Sergio apologizes

[Mike Wagner]

Cliff,

I was being sarcastic.  Class and Garcia don't belong in the same sentence.  I'm not sure why people are surprised he hasn't won a major - I know thousands of great ball strikers.  That's all he's proven himself to be.  The putt for solo 2nd at the PGA sealed the notion for me - he completely gave up after Paddy won.  Winners make that putt every time (or at least give it their all).
As for the comment that his remarks were out of frustration.....well, of course they were....and he meant them!  It's clear his apology was not crafted by him as well - that makes it EVEN WORSE.  I seriously hope they don't invite him back.

[Jerry Kluger]

I am confused about the comments concerning Sergio's tirade.  There are so many who view the powers at ANGC with disdain because of what they've done to the golf course.  The unnecessary trees, the unnecessary lengthening, etc., have been the topic of discussion over and over.

Now along comes Sergio and speaks negatively about the course and everyone calls him names.  Sergio wasn't given a special invitation to play - he earned his way into the event.  The Masters tournament committee set the rules of who is to be invited and he fell within those rules.  If they are now going to decide that they will not extend an invitation to someone because of what he said then what happens to the credibility of the tournament.  What if Tiger had made the same statements - would you suggest that they not extend him and invitation - how about Phil? 

The point is the Masters is a unique event because of the apparent unlimited authority of the committee to do whatever it wants to the course, the rules, the entrants, etc.  It is my view that you need to be consistent with your opinion of whether this is good for the event. 

(BTW - I am not defending Sergio - that is not the issue - it is the criticism of Sergio and the absolute authority of the committee to deal with it but rejecting that authority when it comes to course changes.)   

[Michael Dugger]

There is always someone complaining about the course every year.

Whatev....

Did Monty play in the tourney?

[Jay Kirkpatrick]

Jerry --

The messenger has a lot to do with it.  Sergio has proven to be a baby over and over again.  The whole "its not my fault, everyones out to get me" act is getting tired.

The Masters is an invitational.  They have rules on who qualifies but the members ultimately have the ability to change those rules and make exceptions if necessary.  While I don't think this will prevent them from keeping Sergio out, I do think he'd be smart to shut his damn mouth and play golf.

[Tim Pitner]

Sergio is a repeat offender when it comes to petulant behavior and silly comments, but I don't find anything horribly offensive about these comments (they certainly won't help him win at Augusta though).  Didn't Bobby Jones rip up his scorecard and walk off the course at St. Andrews?  Garcia is a great ball-striker and not a very good putter at the moment--no surprise then that he favors the Open Championship and the other majors to the Masters.  Whatever poorly-chosen words come out of his mouth, it's a joy to watch Garcia hit shots and work the ball.  Of the players I've seen live, only 2 players really hit it differently than the rest--Tiger and Garcia. 

[Jerry Kluger]

Jay: I just find it inconsistent that it is okay if the committee decides to change the rules and exclude Sergio for what he said but it's not okay when the committee decides to change the golf course.  Absolute authority certainly can work but the problem is the inability to challenge the decisions. 

[Kalen Braley]

Jerry,

I think specific, well-thought out criticsm of the course is certainly fair game and well within the bounds of potential feedback from a player.

But the following is more or less just throwing a tantrum:

Asked what he thinks Augusta National should do differently with the course, Sergio responded, "I don't care. They can do whatever they want to. It's not my problem. I just come here and play and then go home."

And I think thats what many people have issue with.

The video of his interview can be found here:

http://blogs.golf.com/presstent/2009/04/sergio-disses-augusta-national-course.html

[Tim Bert]

He will change his tune when (or if, depending how you view it) he wins.  I'd have more respect for him if he won it next year and stood up and took the same stance.  Stand there in his green jacket and complain about the course.  I'd give that rant more credibility.

As it stands now, Golfsmith's insurance company has a pretty safe bet in the "Sergio wins keep your driver for free" gimmick.

[Jerry Kluger]

Kalen:

My recollection is that there have been a number of players who refused to play in the Open Championship because they did not like the course, the weather, the course conditioning, the course did not fit their game, or some other reason.  Sergio could have simply said he does not like ANGC and decided not to play.  Instead, he sucked it up and played anyway.  He may sound like a baby but at least he had strength enough to show up. 

But again, don't admire the committee for their absolute authority to exclude a player who meets their qualifications for what he says, but challenge the committee because they exercised that same authority to change the golf course. 

[Mike Wagner]

Kalen:

My recollection is that there have been a number of players who refused to play in the Open Championship because they did not like the course, the weather, the course conditioning, the course did not fit their game, or some other reason.  Sergio could have simply said he does not like ANGC and decided not to play.  Instead, he sucked it up and played anyway.  He may sound like a baby but at least he had strength enough to show up. 

But again, don't admire the committee for their absolute authority to exclude a player who meets their qualifications for what he says, but challenge the committee because they exercised that same authority to change the golf course. 

