‘Not My Favorite Guy’: Before Hitting a Nerve With Tiger Woods, Sergio Garcia Infamously Accused Him of Violating a Serious Golf Ethic

Rivalries are what make sports exciting and intriguing. However, some feuds exceed their limits and last for decades. The rivalry between Tiger Woods and Sergio Garcia is one such feud. Since the ’90s both men have been going at each other. But the rivalry reached its pinnacle when Garcia accused Tiger of distracting him during the 2013 Players Championship.

Garcia made his professional debut three years after Woods. However, within those three years,  Tiger became the face of the sport with his historical 1997 Masters win. Nonetheless, Sergio Garcia too carried the hype around him when he made his debut in 1999, however, failed to live up to it.

Years passed, and the cold war between both golfers only got more heated. From vocally offensive interviews to competitive golf, the rivalry had it all. However, in 2013, it got much more personal when the Spanish golfer accused Woods of distracting him, which he denies.

Why did Sergio Garcia accuse Tiger Woods?

In the 2013 Players Championship, both men were paired during the third round. On the par-5 second hole, Garcia had the opportunity to get into the greens in two holes. However, he choked the shot and turned towards the crowd with a visibly frustrated face. Later the LIV Golf star accused Tiger of pulling out a club while he was about to swing.

Garcia blamed Woods for ignoring him as was taking the shot. He further added, “Right as I was on top of the backswing, he pulled a 5-wood or 3-wood out of the rough and, obviously, everybody started screaming, so that didn’t help very much”. As the Spaniard’s comments were making headlines, Tiger Woods decided to clear out all the accusations claimed by Garcia, while also taking a jab at the end.

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“The marshal told me he already hit so I pulled the club and was getting ready to play my shot, and then I hear his comments afterward. Not really surprising that he’s complaining about something”, said Woods. Nonetheless, Sergio Garcia didn’t acknowledge Tiger’s words and told him he can do whatever he wants. After the round, Garcia added a little more fuel by claiming that Woods is “Not my favorite guy to play with”.

Looking back at their history, it is quite apparent that the duo doesn’t like each other’s company. Unfortunately for the Spaniard, his arch-rival did go on to win the event. Tiger Woods won the 2013 Players Championship with a score of 13 under par. The result sums up their rivalry over the years, where Garcia has been working hard enough to claim the throne of Woods, but just finishes short.

Who according to you is right? Woods or Garcia? Let us know in the comments section below.

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