Sergio Garcia smashes his driver in furious Masters meltdown

Sergio Garcia has never been one to show emotional restraint. His frustrations so often boil over. His temper has a knack of getting the best of him. But this time, the fiery Spaniard went too far. And for that, he answered to the wardens of Augusta National.

Garcia’s return to Augusta had already not been a happy one, but on Sunday, it sunk to a new low. The 2017 champion was officially reprimanded for a tempestuous outburst during the final round of the Masters.

Garcia, already one-over-par for the day after starting 17 shots back of the co-leaders, hit his drive at the second into the right fairway bunker.

The ball was still in flight when the LIV Golf star began to repeatedly hammer the turf with his driver, ripping out a chunk of earth. When that was no longer a sufficient outlet for his anger, the 46-year-old turned to the cooler box to the right of the tee with a vicious swipe, snapping the club head off the shaft.

Later on the same hole, Garcia was seen wandering down the fairway bizarrely carrying playing partner Jon Rahm’s golf bag. Rahm’s own caddie was left behind to tend to a bunker.

‘There was nothing. Adam (Hayes) stopped to rake my bunker, and Benji (Thompson), my caddie, was carrying both bags, so I told him, just put it down, I'll get it so you can go and get a yardage,’ Garcia explained. ‘Just as simple as that.’

What Garcia intended to achieve with the classless act on the tee is anyone’s guess. All his childish temper tantrum resulted in was a reprimand from Augusta's powers-that-be and a self-inflicted penalty.

Garcia was issued with a code of conduct warning by Masters officials - the enforcers of Augusta’s strict rules - at the fourth. A second violation would result in a two-shot penalty, and a third would mean an automatic disqualification.

Meanwhile, under the Rules of Golf, Garcia was not allowed to replace his driver since it was damaged because of abuse.

Despite his meltdown, Garcia managed to make par at the second. But stripped of his driver for the remaining 16 holes, he toiled to an eight-over finish.

‘Just obviously not super proud of it, but sometimes it happens,’ a tetchy Garcia said of the outburst, before tersely blowing off any questions about the reprimand without apology.

The on-tee eruption from Garcia was the latest incident in a long rap sheet. He was once disqualified at the 2019 Saudi International for 'serious misconduct' after purposefully damaging several greens the day after having a meltdown in a bunker.

He was embroiled in a tense confrontation with officials at the 2022 Wells Fargo Championship over a lost ball. At last year’s Open Championship, he snapped his driver during a fit in the final round.

It was also the latest indictment of LIV's demise. Garcia has been a pale impression of the man who outdueled Justin Rose for the green jacket nine years ago. He and his fellow LIV rebels have sunken into obscurity among the Masters field this week.

Take playing partner Rahm, for instance. The 2023 champion managed to claw back to one-over on Sunday but he had been fortunate to even make it to the weekend. As were Dustin Johnson, who mustered an even-par finish, and Charl Schwartzel, who capitulated to 12-over.

Tyrrell Hatton was the breakaway’s only ray of light. Starting Sunday seven shots back of the lead, the Englishman holed out from 131 yards for eagle at the par-four seventh. A following birdie at the eighth saw him reach the turn at seven-under.