Tiger Woods is primed to win the U.S. Open after winning four times on tour already this season, including the Players Championship over Sergio Garcia, who after complaining about Woods on the course made a racist joke at the Euro Tour awards dinner, forcing the head to apologize for his own ‘colored athletes' comments.
Tour chief executive George O'Grady issued an apology for the Tour, Garcia and himself after making some comments in an interview with Sky Sports television, saying that he deeply regretted that he used the words in the interview. He said that all races play on the tour and all are welcome and his commment opened up the issue with Garcia and Woods again after it seemed to die down when Garcia apologized for his "fried chicken comments". The whole spat came after the two got into it when Garcia felt Woods distracted him at the Players Championship and that sparked his later comment. Woods said he put it behind him and is now focused on golf and the upcoming US Open, for which he is the favorite after playing so strongly on Tour this year. He is getting ready to add his 15th major and will break his drought over the past few years now that he is back at number one.
O'Grady was forced to issue an apology on Thursday after re-opening the Tiger Woods-Sergio Garcia racism row by making an unfortunate comment about "colored athletes". Garcia said sorry 11 times on Wednesday and used the word apology on five occasions after causing a furore by making a "fried chicken" jibe at world number one Woods.
Fourteen-times major winner Woods, whose relationship with the Spaniard has always been frosty, was in unforgiving mood when he gave his reaction to Garcia's jibe. The Spaniard said his comment, made at the European Tour Player of the Year awards dinner on Tuesday, was "stupid and out of place" and said he regretted it the moment he uttered it. The gallery erupted during Garcia's backswing upon seeing the world number one reach for his five-wood for a daring escape from a tee shot that finished deep into the trees.
The pair subsequently made clear they have never been the best of friends but Garcia said that he had already tried to contact Woods in a bid to make amends for his "fried chicken" remark. Three birdies in four holes to the seventh put the world number 14 in a good position. He then fell away on the back nine before grabbing the first eagle three at the 18th all day, an effort that prompted a huge roar from the crowd.
"It's very unfortunate and we are in the middle of it," O'Grady told Sky on Thursday. "We spoke to Sergio and, after what was really a very full and frank discussion on the whole issue, decided to accept his really heartfelt apology.
"We were convinced he was trying to be funny - that it was a lighthearted remark. There is no need for any further disciplinary action because it has gone so deep with him and all our players think the same way.
"We are aware of his arguments and his discussion with Tiger Woods which really quite frankly has no real place either, he accepts that," said O'Grady.
"Tiger himself has...said it's time to get on and play golf and we want to get on with our flagship event which is set up so well this week."
O'Grady said this sort of incident had no place on the European Tour.
"There's absolutely no cosiness about this at all. We take it very seriously as does he (Garcia)," added O'Grady.
"He has convinced us just how seriously he takes it and that's why we've had to draw a line under this thing."
(Reuters Quote)
