Sergio Garcia said on Monday afternoon he did not need to count Tiger Woods as a friend. After comments he made a day later, he can count on Woods never being friendly toward him.
At the European Tour's awards dinner in England, made a racially insensitive comment about Woods. Asked Tuesday night by Golf Channel's Steve Sands if the spatting pair would have dinner together during next month's U.S. Open, Garcia said, according to The Guardian, "We will have him round every night. We will serve fried chicken."
Garcia's comment immediately stirred memories of remarks made by 1979 Masters champion Fuzzy Zoeller after Woods won the '97 green jacket in record-setting fashion.
"You pat him on the back and say congratulations and enjoy it and tell him not serve fried chicken next year. Got it? Or collard greens or whatever the hell they serve," Zoeller said.
Garcia issued an apology through the European Tour, saying, "I apologize for any offense 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."
He left the dinner before being questioned by reporters in attendance.
Woods and Garcia have been trading verbal barbs since an incident at the par-5 second hole when paired together in the third round of The Players Championship. The world No. 1 broke etiquette, pulling his club to hit before Garcia was to hit his approach shot at the hole. Garcia accused Woods of being disrespectful, while Woods said he had been given the all-clear by volunteers and joked it was not surprising the Spaniard was complaining.
Ryan Ballengee offers commentary on Garcia's latest remarks for Yahoo! Sports. Read it here.
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