Opinion & Analysis
Sergio being Sergio? Not this time
Before Sergio Garcia’s racially insensitive remarks at the European Tour awards dinner Tuesday night, the golfer had already made a series of imprudent decisions.
He made comments about Tiger Woods pulling a club during his backswing, causing a commotion, which led to an errant shot at The Players Championship. The notoriously malcontent golfer then suggested that Woods had done it on purpose and indicated that he didn’t particularly care for the world’s No. 1-ranked player.
Never one to let sleeping dogs lie or bite his own wagging tongue, Garcia, in a press conference earlier this week, suggested that Woods is a liar, generally impugned his character, and reiterated that the golfer is unlikely to be receiving a Christmas card from the Garcia family.
What began as a difference of opinion or perspective between two of the game’s best has turned into a mess worse than Garcia’s play at the 17th hole at Sawgrass nearly two weeks ago.
If there was an award at Tuesday night’s gala for the “Most Racist Remark since Fuzzy Zoeller at the 1997 Masters” or “Lifetime Achievement in Putting One’s Foot in One’s Mouth,” the Spaniard would likely have been a finalist.
Before we deal with Sergio’s Stupid Comments, Part XXIV, it’s worth noting that I enjoy when the world’s top professional golfers, who are generally reserved when they’re on the record, speak their minds. But his actions over the last two weeks display a real lack of both insight and foresight, which, unfortunately, speaks volumes about his inability to capitalize on the tremendous potential he first showed nearly 15 years ago.
On to the remarks at the center of the present controversy. In response to a question about whether he’ll be interacting with Tiger Woods at the U.S. Open next month, Sergio said,
“We’ll have him ’round every night. We will serve fried chicken.”
In introducing the quote, I nearly said, “On to the meat of our discussion,” but that seemed insensitive in light of the comment at hand. I don’t consider myself a great intellect or an exemplary human being; however, I refrained from the previous statement given my judgement that it could potentially offend or be considered in poor taste, which is exactly what Sergio didn’t do.
Think before you speak, about your audience, the context of your comments and the implications of what you’re saying. It’s not a radical proposition, nor is it a difficult habit to practice; however, it’s a bit of advice that’s essential in any remotely civil society.
Garcia knew the words shouldn’t have left his lips just as they were reaching the ears of the eager press corps, but just like when he spit in the cup at Doral in 2007, he just couldn’t help himself. Certainly, he’s apologized and said the right words since. Unfortunately, apologies rarely redeem a public figure in the court of public opinion.
As a result, he is in hot water — even with his current equipment/clothing sponsor, TaylorMade-adidas golf, who released this statement about Garcia:
Sergio Garcia’s recent comment was offensive and in no way aligns with TaylorMade-adidas Golf’s values and corporate culture. We have spoken with Sergio directly and he clearly has regret for his statement and we believe he is sincere. We discussed with Sergio that his comments are clearly out of bounds and we are continuing to review the matter.
I can write off Sergio’s feud with Tiger over the last few weeks as Sergio being Sergio. But his comment in Europe crossed the line. It’s extremely unfortunate for Sergio as well, who prior to Saturday at The Players appeared to be moving forward — with his putting, with his maturity and toward a major championship.
But he’s taken a huge step backward, and has likely done irreparable damage to his image. And if he thought the hecklers were tough to deal with at the 2002 U.S. Open at Bethpage Black in New York City, he’s got something coming for him at Merion next month.
This past Monday, I played in the U.S. Amateur local qualifier at Rock Creek Country Club in Portland, Oregon. A full tee sheet from 7:30 a.m. to 1:55 p.m., the top 11 scores would make it to the U.S. Amateur final qualifying.
I teed off at 10:48 a.m.. With the 7:30 am tee time, you can get a feel for the leaders’ pace, and they were off and running on the challenging setup at Rock Creek.
