Tiger Woods vs. Sergio Garcia: Is there a good guy and a bad guy?

Writers from around Tribune Co. will try to determine who has taken the role as “good guy” and “bad guy” in the Tiger Woods-Sergio Garcia dispute. Feel free to join the discussion by leaving a comment of your own.

Teddy Greenstein, Chicago Tribune

The Tiger Woods-Sergio Garcia feud does not have a Superman or Lex Luthor. It has a champion golfer whose lone goal is to win majors, not friends. And it has a 33-year-old child with little clue about how to conduct himself.

Until his asinine “fried chicken” comment, Garcia was a mildly sympathetic figure -- a great talent done in by his whining and excuse-making -- but also a real person. When he said at the 2012 Masters, “I’m not good enough … I need to play for second or third place,” he became that rare athlete who publicly questions himself. Almost endearing, rather than a robot or product of sports psychologists.

Woods took the high road by tweeting he’s confident Garcia has “real regret” for what he said. So Garcia owes Woods both an apology and a “thank you.”

George Diaz, Orlando Sentinel

Can we just call this one a draw?

Sergio Garcia and his foot-in-mouth disease has managed to accomplish the unthinkable: He’s turned Tiger Woods into a sympathetic character. Imagine that, the Plastic Man with the standoffish personality.

Garcia went through the obligatory mea culpas, but he’s not going to win over many people. He went too far with his “fried chicken” joke. And beyond that, you don’t pick a food fight with somebody who just crushed you on the golf course after your infamous implosion on No. 17 at the Players Championship.

Memo to Sergio: Please be quiet if you choke.

No bromance should come of this, despite Tiger’s comments on Twitter that “it’s time to move on.” Both guys despise each other. It’s good for the business of golf.

Sniping is OK. Racist comments not so much.

[Updated at 12:47 p.m.

Mike James, Los Angeles Times

Sergio Garcia and Tiger Woods are going head to head again, and as he always does on the golf course, Woods is coming out on top in their ongoing bickering contest. It’s not because the world’s No. 1 golfer has suddenly become an approachable and empathetic; it’s because Garcia, a guy who was once thought to be a potential long-term rival of Woods, keeps shanking comment after comment.

His offhand remark about serving fried chicken, when jokingly asked whether he might have Woods over for dinner at the U.S. Open, was way out of line. Garcia apologized profusely afterward, and it seemed to most as though the apology was sincere. Nevertheless, it’s indicative of how hard -- and how ineffectively -- Garcia has tried against Woods throughout their careers. He’s got eight PGA Tour victories and zero majors to Woods’ 78 and 14. And here’s one more victory for Tiger.]

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