Brooks Koepka: Garcia was ‘acting like a child’ at Saudi International

Brooks Koepka has spoken out against Sergio Garcia for ‘acting like a child’ during the Saudi International. 

Brooks Koepka has spoken out about the incident that got Sergio Garcia disqualified from the Saudi International last Saturday, which marked the first time the European Tour has disqualified a player for ‘serious misconduct’.

According to reports, Garcia dragged the sole of his golf shoe across the top of several of the putting surfaces at Royal Greens G & CC, in addition to leaving a divot mark in the sixth green – which was still visible the next day despite the best efforts of the greens staff to repair it.

His behaviour prompted complaints from other players behind him, and resulted in the European Tour opting to disqualify him under Rule 1.2a – a punishment which Garcia accepted. 

“I respect the decision of my disqualification,” he had said. “In frustration, I damaged a couple of greens, for which I apologise for, and I have informed my fellow players it will never happen again.” 

But the whole situation isn’t one that sits well with three-time major champion Koepka, who was playing in front of him so didn’t see the damage Garcia inflicted upon the course. 

The World No.3 was asked about the incident while appearing on the Playing Through podcast on Tuesday, and said at first he hadn’t realised what had happened. 

“I played in front of him on Saturday. I saw him in the locker room and I didn’t know what was going on at the time, I had got done and grabbed lunch and came in, saw him cleaning out his locker, didn’t really think anything of it.”

Once he had heard though, Koepka was less than impressed. He went on to lambast the Spaniard for disrespecting his fellow players and failing to set a good example. 

“It’s frustrating as a player to see, to act like that, the disrespect to everybody. To act like a child out there is not cool, not setting a good example and not cool to us, showing us no respect or anybody else.”

Garcia had been filmed the previous day taking his anger out on a bunker, before going on to curse (in Spanish) the greens and conditions of the course. But when asked if Brooks felt the course conditions weren’t very good and that was a contributing factor, Brooks replied “Dustin didn’t have a problem with it.”

“That’s just Sergio acting like a child,” he continued. 

“It’s unfortunate that he’s got to do that and complain. Everybody’s got to play the same golf course. I didn’t play very good, but you didn’t really see anybody else doing that.

“I mean, you’re 40 years old, so you’ve got to grow up eventually.”