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Getting to the highlight of the round on the par five 17th, a drive up the left side and 212 yards left to the front hole location. I took out a 5-iron with plans of middle of the green. The ball ended up 8 feet left of the hole, pin high. A slight downhill putt dropped in for an eagle 3 on the 17th. With the cut line looking to be anywhere from -2 to even par. This was the boost I had been waiting for all day.
With making par from the trees on 18, it was time to wait for a potential playoff with a posted score of one under par 71.
Three hours later, it was playoff time. 8 players for 6 spots. I made par on the playoff hole, which was good enough to advance to the U.S. Amateur final qualifying in July. USGA qualifiers sure deliver on all of the emotions in golf!
Club Junkie
Building my 2026 gamer WITB: Ranking the contenders and new putter projects – Club Junkie Podcast
The annual What’s In The Bag build is underway, and on this episode of Club Junkie, Brian breaks down the clubs currently leading the race for a spot in his 2026 gamer setup. From drivers and fairway woods to irons, wedges, and shafts, he ranks the equipment that’s performing best and explains what’s separating the front runners from the rest of the field.
Brian also heads into the workshop to discuss several putter projects currently on the bench. From head options and shaft choices to build ideas and testing plans, he shares what he’s working on and which putters could become serious contenders for the bag this season.
If you’re a gear junkie who loves equipment testing, club building, and the never-ending pursuit of the perfect setup, this episode is for you.
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Club Junkie
Tour Edge Exotics mini driver review + TaylorMade Spider ZT Max first look – Club Junkie
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I also dive into the new TaylorMade Spider ZT Max putter that was recently spotted and discuss the growing zero torque putter trend. Plus, there is a closer look at the new Project X Titan Yellow shaft showing up on the PGA Tour and what makes it different from other profiles currently out there.
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Butchercass
Jun 11, 2013 at 6:44 am
Firstly, American fans really need to have a good look at themselves. Shouts of “egg salad, get in the hole, mashed potato, fried chicken.. (oh wait, is that last one rascist?) *gulp..Let the golf speak volumes and mute the small percentage of “fans” that persist in shouting when a player hits a shot. It’s infururaiting.
Sergio has had some banter..end of conversation.Leave the lad alone. He’s is breath of fresh air if you ask me to all these young robots coming through the ranks. It’s only rascist as it was aimed at a black person. Anyone seen Django at the cinema? Great film.. not rascist.
Mick J
May 30, 2013 at 4:41 pm
I am way more upset at the media reaction to this than to Sergio’s actual comments
Jack
May 29, 2013 at 1:40 pm
Sergio is a person of the world and is not subject to the idiotic lowest common denominator thinking that has occurred in the USA. His comments were just a joke, nothing more. The behavior of the person asking the question is actually more relevant in terms of racist remarks.
Michael
May 29, 2013 at 11:54 am
Tiger said that the Marshall informed him that Sergio had already hit. Then he proceeded to grab his club. The Marshall in an interview said that they rarely speak to the players and no one told Tiger that Sergio had hit. Who is the Liar?
sss2013
May 25, 2013 at 12:46 am
What really gets me in all the media coverage is that most articles come across as Tiger being an active participant in all mess-up when he’s hardly said a word. To Tiger, Sergio is nothing but an annoyance not worthy of much consideration or waste of voice…note his “no” response. The media is trying to make Tiger look as “bad” in a tit-for-tat cat fight when he couldn’t care less. HOWEVER, when the uninformed reads articles, it seems as if Tiger going back-and-forth. What a joke…
Servost
May 26, 2013 at 8:09 am
It helps when you completely own the other guy. Sergio needs to just stop talking about Tiger. And win a few majors, he should do that too.
Billymack572
May 24, 2013 at 9:55 pm
Why is this getting more coverage than Tiger’s incorrect drop at the Players, or is it too near to home and damaging to TV ratings to suggest that the prodigal son might be playing at the edge of the rules (have we forgotten the drop at the Masters already?)……
Glen
May 24, 2013 at 12:36 pm
Regarding Fuzzy’s statement all those years ago. If you ever get into Augusta you will find that the House Dinner is Fried Chicken with Collard Greens. The press neglected to do any research and blew a non-story into a racial one. It was bad journalism at best and a pre-cursor to today’s journalistic ineptness.
