Sergio Garcia and Rory McIlroy have kissed and made-up – thanks to their wives.
Garcia’s decision last summer to join LIV Golf caused a deep divide between the pair who had been friends for so years. Bitter texts were exchanged as the game plunged into a civil war that never looked as if a truce was going to be called. As McIlory became the unofficial spokesperson of the PGA Tour in opposition to the splinter group, a long friendship was obliterated.
The Irishman and Spaniard had been pals well before playing together on the European Ryder Cup team, and that relationship only grew with both pulling on the same team colours. Indeed their friendship was so strong McIlroy was an usher at Garcia’s wedding to Angela Akins while the Garcias had been a guest at McIlroy’s big day. But the bonhomie was finally killed off in a back and forth text conversation. Garcia told McIlory to “shut up about LIV”. However, the four-time major winning McIlroy also recently revealed an explosive text-message exchange with Garcia, who he said was “basically telling me to shut up about LIV, blah, blah, blah.” He said he was “offended” by Garcia’s words and replied with “a couple of daggers.”
But after one year of poison, the wounds have begun to heal. Garcia responded: “At the end of the day, the important thing is that Rory and I, we got together, we talked, we had a great, great conversation with two, two friends that wanted to get back to that spot. And that’s the most important thing.”
Garcia was asked what was the ‘saddest’ aspect of the breakdown in the relationship. He replied: “Our friendship! That was definitely the saddest part of all of these, some of those friendships and they kind of went a little sour.
“At the end of the day, like I said, to me, the most important thing is that I, you know, I got my friend back. And, and that’s, that’s what matters the most”.
Garcia was asked also what input was there from his wife, Angela and McIlroy’s wife, Erica for their husbands to swallow their pride and get back on talking terms and saying: “Yeah, we talked, we talked a little bit about it among all of us, I guess. Me with Angela. Obviously, Angela, and Erica, they said ‘Hi’ to each other at the US Open, and there was a nice text from Rory to her, and that kind of gave me the incentive to reach out to him. I have been thinking about it for a while, but I wasn’t totally sure about it.
“The important thing is we got together and talked - we were two friends that wanted to get back to that spot. Like I said, no doubt it was the saddest part of all of this, these friendships turning sour.”
So, what will be the locker room scenario should both Garcia and McIlroy be in the same 2025 European Ryder Cup side, given Garcia has been ruled out of selection later this year in Rome?
Garcia said: “Well, we’ll see as that’s a long way away,” said Garcia. “And this doesn’t mean anything when it comes down to that.”
But what of a merger between men’s pro golf warring factions – will reinvigorate the Spaniard?
Garcia said: “It must have because, yeah, yes, yes. Without a doubt. I mean, I don’t need to tell you guys how much I love them. You guys know all of that. When I decided to come and play in LIV Golf it was a possibility that it might go away. But I could, I could live with it. Because, you know, because I was doing what I think was best for my family and myself. And, and that’s more important.
“So, you know, it now feels like everything is kind of settling down and, obviously if I can have the possibility of having both. That would be good”.
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