Tiger Woods and Sergio Garcia have golf’s most poisonous feud that includes racism, ‘cheating’ and Tweetie Pie
Woods fans are loving prospect of defending Masters champ being the one to put green jacket on him this weekend to complete miracle comeback
TIGER WOODS' bitter feud with Sergio Garcia is the most poisonous in the game.
It takes in racism, accusations of cheating and even a reference to Tweetie Pie.
And it is even more shocking given they used to be friends.
This year, ahead of The Masters, photoshopped images abound of a sullen-faced Garcia draping Woods in the green jacket.
Woods dominated Garcia for so long, wouldn't it be funny if the latter was the one who had to stand there as the American completed his miracle comeback?
But you must go back to 1999 to see the origins of a Cold War that several times threatened to go nuclear.
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It was then a 19-year-old El Nino, who after sinking a birdie putt on the par-three 13th in the final round, threw an ice-cold glare at Woods as he went on to claim his second Major.
Garcia congratulated his foe with a hug that day but Woods has the memory of an elephant when it comes to a slight.
Sure, they played along for the cameras, Woods jokingly signing a hat for Garcia and the Spaniard jumping for joy like an excited fan.
But at a meaningless made-for-TV match in 2000 - the Battle at Bighorn - Garcia punched the air after beating Woods, leaving him visibly angered.
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At the 2002 US Open Woods got revenge when he picked up his eighth Major playing alongside Garcia in the final group.
Garcia - who suggested officials would have stopped play for Woods while others had to carry on during rain early in the week - said he was still reeling from the heartbreak of being dumped by Greg Norman's daughter, Morgan-Leigh.
But it was Woods who then chewed up his heart and spat it out memorably four years later at the Open.
Wearing an all-yellow ensemble on the final day, Garcia was again forced to watch as his playing partner won his third Claret Jug.
It prompted Tiger to remark as he sat on his private jet home: "I just bludgeoned Tweetie Pie."
The Masters 2018 - First Round Tee-Times
Group 1 (8:30 AM EDT/1:30 PM BST): Austin Cook, Ted Potter Jr, Wesley Bryan
Group 2 (8:41 AM EDT/1:41 PM BST): Ian Woosnam, Ryan Moore, Jhonattan Vegas
Group 3 (8:52 AM EDT/1:52 PM BST): Mike Weir, Brendan Steele, Matt Parziale (A)
Group 4 (9:03 AM EDT/2:03 PM BST): Jose Maria Olazabal, Kevin Chappell, Dylan Frittelli
Group 5 (9:14 AM EDT/2:14 PM BST): Bryson DeChambeau, Bernd Wiesberger, Matthew Fitzpatrick
Group 6 (9:25 AM EDT/2:25 PM BST): Mark O'Meara, Brian Harman, Harry Ellis (A)
Group 7 (9:36 AM EDT/2:36 PM BST): Vijay Singh, Satoshi Kodaira, Daniel Berger
Group 8 (9:47 AM EDT/2:47 PM BST): Kiradech Aphibarnrat, Pat Perez, Francesco Molinari
Group 9 (9:58 AM EDT/2:58 PM BST): Danny Willett, Kyle Stanley, Jason Dufner
Group 10 (10:09 AM EDT/3:09 PM BST): Hideki Matsuyama, Patton Kizzire, Paul Casey
Group 11 (10:31 AM EDT/3:31 PM BST): Zach Johnson, Martin Kaymer, Branden Grace
Group 12 (10:42 AM EDT/3:42 PM BST): Tiger Woods, Marc Leishmann, Tommy Fleetwood
Group 13 (10:53 AM EDT/3:53 PM BST): Sergio Garcia, Justin Thomas, Doc Redman (A)
Group 14 (11:04 AM EDT/4:04 PM BST): Bubba Watson, Henrik Stenson, Jason Day
Group 15 (11:15 AM EDT/4:15 PM BST): Patrick Reed, Charley Hoffman, Adam Hadwin
Group 16 (11:26 AM EDT/4:26 PM BST): Billy Horschel, Chez Reavie, Cameron Smith
Group 17 (11:37 AM EDT/4:37 PM BST): Sandy Lyle, Si Woo Kim, Doug Ghim (A)
Group 18 (11:48 AM EDT/4:48 PM BST): Trevor Immelman, Ian Poulter, Patrick Cantlay
Group 19 (11:59 AM EDT/4:59 PM BST): Angel Cabrera, Ross Fisher, Jimmy Walker
Group 20 (12:10 PM EDT/5:10 PM BST): Fred Couples, Haotong Li, Joaquin Niemann (A)
Group 21 (12:32 PM EDT/5:32 PM BST): Larry Mize, Russell Henley, Shubhankar Sharma
Group 22 (12:43 PM EDT/5:43 PM BST): Bernhard Langer, Tony Finau, Yuta Ikeda
Group 23 (12:54 PM EDT/5:54 PM BST): Charl Schwartzel, Webb Simpson, Yuxin Lin (A)
Group 24 (1:05 PM EDT/6:05 PM BST): Kevin Kisner, Thomas Pieters, Xander Schauffele
Group 25 (1:16 PM EDT/6:16 PM BST): Gary Woodland, Yusaku Miyazato, Tyrrell Hatton
Group 26 (1:27 PM EDT/6:27 PM BST): Phil Mickelson, Rickie Fowler, Matt Kuchar
Group 27 (1:38 PM EDT/6:38 PM BST): Adam Scott, Rory McIlroy, Jon Rahm
Group 28 (1:49 PM EDT/6:49 PM BST): Jordan Spieth, Alex Noren, Louis Oosthuizen
Group 29 (2:00 PM EDT/7:00 PM BST): Justin Rose, Dustin Johnson, Rafael Cabrera-Bello
At that year's Ryder Cup, Garcia said he wanted a piece of his nemesis because "fortunately he doesn't have a great record" in the event.
Teamed with Luke Donald, Garcia gets bragging rights thanks to a two-up win over Woods and Jim Furyk.
Already bitter, it was in May 2013 the simmering tensions became toxic.
Garcia claimed Woods' decision to take a club out of his bag - prompting the crowd to whoop - made him hit a bad shot.
Woods refused to patch things up, leading Garcia to say: "He called me a whiner. He's probably right. But that's also probably the first thing he's told you guys that's true in 15 years. I know what he's like. You guys are finding out."
Later that month Garcia crudely joked he would serve African-American Woods "fried chicken" if they spent time together.
A race storm ensues, with Woods slamming the comment as "wrong, hurtful and clearly inappropriate".
The pair shook hands at the US Open in June but Garcia played with a police escort for fear of retaliation following his comments.
An Augusta practice round with long-time enemy Phil Mickelson shows Woods has buried that hatchet.
But don't expect anything similar with Garcia any time soon.