Brad
May 24, 2013 at 12:16 pm
Stupid comment from Sergio. Less stupid (but still boy-like) smirking in various press conferences recently from a guy (Tiger) with some real moral issues. Both have incredible game – Tiger is currently in a class by himself. When will a Hogan, Nelson, Nicklaus etc. emerge and bury these immature, stupid boys? Probably never — we have a system now that plants and grows little Scott Hochs and they seem to choke everything else out at an early stage in this sport. (Right now, their patron saint — Finchem — is busy making dangerous noise about the new anchored putting real.)
Keith
May 24, 2013 at 11:29 am
Was Sergio’s latest comment out of line? Sure.
However, it is the media that should be apologizing. I guarantee that if no one had specifically asked Garcia about the Players Incident then he wouldn’t have brought it up. The media thrives on controversy. They know all of the right buttons to push to elicit their desired responses.
Servost
May 24, 2013 at 9:27 am
I think Sergio will be playing a lot more golf in Europe for a while. Ryder Cup matches between these two should be interesting.
golftw
May 23, 2013 at 11:04 pm
Maybe he just makes good fried chicken; people need to stop pulling race into every single comment. Furthermore, you come off as quite conceded and seem to think you are above Sergio as a person.
scoot
May 23, 2013 at 5:25 pm
cheese with that wHine
scoot
May 23, 2013 at 5:23 pm
Tiger has owned the little boy for as long as he’s been on the scene. Sergio can’t handle not being anywhere close to the caliber of golf that he is up against. Now Tiger owns him in golf and war of words. Now Sergio is in the alligators. I bet he doesn’t break 80 at the US Open if he even shows up.He will probably have an excuse as to why he can’t make it to the event. He deserves this scrutiny even before this last bit of smartelic childlike behavior. How bout some cherse with that wHine El Nino
Matt
May 23, 2013 at 4:48 pm
Ben – Oh, I see what you did there!.. You “refrained” from saying what you thought, by saying what you thought. Is the air thin up there?
yo!
May 23, 2013 at 2:46 pm
I have a feeling Sergio will keep his mouth shut (about non-golf matters) from now on … losing your meal ticket from sponsorship is quite a motivator.
Seth
May 23, 2013 at 12:42 pm
Tiger and Sergio are just as imperfect as anyone else on the planet. We all have our shortcomings, some more than others yes, but look in the mirror and start there for craps sake. Ridiculous we have to be inundated with this stupidness, yet here I am sucked in and commenting on it.
bobloft
May 23, 2013 at 12:32 pm
Am I the only one who doesn’t care about this? Everyone is whining as much as Sergio.
gus
May 23, 2013 at 11:24 am
I think the ultimate insult to Tiger was stereotyping him with people which he himself does not associate with.
B
May 24, 2013 at 1:50 pm
True, he’s not even 100% black. His mother is Thai.
LK
May 23, 2013 at 11:16 am
Fried chicken does have a negative connotation bc it is unhealthy and African Americans are stereotyped as being overweight and unhealthy. Would you laugh if Sergio invited you and said he’d be serving bbq poodle? I’m tired of people saying, “But oh, it was just a joke.” How much bullying is just a joke? How many racist comments are just a joke? How many sexist things, and even sexual assault, have been justified as just a joke or “just playing around?” Hey, I know I just slapped your teen daughter on the rear but I’m just playing around. Don’t take it so seriously. See the problem here?
doc19
May 23, 2013 at 11:13 am
Also, for those saying it may be a European not being aware thing, his statement after the fact suggests otherwise. He basically admitted as soon as he said it he realized it was a dumb thing to say… and apparently lost sleep over it.
doc19
May 23, 2013 at 11:11 am
How did Tiger add fuel to the fire? Personally I think this whole thing was media driven to begin with, watching the Players and the coverage afterwards I felt like I was watching teenagers play “he said she said” during lunch period. It has happened in other sports, I guess it’s the new norm for golf.
