Sergio Garcia Denies Woods Comment Was Racist
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Sergio Garcia’s ongoing row with Tiger Woods took a turn for the worst on Tuesday night at The European Tour’s Players’ Awards dinner when the Spaniard made a remark with racial connotations when questioned about the world number one.
Garcia was asked in jest if he would have the American round for dinner one night during the upcoming US Open and replied: “We will have him round every night. We will serve fried chicken.”
The statement was similar to Fuzzy Zoeller’s infamous remark towards Woods in 1997 when he said: “You pat him on the back and say congratulations and enjoy it [his Masters win] and tell him not serve fried chicken next year. Got it?” Zoeller later apologised and said he had been misconstrued.
Garcia has since issued a statement through the European Tour, saying: “I apologise for any offence that may have been caused by my comment on stage during The European Tour Players’ Awards dinner. I answered a question that was clearly made towards me as a joke with a silly remark, but in no way was the comment meant in a racist manner.”
Earlier in the day he had been pressed on his relationship with Woods and said: “You can’t like everybody. I think that there’s people that you connect with and there’s people that you don’t. You know, it’s pretty much as simple as that. I think that he doesn’t need me in his life, I don’t need him in mine, and let’s move on and keep doing what we’re doing.”
The pair have been involved in a public spat since The Players Championship earlier this month, when Garcia accused Woods of gamesmanship when the American allegedly prepared for his own shot as the Spaniard was about to play an approach shot, causing him to lose focus and bogey the hole.