Oh my good lord........I just hope all those invited have the "strength" to show up every year....it must be tough. 

This proves the beauty of the architecture of ANGC - ultimate abuse of poor play.  There is no let up in the course.

As for "sucking it up and playing anyway" - good grief.....please....someone help me understand this.   I feel ill.

[Jay Kirkpatrick]

Jerry -- The tournament is much bigger than Sergio.  The Masters committee can do whatever it wants b/c the product thrives.  It is the premier golf tournament in the land... and Sergio's self-important rants only accentuate the fact that he is an immature brat.

[Michael Blake]

yawn.

Can we file this under the 'who cares?' category.

[Jerry Kluger]

Michael:

Here's the point again - people admire the committee and suggest they use their ultimate authority to ban a player for what he says or give a favorable ruling to a player but heaven forbid that they do something to the course that they disagree with.  Would you admire the USGA or the R & A if they acted in a similar manner - the USGA has been questioned about course setup for years but they have never treated players differently during the event and I doubt that it would ever cross their minds to exclude a player for his comments about the course.

[Michael Blake]

Jerry,

I agree with all your posts on this thread.  But I think this thread is one that is typical on Geoff S's site and atypical here.  It's just silly. I'd rather see a Sergio bashing thread there, not here.  That's all. 

[Kevin Pallier]

He could learn a lot from Jack or Tiger or even Kenny Perry. He continues to show a distinct lack of maturity.

[David_Elvins]

He would be well served to spend more time with Kenny Perry. Grow up, look in the mirror, and learn to conduct yourself with some dignity regardless of the result.

Are you talking about Kenny "I don't want to play in the Open Championship because the course doesnt suit me" Perry? 

The guy who chose not to play in 3 of the 4 majors last year? 

Dignity?

[David_Elvins]

Most complainers on this thread are over-reacting and have forgotten what a good tantrum is. 

"I don't like the course" cannot compare to something like this

Allenby says he is unlikely to again play golf in Australia after launching a scathing attack on the local tour, its fans and the media.

Allenby's latest attempt to win on the USPGA Tour for the first time in eight years faded yesterday, but he said returning home for anything other than a family visit held little appeal.

"I'll be playing this game over here (the US) until I'm 55, but I just don't need to put up with any shit anymore," Allenby said at Bay Hill over the weekend.

"Life's too short. It's so positive over here that it's hard to go back to all the negative shit I have to deal with in Australia."

Allenby, who struck four consecutive late bogeys to fall seven strokes behind leader Sean O'Hair at the Arnold Palmer Invitational yesterday, said the raucous Australian golfing public and the "negative" media had left him disillusioned.

He also said Australia's golf officials "don't appreciate me" and that the events on the Australian Tour were meaningless in the context of world golf.

"I'll definitely go back to Australia but only to see my family," the Victorian said. "I don't need to play. What do I need to play for? Enough is enough.

"I've been very supportive to the Australian Tour in my life but they don't look at it like that. They don't understand what I've actually done for the Australian Tour. There's no kickback towards me so there's no benefit for me.

"There's no benefit for me going back there and winning all three (Australian Open, Australian Masters and the PGA) tournaments. I don't get anything from it apart from the pay cheques and the trophies. In the rest of the world, it doesn't mean anything because the Australian Tour's become like a little pea."

He blamed the tall-poppy syndrome for the negative reaction he says he encounters at home.

"No matter what they think in Australia, we don't make that much money compared to the athletes over here, but there's this idea that we're greedy," he said. "We work bloody hard for what we have."

Allenby said his feelings about playing in Australia had been building for some years but they were brought to a head last year at the Australian Open when he was heckled at the 17th hole, the so-called Party Hole.

"That was the last straw," he said. "My mum was dying and some of the comments that came out from the drunks at the back of the green towards me were disgusting.

"Obviously, I broke down on 15 green at the (Australian) Masters. My mum came out and I knew how sick she was. I broke down, I lost it, because I knew she wasn't going to be there for much longer.

"What they said in Sydney ruined me forever. These drunks yelling, 'That's all right mate, your mummy's not here now, you don't have to cry'.

"That was 20 years straight of the Australian Open and I thought, that's it. I'm not ever playing another Australian Open again and I'm not playing in Sydney again.

"I can tell you that there are a number of Aussie players that are losing interest in playing in Australia because of the way we've been treated. And we're not spoiled brats or anything like that, but we just want respect.

"There's a lot of players that have a sour taste in their mouths. What it comes down to is that I don't enjoy playing the tournaments anymore.

"I love the golf courses, I love them to death. It's just come to the point where I don't need to play these tournaments. I play enough that I could take that time off and rest instead."

His widowed father, Don, who is visiting Allenby in Florida, supported his son's stance.

"I agree with what he says. It's unreal how much of a hard time he gets in Australia," Don said.

