Can Sergio Redeem Himself?

Tom Ferrell

The biggest story in golf during the past week had nothing to do with Boo Weekley’s return to the winner’s circle after a five-year absence – at the classic and beautiful Colonial CC no less. Nor did it involve the Pure Silk-Bahamas LPGA Classic, which made golf history—and possibly provided a look into the future of golf—when rains forced the LPGA to devise a 12-hole course, on which contestants played three “full” rounds.

No, the biggest story in golf – unfortunately – came courtesy of Sergio Garcia, who took his silly spat with Tiger Woods to a new and even more unwelcome level by “joking” that he would serve Woods fried chicken if he invited him over to dinner.

Uh…really? Has Sergio hired Fuzzy Zoeller as a PR man? If I were Sergio, I would be looking over my shoulder during the U.S. Open at Merion next month, as I expect the notorious Philly fans to make it rain chicken on the hapless Spaniard.

Let’s go back in time to how this all started. Tiger Woods, in the trees left and apparently thinking Sergio had already played his second shot from the fairway at the par-5 second during the third round of the Players Championship, pulled a club to play his shot. A few in the gallery around Tiger reacted with applause, disturbing the finicky Garcia, who sent his ball into the woods with a sod-thrashing drop kick and then turned and glared at Woods.

For the following two weeks, he commandeered every microphone he could to jab. Woods “isn’t the nicest player on Tour,” Garcia whined. He “isn’t a lot of fun to play with.” On and on.

For his part, Woods could have done without the “I’m not surprised he’s complaining about something,” quip. But let’s not quibble—this is a Garcia story. Golf has a long and decidedly checkered relationship with race. Playing around with these stereotypes is playing with fire and does no one—nor the game—any favors. And it certainly didn’t smooth things over when George O’Grady, chief executive of the European Tour, found himself apologizing for his defense of Sergio’s apology (“Most of Sergio’s friends are colored athletes in the United States…”).

That we are still talking about a 34-year-old Sergio Garcia not having won a major championship is mind-boggling in one sense. But viewed in the context of yet another outburst of public foolishness, it’s perfectly understandable. Does the ill-advised and immature joke make Sergio a horrible person? No. He seems to have honestly recognized the stupidity and magnitude of his words. Good for him.

But maybe Sergio would be better served by expressing his emotions with his clubs. Professional golfers seem to think sometimes that they are different from the rest of us. A racial joke in the workplace is no laughing matter—anywhere, including the PGA TOUR.

 

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