Fireballs GC captain Sergio Garcia has earned $51 million from LIV Golf, yet his donation to the Omega European Masters’ caddie event was so bizarre that it made him a subject of ridicule. Brendan Porath of Fried Egg Golf mocked him on The Shotgun Start podcast, revealing what Garcia had donated.
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The organizers of the Omega European Masters asked players to contribute for the Caddie Event. According to Porath, the caddie event returned after a six- or seven-year hiatus. Porath also said Patrick Reed contributed generously to the event. He further claimed that even local restaurants and steakhouses contributed $500 gift certificates. Garcia was also asked and he agreed to contribute as well.
“What he donated was two dozen golf balls to the caddie event,” Porath revealed while unable to control his laughter. “Two dozen golf balls, which the caddies all get for free themselves. Sergio obviously gets for free. Not like the cash donation from Reed or the gift certificate from the steakhouse in town. He donated two dozen golf balls to the caddie event in Crans [Golf Club Crans sur Sierre, the venue of the European Masters] this week.”
Now a quick search on PGA Tour Superstore or Dick’s Sporting Goods will tell you that it costs roughly $25 to $60 for a dozen golf balls. The higher-end is for Tour-level golf balls. So Garcia’s donation seems minuscule and absurd even, unless you consider the golf ball he uses.
According to a report from Golf Digest, Garcia and Henrik Stenson use a golf ball that costs around $2,800. Yes, you read that correctly. Garcia got an invitation to try the golf ball of a brand called The Underground. It was founded by Garry Singer, Mark Wahlberg, and Doug Meijer.
You can’t buy it even if you want to, actually. Think of it as Augusta National of the golf ball manufacturers (sans the history). Unless you get an invite, you don’t get to purchase one of these goodies. Now, Porath may have been hoping for a more generous donation to the event, and maybe the caddies did too. Although it might seem impossible, Garcia might just have donated these exclusive The Underground golf balls to the caddies.
Fellow host, Andy Johnson, asked Porath where he would rank this among all-time Sergio Garcia stories. Porath ranked it somewhere in the middle in the list that includes his temper tantrums, alleged spitting on the cup, and an insensitive remark toward Tiger Woods.
Notably, Garcia made $51,017,479 during his time in LIV Golf, according to National Club Golfer. Not to mention, the 2017 Masters winner made $631,250 after his T3 finish at the LIV Golf Indianapolis event last month. Regardless, while Sergio could only spare two dozen golf balls for the event, he was surprisingly generous to a fan several years ago.
Several years ago, a fan, Mark Johnson, spent 206 consecutive days tweeting at Garcia, making the same request: he wanted the chance to caddie for Sergio Garcia. Rather than ignoring him, Garcia eventually agreed to the unusual request in January. That promise became a reality at the 2017 British Masters pro-am, where Johnson actually got to carry Garcia’s bag for the day.
Garcia later joked to the BBC that Johnson had been “relentless,” but said they had a great time together. For Johnson, the experience was less about the golf and more about finally meeting his idol. He described Garcia as a “good lad” and even encouraged him to go on and win the competition. But this surprisingly wholesome atmosphere was absent during the incident involving Garcia at the Masters this year.
During the final round at Augusta National, Sergio Garcia lost his temper on the second tee. He damaged the tee area with his driver and then broke the club against a water cooler, an incident that resulted in a warning under the majors’ new code of conduct. Although he later apologized, months later, a report from the Financial Times revealed the extent of the damage from the incident.
Apparently, the episode embarrassed Yasir Al-Rumayyan, the former PIF governor and key figure behind LIV Golf. Al-Rumayyan has reportedly been eager to gain membership at Augusta National, so Garcia’s behavior at the club may have reflected poorly on him. So, although discussions about withdrawing from LIV had already begun before the Masters incident, Garcia’s outburst accelerated Al-Rumayyan’s decision to cut LIV’s funding.
Since then, LIV’s vendors have sued the league over non-payment of millions of dollars. The league also had to cut a significant number of its workforce to reduce costs. Not to mention, the breakaway tour has also cancelled two of its events this season. With uncertainty surrounding its future, reports have also suggested that big LIV names like Jon Rahm may be on their way out.
Despite that, LIV has reportedly found its lead investor for 2027, identified as BC Partners. Even though the investor’s identity remains a mystery, the rebel league expects to operate on a reduced schedule next season, and Sergio Garcia appears to be part of that. He is currently competing in the Omega European Masters, tied for 16th place.