Tiger Woods calls Sergio Garcia’s fried chicken comment ‘hurtful’

The feud between golfers Tiger Woods and Sergio Garcia took a turn for the worse Tuesday when Garcia, asked at a European Tour awards banquet whether he would invite Woods to dinner during next month’s U.S. Open, said: “We will have him ‘round every night. We will serve fried chicken.”

Later that night, Garcia attempted to make amends for the remark, saying, “I apologize for any offense 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.”

On Wednesday, Woods reacted:

“The comment that was made wasn’t silly. It was wrong, hurtful and inappropriate. I am confident that there is real regret that the remark was made.”

Garcia’s comments bring to mind the comments of Fuzzy Zoeller, who after Tiger Woods won the Masters in 1997, said to tell Woods not to ask for “fried chicken or collard greens or whatever the hell they serve” at the next year’s Champions dinner.

ALSO:

Clippers parting ways with coach Vinny Del Negro

Watch Tiger Woods give one-word response about Sergio Garcia

Marshals say Tiger Woods was told Sergio Garcia had hit at TPC