Sergio disqualified from the Saudi tournament on the European tour

[Hawkeye77]

Brooks,,, lol

 

It's not like Sergio is the only one to act like this. Brooks might as well say that half the field in my sport needs to grow up... And then double apologize when he he himself acts like a child...

 

Meltdowns happen,, it's a human thing..

 

Pretty sure no one else has intentionally damaged 5 greens and hacked up a bunker. Damaging one green, throwing a club in the water, breaking a club, hitting a moving ball on the green, hitting all the balls in your bag into the water are meltdowns. What he did wasn't a meltdown, it was a 5 hole temper tantrum and it's not normal.

 

You don’t know it was a “tantrum”.

[MMB1500]

DQ isn't an inconsequential penalty. Scrape and some scuff marks, he apologized to the other players. The level of "outrage" is a little surprising. Even the actual scrape was an easy fix, the rest apparently a temporary annoyance. Not at all surprised he wasn't suspended, and I'm sure people that had the actual facts and saw the actual damage were involved in the decision. The people actually affected have had no trouble putting it behind them.

 

Normally I would agree with you given modern society's outrage culture, however in this instance Garcia merits all the criticism he's getting. It doesn't matter what the damage was like, the fact he inflicted it deliberately is enough - not to mention the fact he did this 5 times. The fact it was supposedly an "easy fix" is completely and utterly irrelevant.

 

He acted like a fu*king tw@t and what he did is, in a golfing context, indefensible.

 

Brooks Koepka also agrees:

 

“Ugh, it’s frustrating as a player to see, to act like that, to disrespect everybody. To act like a child out there is not cool. It’s not setting a good example and it’s not cool to us, showing us no respect or anybody else.

 

That’s just Sergio acting like a child. It’s unfortunate that he’s got to do that and complain. Everybody’s got to play the same golf course. I didn’t play very good, but you didn’t really see anybody else doing that. You’re 40 years old so you gotta grow up eventually.”

 

 

Wow, did he really say this? I mean you don't often hear a PGA player call out another player this strongly. And, you're exactly right, damaging four(!) greens intentionally is damaging multiple greens intentionally. It doesn't matter if you could easily repair it. And, realistically, you aren't going to damage a green so blatantly that it's obvious and beyond repair. If he went that far, you'd be talking suspending him half a season IMO.

 

Honest question, has anyone ever heard of this happening before at this level in recent memory? For those more on the inside, is this something that's done now and then or is this pretty unprecedented?

 

 

Yes, he said that. And he's spot on of course. I like Koepka's willingness to tell it like it is and I'm glad a fellow professional spoke out.

[MMB1500]

Brooks,,, lol

 

It's not like Sergio is the only one to act like this. Brooks might as well say that half the field in my sport needs to grow up... And then double apologize when he he himself acts like a child...

 

Meltdowns happen,, it's a human thing..

 

Pretty sure no one else has intentionally damaged 5 greens and hacked up a bunker. Damaging one green, throwing a club in the water, breaking a club, hitting a moving ball on the green, hitting all the balls in your bag into the water are meltdowns. What he did wasn't a meltdown, it was a 5 hole temper tantrum and it's not normal.

 

You don't know it was a "tantrum".

 

What would you call it then? We can argue over semantics, but the bottom line is he acted like a complete pr!ck.

[Birdie Mac]

Of course it was a tantrum. The bunker incident was the day before; then he damages not one, but several greens to the point that his fellow golfers complained. Unacceptable behavior. And this from a seasoned pro.

[vanillafunk616]

I wish people would stop slandering children by comparing them to Sergio.

[shotmark]

I think he just did a Phil. Greens were awful, making a point, went about it totally the wrong way.

 

Yes, but they were awful for everyone. That's the point. Garcia wasn't being unfairly treated or singled-out by the fact he had to putt on them.

 

My point exactly. As I said, he did a Phil.

[Krt22]

I think he just did a Phil. Greens were awful, making a point, went about it totally the wrong way.

 

Yes, but they were awful for everyone. That's the point. Garcia wasn't being unfairly treated or singled-out by the fact he had to putt on them.

 

My point exactly. As I said, he did a Phil.

 

Not really, Phil did nothing to potentially put the groups behind him at a disadvantage

[Hawkeye77]

Brooks,,, lol

 

It's not like Sergio is the only one to act like this. Brooks might as well say that half the field in my sport needs to grow up... And then double apologize when he he himself acts like a child...

 

Meltdowns happen,, it's a human thing..

 

Pretty sure no one else has intentionally damaged 5 greens and hacked up a bunker. Damaging one green, throwing a club in the water, breaking a club, hitting a moving ball on the green, hitting all the balls in your bag into the water are meltdowns. What he did wasn't a meltdown, it was a 5 hole temper tantrum and it's not normal.

 

You don't know it was a "tantrum".

 

What would you call it then? We can argue over semantics, but the bottom line is he acted like a complete pr!ck.

 

I didn't see it, neither did you. It"s not arguing over semantics and ramping up the rhetoric and calling him names reflects on you not Sergio.

