‘That’s Sergio acting like a child. You’re 40 years old… grow up’: Garcia slammed by Brooks Koepka

Brooks Kopeka has branded Sergio Garcia ‘a child’, told him to ‘grow up’ and accused him of ‘showing no respect’ to his fellow players by damaging greens in Saudi Arabia last week.

Garcia was disqualified from the inaugural Saudi International for ‘serious misconduct’ in an incident which has shocked the golfing world.

The former Masters champion caused damage to five separate greens during his third round, seemingly in a fit of staggering petulance. Kopeka, the reigning US Open and USPGA champion certainly sees it that way – and he has delivered a withering verdict on Garcia’s behaviour.

World No 2 Brooks Koepka has hit out at Sergio Garcia’s behaviour in Saudi Arabia last week

Garcia was sensationally disqualified for damaging five greens during the third round

‘That’s just Sergio acting like a child,’ Koepka said in interview with the Playing Through podcast.

‘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.’

Garcia turned 39 on January 9. Although no video footage exists of him damaging any greens, he was captured on camera having a temper tantrum in a bunker during the second round.

The Spaniard hacked at the sand repeatedly after escaping the trap at the second attempt, raging at the lie he found his ball in and swearing repeatedly. 

‘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,’ Koepka added.

‘It’s not setting a good example and it’s not cool to us, showing us no respect.’ 

The Spaniard was also filmed having a temper tantrum in a bunker during the second round 

He aggressively and repeatedly hacked at the sand, fuming at the lie he had found his ball in

Garcia failed to get out of the bunker first time, causing him to blow his top

Koepka, the world No 2, also played in the tournament, although not in Garcia’s group that day. He finished 57th in the event won by fellow American Dustin Johnson.

The pair were on opposite teams during last year’s Ryder Cup in Paris, where Garcia became the leading points scorer in the event’s history. They faced each other directly in the Saturday morning fourballs, when Garcia and Rory McIlroy beat Koepka and Tony Finau.  

Garcia was disqualified in Saudi for what the tour deemed ‘serious misconduct’ under rule 1.2a.

‘I respect the decision of my disqualification. 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,’ Garcia later said in a statement.