In professional golf, a player’s public standards are truly revealed when they are put to the test. Max Homa, who has won six times on the PGA Tour, made his views clear at a press conference before the RBC Heritage. He made it clear that Sergio Garcia’s Masters outburst was not something pros should do. But on Sunday at Harbour Town Golf Links, he faced a moment that would challenge the standard he had set.

And the result? The golf fandom tore him apart. Homa had to make a statement forcefully, which read, “I mentioned in this interview that we as pros should be held to a high standard and we should be kept accountable.” He shared the message on his Instagram story alongside a video of his press conference and footage of the club throw. “I’m thankful so many people have held me accountable on this,” his statement further read. “Bad look. Not proud. Looking forward to bettering myself.”

So, here’s the full story. Sergio Garcia had a meltdown at the Augusta National during the Masters. After a poor tee shot, the LIV golfer lost his composure, ended up damaging the turf, and snapped his driver.

Max Homa was one of the few pros to comment on the incident, explaining that he dislikes it when players vent their frustrations on the course. “I don’t like when people beat up the golf course, because we deal with it”, Homa noted during his press conference on Wednesday. “And I think the breaking clubs makes us look very, very spoiled.”

Only a couple of days later, the PGA Tour pro committed the same ‘crime’, oh, the irony! As expected, golf fans on the internet didn’t let it slide, and rightfully so.

By recent standards in golf, the incident was minor. On the par-5 15th, Homa’s tee shot landed in a tree-filled waste area. After his next shot failed to reach the fairway, he threw his club down. It bounced about 15 yards, landed softly in the sand, and did not damage the course. He made a bogey on the hole, shot a 2-under 69 for the day, and finished the tournament at 1-under, tied for 69th place. After his round, he did not speak to reporters.

Homa was clear that damaging the course is the most serious offense, as it impacts every player who follows. He admitted his own frustration after slipping and called for higher standards among players. The incident at the 15th hole at Harbour Town only made things more complicated.

Notably, Garcia was issued a formal code-of-conduct warning by Masters Competitions Committee Chairman, Geoff Yang, on the 4th tee. It was the first time in the tournament’s history. The Spaniard was not permitted to replace the broken driver and played the remaining 16 holes without it. He shot 75, finished 8-over for the week, and placed 52nd among the 54 players who made the cut. A second violation would have carried a two-shot penalty, with a third meaning disqualification.

“Just obviously not super proud of it, but sometimes it happens.”

That was Garcia’s post-round assessment. Two days later, on social media, he issued a formal apology, “I regret the way I acted and it has no place in our game.”

The apology was more direct than his initial response. For those following his record, the Masters was not an isolated incident.

Sergio Garcia’s long record and what Max Homa’s contradiction means for golf’s conduct debate

Garcia has now broken clubs in back-to-back majors. At the 2025 Open Championship at Royal Portrush, he snapped his driver on the par-5 second hole during the final round. It was the same hole number as at Augusta, just in a different country, with the same outcome. Earlier, in 2019, he was disqualified from the Saudi International for damaging several greens in frustration. That remains the harshest penalty he has faced so far.

This pattern is not new. In 2001 at the World Match Play, Garcia kicked off his shoe and nearly hit an official. At a World Golf Championship at Doral, he spat into a cup after a three-putt. These incidents are all part of the same ongoing issue.

The majors now have a code-of-conduct framework designed for exactly these situations. The Masters was the first to use it, and the PGA Championship at Aronimink is expected to do the same. But the main issue remains: does accountability mean anything without real consequences? Garcia apologized. Homa set a standard, did not meet it, and did not comment further. Both actions matter for the Tour, but neither fully addresses the problem.

Golf is a frustrating game. Homa admitted as much, but after Sunday, those words took on a different meaning.