Sergio Garcia makes racist remark when asked about Tiger

Sergio García's ongoing spat with Tiger Woods took an unwelcome turn night, when the Spaniard made what could be interpreted as a racist remark about his opponent.

The Spaniard was on stage at the European Tour's gala players' awards dinner, where he was questioned by the Golf Channel's Steve Sands. García, who has been embroiled in verbal battles with Woods since the Players Championship at Sawgrass this month, was asked in jest if he would have the American round for dinner one night during the upcoming US Open. "We will have him round every night," García said. "We will serve fried chicken."

The statement was similar to Fuzzy Zoeller's infamous remark towards Woods in 1997. Then, after Woods won his first major, the Masters, which entitled him to choose the champions' dinner menu for the following year, Zoeller said: "You pat him on the back and say congratulations and enjoy it and tell him not serve fried chicken next year. Got it? Or collard greens or whatever the hell they serve." Zoeller later apologised and said he had been misconstrued.

García left last night before he could be asked to clarify his remarks, but later issued a statment through the European Tour, saying: "I apologise for any offence that may have been caused by my comment on stage during The European Tour Players' Awards dinner. I answered a question that was clearly made towards me as a joke with a silly remark, but in no way was the comment meant in a racist manner."

Earlier in the day he had earlier been pressed on his relationship – or lack of one – with the world No1 when previewing the PGA Championship. "I mean, you can't like everybody," the Spaniard said. "I think that there's people that you connect with and there's people that you don't. You know, it's pretty much as simple as that. I think that he doesn't need me in his life, I don't need him in mine, and let's move on and keep doing what we're doing."

When asked when this problem first came to light, García replied: "A while back. It's never really been like a true connection like I would have maybe with Luke Donald or Lee Westwood or Adam Scott or some of the other guys that I get along with well."

Paul McGinley, who will lead Europe into the 2014 Ryder Cup, used the Surrey course as the venue to announce he is increasing the captain's wildcard picks from two to three. The leading four players from the European Tour's order of merit and five from the world rankings list will gain automatic entry for the event, to be held at Gleneagles. "I feel like by giving myself an extra pick, it's a little bit of wriggle room," McGinley explained.

"Like it or not, we have to acknowledge the fact that most of the players are now based in America, playing on the PGA Tour. I think in the big scheme of things this is actually going to help the European Tour more because I am going to be watching very closely for those three picks.

"Guys who are not in the top 50 in the world, who show a bit of form on the European Tour, they are going to rank very highly with the possible opportunity of a pick.

"Ideally, I would love to be able to say I want 12 players off the European Order of Merit. But I know that's not practical or realistic and I know I wouldn't have a strong enough team to win the Ryder Cup. At the end of the day, my head will fall; it's on me and it is my decision."

incontinentia wrote:Bubba didn't make a homophobic comment! a pundit criticised a gay athlete using the bible and then Bubba thanked him for sharing his faith. maybe slightly indirectly homophobic but even that would be a stretch

kwinigolfer wrote:That's akin to someone supporting Sergio and "thanking the guy for sharing" culinary advice . . . . . .

beninho wrote:if someone of afro/Caribbean decsent is not black skinned and a lot will tend to be he Is likely to be brown skinned. you would say I have black/brown friends. you are therefore explaining who your friends are in a fair honest way. black/brown Americans where called coloured for years. but I thought most people had grown to just say what people are. and not by the colour of skin we have. Vijay Singh is black he is not coloured tiger woods is a brown mixed race person. Sergio Garcia is white European. all are coloured.

Black people prefer to be referred to as black, because historically the term coloured has carried particularly negative connotations. It is certainly something we would like to see disappear – it is old fashioned and lazy, but more importantly it has an offensive undertone.

"I do think that anyone using that term these days does so probably through ignorance or lack of education rather than through malice. But we would actively discourage people from using the word coloured when they mean black.

incontinentia wrote:my impression was that Bubba was thanking the guy for sharing his faith, regardless of the subject matter

McLaren wrote:You would have to be a moron to think describing someone as coloured was acceptable.

Like the fried chicken remark you need to ignore the literal meaning and consider the wider meaning of the word. In this case its use as a demeaning remark.

Paul Kearns, the deputy chief executive of Show Racism the Red Card, said:

Black people prefer to be referred to as black, because historically the term coloured has carried particularly negative connotations. It is certainly something we would like to see disappear – it is old fashioned and lazy, but more importantly it has an offensive undertone.

"I do think that anyone using that term these days does so probably through ignorance or lack of education rather than through malice. But we would actively discourage people from using the word coloured when they mean black.