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Should Sergio Garcia be banned from Augusta after Masters meltdown?
TL;DR
Sergio Garcia's outburst at the Masters, where he broke his driver and carried another player's bag, has sparked debate about whether he should be banned from Augusta. He received a code-of-conduct warning, raising questions about the future of his lifetime invite as a past champion.
Should Sergio Garcia be banned from Augusta after Masters meltdown?
Sergio Garcia put together one heck of a tantrum at the Masters on Sunday, with the 2017 green jacket winner slamming his driver early in the fourth round, then breaking it on a cooler and carrying Jon Rahm's bag instead of the Spaniard's caddie.
According to an AP report, he was issued a code-of-conduct warning. And that's led to some questions about whether his behavior means the lifetime invite to the Masters as a past champion should be revoked.
ESPN's Mike Greenberg addressed that (see below) on X (formerly Twitter), who had this to say: "A lifetime exemption is a privilege extended by Augusta to its champions out of respect. If that respect is not reciprocated, there is no law that says a past champ cannot be banned. Iām not sure they should have Sergio Garcia back after the garbage he pulled today."
Rory McIlroy celebrates winning the 2026 Masters Tournament (Hector Vivas/Getty Images)
Rory McIlroy celebrates winning the 2026 Masters Tournament (Andrew Redington/Getty Images)
Rory McIlroy and his caddie Harry Diamond celebrate winning the 2026 Masters Tournament (Maddie Meyer/Getty Images)
Rory McIlroy celebrates with his wife Erica Stoll and his father Gerry McIlroy after winning The Masters (REUTERS/Mike Segar)
Rory McIlroy celebrates with his father Gerry McIlroy and mother Rosie McDonald after winning The Masters (REUTERS/Mike Segar)
Rory McIlroy celebrates with his is daughter Poppy, wife Erica Stoll and his father Gerry McIlroy after winning The Masters (REUTERS/Mike Segar)
Rory McIlroy celebrates after winning the Masters Tournament at Augusta National Golf Club (Katie Goodale-Imagn Images)
Rory McIlroy walks off the 18th green after winning after winning the Masters Tournament (Grace Smith-Imagn Images)
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8 photos of Rory McIlroy celebrating his back-to-back Masters win with family
Rory McIlroy celebrates winning the 2026 Masters Tournament (Hector Vivas/Getty Images)
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8 photos of Rory McIlroy celebrating his back-to-back Masters win with family
Rory McIlroy celebrates winning the 2026 Masters Tournament (Hector Vivas/Getty Images)
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8 photos of Rory McIlroy celebrating his back-to-back Masters win with family
Rory McIlroy celebrates winning the 2026 Masters Tournament (Andrew Redington/Getty Images)
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8 photos of Rory McIlroy celebrating his back-to-back Masters win with family
Rory McIlroy and his caddie Harry Diamond celebrate winning the 2026 Masters Tournament (Maddie Meyer/Getty Images)
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8 photos of Rory McIlroy celebrating his back-to-back Masters win with family
Rory McIlroy celebrates with his wife Erica Stoll and his father Gerry McIlroy after winning The Masters (REUTERS/Mike Segar)
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8 photos of Rory McIlroy celebrating his back-to-back Masters win with family
Rory McIlroy celebrates with his father Gerry McIlroy and mother Rosie McDonald after winning The Masters (REUTERS/Mike Segar)
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8 photos of Rory McIlroy celebrating his back-to-back Masters win with family
Rory McIlroy celebrates with his is daughter Poppy, wife Erica Stoll and his father Gerry McIlroy after winning The Masters (REUTERS/Mike Segar)
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8 photos of Rory McIlroy celebrating his back-to-back Masters win with family
Rory McIlroy celebrates after winning the Masters Tournament at Augusta National Golf Club (Katie Goodale-Imagn Images)
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8 photos of Rory McIlroy celebrating his back-to-back Masters win with family
Rory McIlroy walks off the 18th green after winning after winning the Masters Tournament (Grace Smith-Imagn Images)
The responses from others has been where I landed with this: No, he doesn't deserve to have his lifetime status revoked. It wasn't great to throw the tantrum, sure.
But then you'd have to tell Robert MacIntyre that he's never coming back thanks to flipping the bird, which also seems fairly tame when you also consider that there are golfers who have done worse off the course who are still invited back.
Perhaps we see Augusta send a letter with invitations next year reminding players of the decorum rules and discipline that comes with them, and that's that. Otherwise? Anything else feels like too much.
This article originally appeared on For The Win: Sergio Garcia Masters meltdown should result in ban from Augusta?
Q&A
What did Sergio Garcia do at the Masters that caused controversy?
Sergio Garcia broke his driver and displayed unsportsmanlike behavior by carrying Jon Rahm's bag instead of his own caddie's during the fourth round.
What warning did Sergio Garcia receive after his actions at the Masters?
He was issued a code-of-conduct warning following his outburst during the tournament.
Could Sergio Garcia be banned from Augusta National Golf Club?
Yes, there is speculation that his behavior could lead to a revocation of his lifetime invite as a past champion.
What did ESPN's Mike Greenberg say about Sergio Garcia's behavior?
Mike Greenberg suggested that if respect is not reciprocated, Augusta National could choose to ban Garcia, as the lifetime exemption is a privilege extended to champions.
