Sergio Garcia has apologised for a remark which he made at last night's European Tour player's awards event in Sofitel Hotel at Heathrow. When asked by the Golf Channel's Steve Sands if he would be having Tiger Woods over for dinner during the US Open, Garcia said:
We will have him round every night. We will serve fried chicken.
Garcia later issued a statement apologising for his comments which could have been viewed as racist.
From Guardian.co.uk
García left on Tuesday night before he could be asked to clarify his remarks, but later 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."
Fuzzy Zoeller famously made a similar remark after Woods won the 1997 Masters.
Garcia and Woods have been quarreling since the TPC Sawgrass event earlier this month when Garcia said that Woods caused him to make a bad shot.
When asked recently if he would be calling up Garcia to sort things out between the two, Woods simply responded "no".
Graeme McDowell believes that despite the comment been made in a private environment and being intended humourlessly, he still should not have said it.
RT @chrisk9605 "What do you make of Sergio's comment last night?">>private/humor filled environment but he shouldn't have said it #slip
— Graeme McDowell (@Graeme_McDowell) May 22, 2013
Picture credit: David Maher / SPORTSFILE