Sergio Garcia blames 'emotional personal news' for Saudi Arabia International meltdown

Sergio Garcia has claimed that “emotional personal news” played a role in his meltdown on the European Tour earlier this month which featured him damaging five greens and led to his disqualification from the Saudi Arabia International.

But the Spaniard insisted it was “no excuse” for this unprecedented act vandalism in top-flight golf and agreed with world No 2 Brooks Koepka who accused him of “acting like a child”.

Garcia plays his first event since in the Genesis Open, which begins here at Riviera Country Club today, and will come under huge attention despite the presence of Tiger Woods and Rory McIlroy. But at least he has now faced the media after previously only releasing a statement through the European Tour and apologising on social media.

“I received some very emotional, personal news earlier that week that didn’t help,” Garcia said. “It was in the back of my mind. As I  became frustrated on the course everything erupted.” He would not expand on the news. “It was a mix of some emotional and personal things going on and a little frustration with the greens,” Garcia told the Golf Channel.

The 39-year-old left a divot on the sixth green during the third round and scraped his frustration on four other greens at the newly-built Royal Greens Country Club. Players behind complained to referees about the state of the putting surfaces and he was kicked out of the tournament at the end of that round. But he realised before then what he had done.