The Masters: Jon Rahm urges Sergio Garcia to stop talking nonsense

Jon Rahm has urged his compatriot Sergio Garcia to stop talking "nonsense" after the golfer indicated to Spanish media during the 2026 Masters he was considering retirement if performances didn't improve. 

Garcia, who won the green jacket in 2017, admitted before the first men's major of the year his expectations were low as he was hitting the ball terribly. 

The European Ryder Cup legend carded rounds of 75 and 72 at Augusta National to make the cut by one stroke but dropped way down the leaderboard over the weekend with a 74 followed by a 75. 

His final round also included an outburst of anger on the second tee box, with the 46-year-old smashing his driver into the turf twice after hitting an errant drive. 

Seconds later, Garcia then decided to take out his frustration further. 

The final act saw Garcia smashing his driver against the bottom of a drinks cooler, snapping the shaft a few inches above the head.

Under the rules of golf, Garcia was not allowed to replace it. 

The Associated Press reported that Geoff Yang, in his role as chairman of the competitions committee, spoke to Garcia to issue a warning about his conduct. 

He was asked about the incident by a scrum of media reporters after his round, but stopped short of offering an apology. 

Garcia did say that he was "no super proud of his behaviour". 

Rahm, who carded a four-under 68 to finish one-over for the major, was asked about Garcia pondering his retirement should performances not improve. 

Garcia did not explicitly say he was going to hang it up, but told a reporter from TenGolf that he was having thoughts that were "not the nicest". 

Pressed to explain, Garcia pretended to hang up his clubs. 

"The truth is that it's quite an achievement to make the cut playing so badly or feeling so bad," Garcia told the publication. 

"But at the same time, well, you can also think , if it were a little bit better, I'd probably be there with a chance to win. 

"And the third thing you can think is, when is this going to change? What's worrying me the most? 

"It's what worries me most, because hitting the ball the way I am bringing thoughts that aren't the nicest." 

When asked if he was serious, Garcia added he was "getting closer". 

Rahm, though, belies Garcia was only speaking in anger. 

"I understand why he says it, but I think Sergio has more than enough talent to compete wherever he wants to compete," said Rahm. 

"The quality is still there. My advice is that he shouldn't say any more nonsense like that and should focus on what he can do to get back on track. 

"At the beginning of last year, he played incredibly: the best golf of his life. That person is still the same."