Allenby said that if he played at all in Australia, it would be in his home town of Melbourne at the Australian Masters, where Tiger Woods will appear this year.

PGA Australia chief executive Max Garske will fly to Georgia next Monday to take in the US Masters, where he will begin talks with Allenby and the country's other leading players about returning to play in this year's PGA at Coolum on Queensland's Sunshine Coast.

Officials representing the Masters and Open are expected to do the same. Garske said he hoped Allenby would change his mind about returning to Australia and praised the Victorian's contribution to the local game, saying it had always been appreciated.

"Of course we will check on his availability," Garkse said.

"History would say Robert has supported this tour extremely well every time -- probably more so than anybody else, certainly as much as anyone else. He's been a great supporter. We always want him to be there (at the PGA).

"We would like him to be back for all the events on the Australasian Tour."

Told Allenby had derided the size of the Australasian Tour, Garske said: "Sure the Australasian Tour is nowhere near the size of the US Tour or the European Tour but at the end of the day you look at the quality of player it's produced and the pathways we have in Australia.

"While it's difficult to match the rest of the world in terms of prizemoney, the quality of player that's come out of our country is second to none."

Golf Australia officials are still hopeful he will return to play at NSW Golf Club in December.

"We would love to have Robert at the Open," Golf Australia chief executive Steve Pitt said.

"I will sit down with him and see if we can get some common ground and get him excited about playing here again. We certainly want him in the field. He's a great player and he has a fantastic record back here."

[JR Potts]

He would be well served to spend more time with Kenny Perry. Grow up, look in the mirror, and learn to conduct yourself with some dignity regardless of the result.

Are you talking about Kenny "I don't want to play in the Open Championship because the course doesnt suit me" Perry? 

The guy who chose not to play in 3 of the 4 majors last year? 

Dignity?

Perry has no obligation to golf to play in the Majors.  You're comparing apples to oranges.

[Mike Wagner]

He would be well served to spend more time with Kenny Perry. Grow up, look in the mirror, and learn to conduct yourself with some dignity regardless of the result.

Are you talking about Kenny "I don't want to play in the Open Championship because the course doesnt suit me" Perry? 

The guy who chose not to play in 3 of the 4 majors last year? 

Dignity?

What is wrong with simply saying the course doesn't suit him?  That's far more acceptable than playing, not playing well, then whining about the course being unfair.  I have no problem with KP sitting out whatever he wants - or anybody for that matter. 

I don't feel like this thread is unintersting or too far off topic because it relates to the core of what golf DOES NOT NEED - someone being as crass as Garcia, someone who younger players look up to (unfortunately - spitting in cup, etc, etc).  This isn't meant to be simply a bash of Garcia, but a few words on why the last game with integrity and soul needs to be protected.

[Kalen Braley]

David,

Will you please get the facts straight.  He was not eliglbe to play in either the Masters or the US Open...the only major he skipped was The Open.

[David_Elvins]

David,

Will you please get the facts straight.  He was not eliglbe to play in either the Masters or the US Open...the only major he skipped was The Open.

Kalen,

The facts are he chose not try to qualify for the US Open, he chose not to play the Open Championship and he chose to withdraw from the PGA Championship after the first round. 

They were the three majors I was refferring to.

[Kalen Braley]

David,

I would hardly equate pulling out because he has an eye infection to choosing not to play.  Have you ever had an eye infection like pink eye?  Its painful just to keep it open much less focus on something like a small ball.

[David_Elvins]

David,

I would hardly equate pulling out because he has an eye infection to choosing not to play.  Have you ever had an eye infection like pink eye?  Its painful just to keep it open much less focus on something like a small ball.

I think any time a player chooses to withdraw from a tourmament there is a level of disrespect.  To be honest, it doesn't bother me, nor does his choice not to play the other two majors, I just don't think he is the best example to hold up as the antithesis to Sergio's very mild dummy spit.  I wasn't having a go at him, just pointing out that he was no better than Sergio when it came to showing respect to the Majors.

Sergio's comments not great but very mild IMO.  Everyone has their own personality.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b83WAQsZkWQ

[Rob Rigg]

The most comical element of this debaucle was GC getting Paddy on there asap to let him turn the screws on Sergio - now that's good TV!

Obviously nobody ever taught Sergio tact. There are ways to legitimately discuss issues you may have with Augusta - in the pre-tournament press conferences Tiger and Phil both made comments about the course, scoring difficulties, etc. They simply did it in a manner that was respectful and/or subtle.

[Tim Pitner]

I know Allenby can be a prickly one, but it sounds like he has a legitimate complaint against some Aussie fans.  Considering the quality of the Australian courses, it is a shame the Tour is in such trouble there.  The "tall poppy" syndrome isn't very conducive to producing great achievers in sport.  I recall Nick Faldo saying that about a similar attitude in Great Britain.