Tiger’s actual response to the apology was this: “I’m confident that there is real regret that the remark was made, The Players ended nearly two weeks ago and it’s long past time to move on and talk about golf.” Doesn’t sound like adding fuel to the fire to me.
Is Sergio a racist? I don’t think so. Was the comment inappropriate and ill timed? Of course it was. We can debate cultural sensitivity and being PC until we are blue in the face, but we all can agree that a public figure making that statement is just plain stupid and points to poor decision making.
It is unfortunate really, this guy has all the talent in the world, he should have been winning majors for years. But his problem has never been his swing, it’s the 1 square foot of real-estate between his ears that has held him back.
bdgregor
May 23, 2013 at 9:25 am
I agree that Sergio screwed up, and anything even borderline racially insensitive should be reprimanded. However, I haven’t heard anyone point out something I would think is pretty obvious. Sergio has been around a long time, but do remember, he is European. People in Europe are not as aware of what is culturally insensitive in America. You do need to consider that Sergio may have used “fried chicken” as some sort of colloquialism for American food, or what us “yanks” like to eat. I would be willing to be that was more of the angle of his comment than anything sinister.
LK
May 23, 2013 at 11:20 am
Good point. Fried chicken is an awesome American creation as far as I know. But if so, Sergio would not have had a sick feeling after the dinner like he knew he was in for some serious trouble. The fact that he had a sick feeling means he knew the significance of his error and the racial connotations.
CJ
May 24, 2013 at 9:11 pm
Could’nt it be possible that someone told him immediately after dinner that what he said was and is considered racially insensitive in the USA?
Mike
May 23, 2013 at 7:22 am
Actually Sergio didn’t start this fire by himself….the door was opened by the reporter ” jokingly” asking the question. I personally find it more offensive when a married man with two kids and a wife can’t keep his promise he made to his wife on their wedding day….just saying…..
S5PJM
May 23, 2013 at 7:17 am
I think he was just trying to be funny and it came out wrong. I dont believe he is a raciest. He is not an AMERICAN and probably doesn’t even know why a fired chicken reference would be considered raciest by some people anyway. This is a NON ISSUE. Get on with it and play golf.
JKratz
May 23, 2013 at 8:08 am
I agree, he obviously knew a comment like that had to do with African Americans, but probably didn’t know the complete context. That being said, the media will continue to run the story into the ground like always as their main job is “shock and awe.” I’m waiting for Jesse Jackson and Al Sharpton to now get involved until Sergio makes a large monetary contribution to one of them.
yoboy24
May 23, 2013 at 12:57 am
If Sergio had said “fried rice” instead of chicken would this be a big deal? NOPE! And I’m a HUGE TW fan, and don’t particularly like Sergio, but this is kind of ridiculous. If he was a racist we would have known that by now. Get over it and let’s get back to TW killing him every time they tee up. kthanks.
justplay
May 23, 2013 at 12:04 am
dude get over it !!!
justplay
May 23, 2013 at 12:02 am
making too much out of if always with the racist card !! stop it already!!
who cares
May 22, 2013 at 11:31 pm
no one cares about the stupid comments being made, just play golf and bring your A game to the us open next month for the fans
Blanco
May 22, 2013 at 11:27 pm
What a dunce this man is. I heard briefly on TGC that he’s claiming ignorance to the 97 Fuzzy comment altogether. Even if he had zero knowledge of that incident (which I don’t buy for one second), he’s essentially validating that the comment was not some “reference” (to Zoeller) but racial rhetoric of his own.
