After finishing two strokes over par in the first round of the Masters Tournament on Thursday, Sergio Garcia became a bit testy with reporters who asked him questions about the rival PGA Tour and LIV Golf circuit. Garcia, one of the first PGA Tour stars to resign in favor of LIV Golf, was asked if it felt normal to be back at Augusta National Golf Club.
The 2017 Masters champion did not take kindly to the question, snapping back at the reporter, per Mark Schlabach of ESPN.
“Totally normal,” Garcia said. “You guys need to stop it. You guys are making a big deal out of this, and it's you guys.”
Sergio Garcia was pushed by a reporter, prompting him to say that he has heard “great things from every player” at the Masters.
A frustrated Garcia had put the PGA Tour on blast back in May of 2022 after a conflict with a rules official, saying that he “couldn't wait to leave this Tour.”
Garcia then resigned from the PGA in June of 2022, along with a slew of other big names who had committed to LIV Golf.
Garcia's name came up in headlines ahead of the Masters after former world no. 1 Fred Couples called him a “clown” at a PGA Tour Champions breakfast in March.
The Tour suspended Garcia and five others for playing in LIV Golf events, though he received an invite to play in the Masters.
The 43-year-old got off to a fast start and was two strokes under par though the first nine holes. But four bogeys on the back-nine left a bad taste in Garcia's mouth heading into his press conference.
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