 

Link me to the proof of any "tantrum" on the greens.

[MMB1500]

Brooks,,, lol

 

It's not like Sergio is the only one to act like this. Brooks might as well say that half the field in my sport needs to grow up... And then double apologize when he he himself acts like a child...

 

Meltdowns happen,, it's a human thing..

 

Pretty sure no one else has intentionally damaged 5 greens and hacked up a bunker. Damaging one green, throwing a club in the water, breaking a club, hitting a moving ball on the green, hitting all the balls in your bag into the water are meltdowns. What he did wasn't a meltdown, it was a 5 hole temper tantrum and it's not normal.

 

You don't know it was a "tantrum".

 

What would you call it then? We can argue over semantics, but the bottom line is he acted like a complete pr!ck.

 

I didn't see it, neither did you. It"s not arguing over semantics and ramping up the rhetoric and calling him names reflects on you not Sergio.

 

Link me to the proof of any "tantrum" on the greens.

 

Lol. OK. But if you didn't see it, how can you be so certain it wasn't a tantrum?

 

Either way his actions (deliberately damaging 5 greens) have all the characteristics of a grown man who has lost his temper and can't control his emotions - hence a tantrum sounds like a perfectly reasonable description. You can call it what you like. I, and others it seems, are calling it a tantrum, whether there's video of it or not.

[rxk9fan]

IMO this/he is the classic example of talent being held back by lack of intellect. Always thought that one day he would exhibit a higher level of maturity, but???

[Hawkeye77]

Lol. OK. But f you didn't see it, how can you be so certain it wasn't a tantrum?

 

You are the one claiming that's what it was, and tossing obscenities at him behind your keyboard, knowing absolutely nothing about how he acted on any green except for the results - one picture and people saying he left shoe scrapes.

 

I don't have to be certain it wasn't, I'm not impugning his character and making accusations I can't back up.

 

Link up the proof or let it go.

[shotmark]

I think he just did a Phil. Greens were awful, making a point, went about it totally the wrong way.

 

Yes, but they were awful for everyone. That's the point. Garcia wasn't being unfairly treated or singled-out by the fact he had to putt on them.

 

My point exactly. As I said, he did a Phil.

 

Not really, Phil did nothing to potentially put the groups behind him at a disadvantage

 

Do we know what Sergio did on the greens by way of damage and that he left it unprepared? Enlighten us.

[Hawkeye77]

I think he just did a Phil. Greens were awful, making a point, went about it totally the wrong way.

 

Yes, but they were awful for everyone. That's the point. Garcia wasn't being unfairly treated or singled-out by the fact he had to putt on them.

 

My point exactly. As I said, he did a Phil.

 

Not really, Phil did nothing to potentially put the groups behind him at a disadvantage

 

Do we know what Sergio did on the greens by way of damage and that he left it unprepared? Enlighten us.

 

Someone up above showed the picture of a scrape on one of the greens that was unrepaired and that was the only visible damage I've seen yet that anyone photographed and is out there as evidence. Otherwise, what was done on other greens is described as scuffs from his golf shoes, whatever that means.

[youraway2]

Wow, such semantics being battered around, bottom line, players complained and Sergio admitted to damaging greens.

[new2g0lf]

Lol. OK. But f you didn't see it, how can you be so certain it wasn't a tantrum?

 

You are the one claiming that's what it was, and tossing obscenities at him behind your keyboard, knowing absolutely nothing about how he acted on any green except for the results - one picture and people saying he left shoe scrapes.

 

I don't have to be certain it wasn't, I'm not impugning his character and making accusations I can't back up.

 

Link up the proof or let it go.

 

He was DQ'd for what he did to the greens, clearly it was more than just a few cleat marks.

[Birdie Mac]

Hawkeye, I'm not sure why you feel the need to defend Sergio on this matter. He was clearly out of line to the point where the ET gave him a DQ. If there was nothing to it you can rest assured that would not have happened. DQs are not handed out lightly. Even Sergio admitted he was wrong, immediately apologizing.

 

I'd give the benefit of the doubt to a petulant teenager that hasn't learned how to handle themselves, but not to a 40 year old professional.

[Canoe Paddler]

I’ve witnessed a grown man passionately argue that the earth is flat. It was incredibly entertaining. This thread is wading into those same waters.

[chigolfer1]

I think he just did a Phil. Greens were awful, making a point, went about it totally the wrong way.

 

Yes, but they were awful for everyone. That's the point. Garcia wasn't being unfairly treated or singled-out by the fact he had to putt on them.

 

My point exactly. As I said, he did a Phil.

 

Not really, Phil did nothing to potentially put the groups behind him at a disadvantage

 

Do we know what Sergio did on the greens by way of damage and that he left it unprepared? Enlighten us.

 

Are we debating how bad the damage really was? We do know it was bad enough for the tour to notice it, for him to DQ'd and for him to admit doing it. These are things I have never heard happening before. So what are you trying to say exactly? Realistically, how much worse could you damage a green and not just be DQ'd on the spot? It's not like he's going to gouge out a piece of green with his wedge unless he basically is planning to walk off the course.

