Sergio Garcia and Tiger Woods have made peace at Merion, the venue of the U.S. Open, with a handshake and a handwritten note from the golfer from Borriol, who together with Gonzalo Fernandez-Castaño and Jose Maria Olazabal makes up the Spanish representation in this second major of the year.
Garcia appeared before the press two hours after Tiger, the allegedly offended by the last verbal discharge with racist overtones that the Spaniard uttered in Wentworth (England), more than two weeks ago.
Tiger was very concise on the matter. “We didn’t talk about anything. We didn’t have time. Sergio came up to me, said hello, we shook hands and that was it. Now it’s time to play golf,” said the best golfer in the world to explain the photograph that has most circled the world before the tournament: the handshake between Sergio and the Californian.
Garcia ratified Tiger’s words shortly thereafter. “It has not yet been possible to talk to him (Tiger) about the matter. We haven’t had time. But I did leave him a handwritten note in his locker. I hope he can read it,” he confessed.
“It’s not for me to tell what it says in the note. I wrote it to him. If Tiger wants to show it he has every right, but I will not reveal its contents,” added Garcia, who apologized publicly and two weeks ago after joking about his dispute with Tiger on the course – he moved when the Spaniard hit a ball – with an invitation to fried chicken dinner, with racist overtones for being the frequent food of blacks during slavery.
The tension during Sergio Garcia’s press conference reached its highest point when a black journalist, seated in the front row in front of the Spanish golfer, asked him if he was aware that his words went beyond the limits of the two players, in reference to the black collective.
Garcia responded: “I understand and that’s why I asked for forgiveness. I know it hurt a lot of people and that makes me feel bad, I can assure you.
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