Finchem and the Euro Tour need to make it well known that such behavior won’t be tolerated in Golf and take disciplinary action. The game took a big step backwards today at the worst possible time. I hope the PGA/EuroTour and especially TMAG set the example in the hopes of “growing the game.” We need to do everything possible to make golf appealing to a new generation of young, diverse athletes from all walks of life.
Zak
May 22, 2013 at 11:17 pm
Ron,
If you think that it’s going to blow over before Merion, you’re underestimating the weight of the comment.
Vitriolic? I don’t see it. Sergio set this fire all by himself.
Ronald Montesano
May 22, 2013 at 10:43 pm
I think that you are adding fuel to the fire by suggesting that hecklers will be bad at Merion. In the first place, there will be fewer fans at Merion than Bethpage. In the second, the majority of fans that heckled Sergio were self-professed muni guys and nothing was done to corral them. The same will not take place at Merion, where the atmosphere will be more like Augusta than Bethpage. In fact, when I read your final sentence, I feel as though you were striving for a vitriolic ending. Show me that I am incorrect, please. That’s not what I expect from your writing.
Cyd
May 22, 2013 at 10:31 pm
So Sergio dissed eldrick. Cry me a freaking river. The only people that the slimeball eldrick is a hero to is the sycophant momma’s boy and the green light girl. Not any of them are persons I would want to be around in any type of social situation.
Forsbrand
May 26, 2013 at 7:17 am
That is a funny comment man, love it. Green light girl ha ha ha, I’m gonna use that in my next conversation!
Minh
May 22, 2013 at 10:24 pm
I completely disagree with the level of scrutiny Sergio has received. Everyone is so quick to pull the “race” card. Is it possible for anyone to take a joke? Is laughing at one’s ethnic background still possible?
My biggest issue with these situations is people choose which stereotypes to accept and which to call “racially insensitive remarks”. Infer a Black man like fried chicken and you’re labeled a racist. Infer a Black man has a large penis and you won’t hear a peep.
I’m of Vietnamese decent and I laugh off all Asian-related jokes. Yes, we are good at math, sure some of us might have small penises, sure some of us can’t drive, yes we all like fish and rice, and I personally don’t know of any Asian that eats cats or dogs.
This should be a none issue.
world42
May 23, 2013 at 12:00 am
Minh, Sergio didn’t say anything about himself, he said it about another man of a different race and ethnic background. Now, if he would have that he would cook him a Spanish dish, then the humor would have been easily seen, but he used a stereotypical saying that is used as a racial slur here in America.
B
May 24, 2013 at 1:46 pm
world42, I guess what Minh trying to say is that, it’s not racially offensive until you offend Black people. Other races don’t have luxury like this and they often make a big deal of it.
Forsbrand
May 26, 2013 at 7:11 am
Absolutely, I hear lots of us fans call padraigHarrington “Paddy” or “Irish” are they being racist too? Because both words can be perceived as rasist comments. I would suggest Sergio was having a joke that has been misinterpretated.
JT
May 26, 2013 at 7:48 pm
Minh, I agree with almost everything you said but you can’t be serious about the cat and dogs thing :).
Mike Hunt
May 22, 2013 at 10:05 pm
I can only imagine the hecklers at Merion in June. Sergio is going to get pounded by the not so morally correct US crowd
Forsbrand
May 25, 2013 at 1:21 pm
Since Golfwrx has covered a European event could we ask Golfwrx to incorporate more European Tour tournaments issues and spotlights please it would be gratefully appreciated thanks
free
May 26, 2013 at 6:01 am
“not so morally correct us crowd”?
dude, at least Sergio confined his disparaging remarks to just tiger….
listen, as a member of the “not so morally correct us crowd” I choose not to take offense at your comment but u may want to contact Sergio and take a seminar on moral relativism….
see my comment below about the splinter and the log….
Arthur J
May 29, 2013 at 11:14 am
Mike Hunt? Surely that’s a wind-up.
Carey
Jun 6, 2013 at 1:04 pm
Ah, yes. A Porky’s reference. My day is complete.