( CNN ) -- Despite their public handshake on Monday it appears there is still some way to go before Tiger Woods and Sergio Garcia bury the hatchet . A long-running spat between the two golfers resurfaced after they shared a contentious round together at The Players ' Championship in May . After several verbal volleys in either direction , Garcia 's joke that he would invite Woods round for `` fried chicken '' during the U.S Open led to an immediate and unreserved apology from the Spaniard , who denied it was racially motivated . A statement from the world No . 1 on social networking site Twitter called the remarks `` wrong , hurtful and clearly inappropriate . '' Woods also said that he was sure there was `` real regret '' on the part of Garcia and that it was time to move on . Inevitably , the issue resurfaced as both players prepared to come face-to-face ahead of the second major of the year at Merion in Philadelphia . The pair greeted each other on the practice range but the world No . 1 told a press conference on Tuesday there had been no time for a formal apology . Asked if they had discussed Garcia 's comments Woods replied : `` No , we did n't discuss anything . Just came up and said 'hi ' and that was it . '' Woods was pressed by reporters as to whether the Spaniard had offered him any form of apology but he said : `` No , we have n't had time for that . `` It 's already done . We 've already gone through it all . It 's time for the U.S. Open and we tee it up in two days . '' Garcia told a press conference he had hoped to meet Woods after their practice rounds on Monday but that the 14-time major winner had gone by the time he had finished . `` Obviously we saw each other yesterday on the range , '' Garcia said . `` I was hoping to meet him after the round , but he was gone after the round . `` And this morning I was here early . I did n't see him around . Obviously he got here later on . But I did leave him a note . A handwritten note . And hopefully he can take a look at it . `` I understand that it 's difficult to meet up and stuff . So hopefully we 'll be able to do it . If not , at least he has read the note and he 's happy with that . '' The duo have been at loggerheads since an acrimonious round during the penultimate day of The Players ' Championship in May . Garcia claimed he had been disrupted during one of his shots after the gallery following Woods cheered as the 37-year-old pulled a club out of his bag that signaled his intention to go for the green despite being in the rough . The Spaniard sliced his shot and made a bogey that saw him relinquish the one-shot lead he held at the time . Woods went on to win the tournament with late errors seeing his rival slip down the leaderboard . Their row rumbled on for a few more weeks until Garcia was asked at a European Tour event whether he would be inviting Woods round for dinner during the U.S. Open . Garcia replied : `` We 'll be having him round every night ... and serving him fried chicken . '' Fried chicken is a common food in the American South , but when used in references to African-Americans , it often implies a negative stereotype . Garcia apologized and later said in an interview with Sky Sports : `` Obviously it was an unfortunate comment from me . I did n't mean it in a bad way . Everyone knows I 'm not racist at all . '' It remains to be seen what reception Garcia is afforded when bumper crowds hit Merion for the start of the tournament on Thursday . Former European Ryder Cup captain Colin Montgomerie , who has been targeted several times by American spectators , said Garcia could face a rough ride from the galleries . He was quoted by The Scotsman newspaper as saying : `` Yes , he could do , which is very sad for our game . Remember we 're only a couple of hours from New York and it 's a lively crowd and I think he could well be booed . `` You would feel for him , but the trouble is [ if ] you feel for him that 's you condoning it . So you ca n't feel sorry for him because you 're condoning it . So it 's very difficult -- it 's a very difficult situation to be in . '' Garcia has been paired with Stewart Cink and Padraig Harrington -- both major winners -- for his first two rounds , while Woods plays with 2011 U.S. Open winner Rory McIlroy and Adam Scott , this year 's Masters champion . This week will mark five years since Woods last won a major -- his 14th -- at Torrey Pines in 2008 . He has since gone 20 without victory .
Garcia says there has n't been time for a clear-the-air talk with Garcia . Garcia said he 'd apologize face-to-face for 'fried chicken ' comment he made about Garcia . The pair were pictured shaking hands on a few more weeks but have n't met again . Garcia reveals he left a note for Woods in his locker at Philadelphia .