Sergio García Say Sorry

Sergio García: I'm sorry … I'm not a racist

Sergio García has denied racist intent in his comments towards Tiger Woods on Tuesday night, with the European conjointly escaping any penalisation from golf's ruling bodies for his currently ill-famed remarks at the eu Tour's annual gala dinner.

A clearly agitated García spoke at a in haste organized conference at Wentworth yesterday afternoon. By then, he was at the centre of a storm when polemically respondent a puckish question concerning tantalizing Woods over for dinner at next month's United States of America Open. The try are engaged in verbal warfare since the Players Championship earlier this month.



Woods himself has branded Garcia's words as "wrong, hurtful and clearly inappropriate". the eu Tour has opted to not provide any sanction to García however the golfer's sponsors might nevertheless produce other ideas.

The European was on stage and with electro-acoustic transducer in hand at the eu Tour event at Heathrow once the question was posed  ahead of around 350 guests. His answer conjured recollections of Fuzzy Zoeller's 1997, wide taken as racist, jibe towards a young Woods. "We can have him spherical nightly," García aforesaid. "We can serve deep-fried chicken."

Sixteen years agone, Zoeller was within the interior of ANalogous|the same} furore for mistreatment an nearly identical analogy once being derogatory towards Woods. once discussing his maiden major win and also the selection of menu at the subsequent year's champions dinner, Zoeller said: "You pat him on the rear and say congratulations and luxuriate in it and tell him to not serve deep-fried chicken next year. Got it? Or kail or regardless of the hell they serve." The food things are traditionally and pejoratively used towards African-Americans.
"Obviously i would like to send Associate in Nursing apology," García aforesaid. "I did not mean to offend anyone. I clearly was caught off-guard by the question however aren't getting Pine Tree State wrong, I perceive that my answer was wholly stupid and out of place. i can not act repentant enough that.

"Most significantly, i would like to apologise to Tiger and anybody that i might have pained by the comment I created and, you know, simply to mention that I feel sick concerning it. I am truly, actually sorry and that i hope that we are able to cool down and hopefully march on. i am positive that {we can|we'll|we are going to} be able to speak shortly and that i will apologise to him face to face."

When asked if he accepted his remark was racist, García replied: "Not in the least. It wasn't meant that means. i used to be caught off guard in what gave the impression to be a funny question and that i tried to offer a funny answer that came out wholly wrong."
García left a phone message with Mark cartoonist, Woods's manager, to place forward those sentiments head to head. He conjointly control a Wentworth meeting with Saint George O'Grady, the eu Tour's chief govt, and Tim Finchem, the commissioner of the United States of America PGA Tour. each were gift at the dinner.
Woods took to Twitter to supply his assessment of what García had aforesaid. The 14-times major winner said: "I'm assured that there's real regret that the remark was created. The Players all over nearly period agone and it's gone time to maneuver on and refer golf."

O'Grady created what's going to prove a futile commit to place closure on the incident. He said: "Sergio expressed terribly deep and sincere regret for his unguarded and, in his own words 'stupid' remark and that we are responsive to his statement of apology issued at twelve.25am this morning. Following our meeting, we've got accepted his full apology and that we think about the matter closed. we have a tendency to square measure currently trying forward to our flagship event, beginning tomorrow morning."

More ominous words for García arrived from his main sponsor, TaylorMade, for whom the importance of what was aforesaid by their player has not apparently been lost. Zoeller lost sponsors as an instantaneous consequence of his 1997 comments.
In a statement, the sports equipment company said: "Sergio García's recent comment was offensive and in no means aligns with TaylorMade-Adidas Golf's values and company culture. we've got spoken with Sergio directly and he clearly has regret for his statement and that we believe he's sincere. we have a tendency to mentioned with Sergio that his comments square measure clearly out of bounds and that we square measure continued to review the matter."

García admitted he in brief thought of retreating from this weekend's BMW PGA Championship. "As shortly as I left the dinner, I started obtaining a sick feeling in my body," he added. "I wasn't able to sleep in the least last [on Tuesday] night. I felt like my heart was planning to start off of my body and that i have had this sick feeling all day. But, sadly, I said it. I want I did not hump however the sole factor I will say is sorry."