[MattyO1984]

I've witnessed a grown man passionately argue that the earth is flat. It was incredibly entertaining. This thread is wading into those same waters.

 

It is!!

 

*kidding*

[cinnepa]

DQ/Fines are a hand slap......1 year ban from Euro Tour might, might wake him up.

[Krt22]

I think he just did a Phil. Greens were awful, making a point, went about it totally the wrong way.

 

Yes, but they were awful for everyone. That's the point. Garcia wasn't being unfairly treated or singled-out by the fact he had to putt on them.

 

My point exactly. As I said, he did a Phil.

 

Not really, Phil did nothing to potentially put the groups behind him at a disadvantage

 

Do we know what Sergio did on the greens by way of damage and that he left it unprepared? Enlighten us.

 

Multiple playing groups behind him complained, he was disqualified, he admitted fault, that is pretty damn telling. When was the last time a player was disqualified for such an act? Enlighten us.

[MattyO1984]

DQ/Fines are a hand slap......1 year ban from Euro Tour might, might wake him up.

 

No way that the European Tour could even consider that. They need big names, Sergio is one of the biggest. His appearances in Europe may be few and far between but when they are, the Tour needs to make a big deal of them. The only thing banning him for a year would achieve is having him likely give up on the European Tour for a time beyond the ban.

 

If it were a shorter ban, thinking about it logically, when is he next likely to play a European Tour event that is strictly European Tour? I imagine it will be later in the year, a shorter ban would have little to no impact therefore, I can understand why the Tour hasn't taken the step to ban him.

[Hawkeye77]

Hawkeye, I'm not sure why you feel the need to defend Sergio on this matter. He was clearly out of line to the point where the ET gave him a DQ. If there was nothing to it you can rest assured that would not have happened. DQs are not handed out lightly. Even Sergio admitted he was wrong, immediately apologizing.

 

I'd give the benefit of the doubt to a petulant teenager that hasn't learned how to handle themselves, but not to a 40 year old professional.

 

I haven’t defended him and haven’t said there was nothing to it. I’ve never said he wasn’t out of line.

 

People want to have the same or different opinion about him after this I don’t care, I’m not advocating anything, that’s soneone’s personal opinion.

 

I’ve limited my remarks to what is known and assume the people that saw the damage felt a DQ, serious sanction, was warranted.

 

Just don’t think accusations and characterizations beyond the facts advance the discussion. Who knows if he scuffed a green in a fiery fit, or a just a sly wipe of his foot, or casual wipe of some perceived defect - the result is the same and inexcusable, but some folks seem to want to make it out like some explosive activity on every green and there is zero evidence to suggest it was like that.

 

 

[Birdie Mac]

Fair enough. I doubt any of us on this board know him. We can only base our opinions on the fact that he was DQ'd and that his fellow golfers spoke out against him. Also, he's put himself in a position to get this criticism due to his track record of immaturity over the years. Like some others have said, just when you think he's got it together, he pulls a stunt like this.

[8602081]

How do we not have a video of this?

Would love to see the video before making my judgement..

[tphilp]

Lol that bunker video was hilarious. What’ a giant baby... when I was watching that I thought about him having the tin cup moment at last years masters and wondering if he would be that crazy to do something like that st Augusta

[MadGolfer76]

To determine whether or not said tour player had a tantrum, we need only apply the straight-face test:

 

Sergio did have a tantrum.

 

Sergio did not have a tantrum.

 

 

Whichever statement is most amusing must therefore be false.

 

See WRX? Very simple and straightforward... ;)

[mosesgolf]

Sergio's bunker antics was one of the most hilarious things I've seen in quite some time. His antics in that bunker just perpetuates what many people think about him. Do that and damage greens at a high school match and what would the coach do? Do that at a college match and what would any good coach do? Get benched.

[Dave D]

Apparently he also got annoyed when his driver wouldn't drive the car until he had prayed so he jumped in the front seat and drove himself to the golf club

[Darth Putter]

DQ/Fines are a hand slap......1 year ban from Euro Tour might, might wake him up.

 

No way that the European Tour could even consider that. They need big names, Sergio is one of the biggest. His appearances in Europe may be few and far between but when they are, the Tour needs to make a big deal of them. The only thing banning him for a year would achieve is having him likely give up on the European Tour for a time beyond the ban.

 

If it were a shorter ban, thinking about it logically, when is he next likely to play a European Tour event that is strictly European Tour? I imagine it will be later in the year, a shorter ban would have little to no impact therefore, I can understand why the Tour hasn't taken the step to ban him.

 

If they wanted to punish him, they'd make him play more European Tour tournaments and without an appearance fee.

 

Nick Faldo with his analysis...

 

https://www.golfdigest.com/story/nick-faldo-imitates-sergio-garcias-temper-tantrum-continues-longtime-rift-between-two