FUMING Sergio Garcia reportedly ranted at his fellow pros after he was fined and banned from the Scottish Open for appearing in the controversial LIV Golf series.
The 42-year-old Spaniard was one of 16 stars threatening to sue his home circuit, following a £100,000 sanction and a suspension from next week’s £6.6million event at the Renaissance Club near North Berwick.
And according to Telegraph Sport, Garcia blew a fuse when news broke he was being disciplined.
“The news (of the ban) came out during last week’s BMW International (in Munich),” an anonymous source told the broadsheet.
“Sergio flew off the handle, shouting ‘this Tour is s***, you’re all fucked, should have taken the Saudi money’. Bob MacIntyre was there and was disgusted.”
So far, MacIntyre and his management team have yet to response to the Telegraph’s story. But he did post a cryptic tweet.
Read more in sport
“Amazing how fast you can lose respect for someone that you’ve looked up to all your life,” MacIntyre wrote.
The stunning blast has been the talk of the Irish Open, that ends this Sunday.
The ‘Sour 16’, as they are being referred as, already caused disharmony among the world’s elite golfers when they sent in a letter to Wentworth HQ demanding sanctions be lifted – which the DP World Tour duly obliged.
“Sergio’s reputation had taken quite a hammering anyway before this but this has sealed it for many of us,” the source continued to the Telegraph.
“The rant in America the other month was one thing, but this is his home Tour, where he started and he shouldn’t forget that. Fair enough, he’s taken the money. But he doesn’t have to rub other players’ noses in it.”
Back in May, Garcia got into hot water at the Wells Fargo Championship in Maryland when he screamed at a PGA Tour official for handing him a penalty after he was searching for his ball.
He roared, “That is absolute bulls***. I can’t wait to leave this tour. I can’t wait to get out of here. A couple of more weeks and I won’t have to deal with you any more.”
Four weeks later, he did resign from the PGA Tour in favour of the first LIV Golf series event in Hertfordshire.
When asked why he wasn’t quitting the DP World Tour, Garcia said: “First of all, I’m European, I love the European Tour. I definitely would like to keep my membership there, play at least my minimum, and get as good a chance as I can to make The Ryder Cup Team because I love that event.”
