asked not to play again in 2001.
Ford was the Masters champion in 1957, and played deep into his playing career. Ford last made the cut at Augusta National in 1971, and after that event, he would withdraw 10 times and miss the cut in every other year.
By 2001, the club decided that enough was enough. Ford really pushed his luck, double bogeying the first hole and immediately withdrawing from the tournament.
So the green jackets stepped in and asked Ford not to play again.
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