SUMMIT MEETING: Sergio Garcia (left) and Tiger Woods — who have long had a contentious relationship — shake hands yesterday during a practice round in preparation for the U.S. Open at Merion, which tees off Thursday. (
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SUMMIT MEETING: Sergio Garcia (left) and Tiger Woods — who have long had a contentious relationship — shake hands yesterday during a practice round in preparation for the U.S. Open at Merion, which tees off Thursday. (
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ARDMORE, Pa. — Since the moment he inserted golf shoe into mouth with that “fried chicken’’ reference about inviting Tiger Woods to dinner, Sergio Garcia claimed he wanted to apologize to Woods face-to-face.
Garcia, who made the explosive comment on May 21 at a European Tour awards dinner in England preceding the BMW PGA Championship at Wentworth, said he did not have Woods’ telephone number and that Woods’ manager, Mark Steinberg, initially did not answer his phone.
Yesterday, on the U.S. Open practice range on the Merion West Course, Garcia finally got his face-to-face meeting with Woods, chatting briefly with him and shaking hands.
Both Woods and Garcia have pre-tournament press conferences scheduled for today at Merion, where the topic of conversation is sure to center around the gaping rift between the two of them.
Yesterday marked the first time Garcia and Woods have been face-to-face since Garcia, in a lame attempt at banquet humor, joked that he planned to invite Woods to dinner “every night’’ during U.S. Open week, saying, “We will serve fried chicken.”
Garcia apologized for his comment — initially in a statement and then during an uncomfortable hastily called news conference.
Woods insisted at the Memorial Tournament two weeks ago the matter was closed and it was time to move on.
When a reporter asked Woods about the brief exchange between Garcia and him after his practice round yesterday, Woods said, “I’m not going there,” and made reference to his upcoming press conference during which he will surely try to put the issue to rest.
Friction between the two players, who have never liked each other, heated up at The Players Championship early last month when Woods and Garcia were paired together in the third round and Garcia claimed Woods intentionally distracted him while he was taking a shot by creating a crowd reaction when he pulled a fairway metal out of his bag.
That incited a colorful back-and-forth between the two, with Woods saying he was not surprised at Garcia’s paranoia, poking fun at what he indicated was incessant complaining by Garcia.
Garcia countered by making it clear he did not like Woods.
It all culminated at that European Tour dinner, where Garcia used an unwise racial stereotype, causing more derision from Woods, who quietly let Garcia burn on his own words as he was criticized for days for his irresponsible joke.
After the Garcia comments, Woods took to Twitter and called the slur “inappropriate and clearly hurtful.’’
Garcia said he finally spoke to Steinberg and “asked him if he wanted us to call Tiger or wait for Merion and do it there face-to -face.’’
“They said they would rather do it there [at Merion],’’ Garcia said.
So Garcia, who played several holes yesterday accompanied by a police officer, initiated the brief encounter with Woods, and there was speculation the two might have had plans to speak again later in the day.
There was some speculation the USGA might pair Woods and Garcia together for the first two rounds of the U.S. Open, but that never came to fruition. Woods is set to play with Rory McIlroy and Masters champion Adam Scott, and Garcia is paired with Padraig Harrington and Stewart Cink.
Garcia’s group will tee off at 7:44 a.m. from the 11th hole in the first round Thursday and Woods’ group starts at 1:14 p.m. from the first tee.
It marks the first time McIlroy and Woods have been paired together in a major. Of the 12 times they have played together, Woods has shot the lower score nine times.
Heavy rain closed Merion’s East Course for practice round play a couple of times yesterday, including late in the afternoon when it rained hardest. The biggest problem is the 11th hole, which is the lowest-lying hole on the course and looked to be completely flooded. USGA officials said they do not expect to be forced into a contingency plan with No. 11. The course, which took on about 3 1/2 inches of rain on Friday and more yesterday, is saturated, but the rain is expected to subside.
Six players got into the U.S. Open field yesterday, led by Kyle Stanley, who earned an exemption based on the current Official World Golf Ranking (he is ranked No. 60). The USGA held six spots in the field for those players who could potentially qualify by being in the current top 60 of the Official World Golf Ranking. Since Stanley was the only player to earn an exemption, five alternates from sectional qualifying have made the field: Mike Weir, Harold Varner III, Ryan Palmer, Ryan Yip and Rikard Karlberg.