Frustration boiled over for Sergio Garcia during Sunday's final round at Royal Portrush when he violently slammed his driver into the ground after hooking his tee shot on the second hole.
The 45-year-old Spaniard struck the turf with such force that the club snapped in two, leaving him unable to continue with the crucial club for the remainder of his round.
The incident occurred early in Garcia's final day at the 153rd Open Championship, where he had begun 14 strokes behind leader Scottie Scheffler.
Television cameras captured the moment as the former Masters champion's temper erupted following his wayward 275-yard drive into the left rough.
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|Sergio Garcia lost his cool and snapped his driver in half by hitting the floor with the club
Under golf's regulations, players cannot replace equipment damaged through anger, meaning Garcia must complete his round with only 13 clubs.
Rule 4.1 explicitly states that whilst players may continue using clubs damaged during play, replacement is forbidden unless damage occurs through external forces or natural causes.
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The LIV Golf competitor flung half of the broken shaft towards his bag after the outburst.
Despite the setback, Garcia remarkably recovered to birdie the hole, launching his second shot 254 yards up the fairway before chipping to within 10 feet and sinking the putt.
The incident comes at a crucial time for Garcia, who recently held discussions with European Ryder Cup captain Luke Donald about potential selection for September's clash at Bethpage.
"I had a good conversation with Luke last week, and we both know what we want," Garcia revealed earlier in the week.
The Spaniard, who has represented Europe in every Ryder Cup since 1999 except for 2010 and 2023, boasts an impressive 25-13-7 record in the competition.
Despite winning in Hong Kong on the LIV circuit in March, his major championship form has been poor, missing the cut at Augusta and finishing well down the field at the PGA Championship.
His outburst drew immediate criticism on social media, with one observer suggesting he "should be kicked off the course" for damaging the tee box.
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Sergio Garcia snaps his driver in frustration after a poor tee shot on the second hole 😤 pic.twitter.com/rqWIdfnLbb
— Sky Sports Golf (@SkySportsGolf) July 20, 2025
Another labelled him a "child", warning that "for one bad shot it could now cost him another 14".
The absence of his driver proved costly on subsequent holes. Garcia failed to clear the fairway bunkers on the fourth, resulting in a bogey, and couldn't reach the drivable fifth hole in one shot, settling for par on what is considered one of the easiest holes at the 7,381-yard links.
At level par for the tournament, Garcia's hopes of securing valuable world ranking points and impressing Donald appear increasingly remote.
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