Sergio Garcia Details Feud With Rory McIlroy Before 2023 LIV Debut

With LIV Golf back starting this week at Mayakoba in Mexico, we’re hearing more from the members of the breakaway tour as it enters its second season.

Sergio Garcia, who was one of the first golfers to make the leap to LIV last year, is detailing his feud with one-time close friend Rory McIlroy, who has been one of the most outspoken golfers against the LIV tour.

Speaking with The Telegraph out of the U.K., Garcia said:

“I think it is very sad. I think that we’ve done so many things together and had so many experiences that for him to throw that away just because I decided to go to a different tour, well, it doesn’t seem very mature; lacking maturity, really.

Sergio Garcia: Rory McIlroy’s lack of maturity ended our friendship https://t.co/Y3beTfmVUT

— James Corrigan (no blue tick) (@jcorrigangolf) February 23, 2023

“But Rory’s got his own life and he makes his own choices, the same way that I make mine. I respect his choices, but it seems like he doesn’t respect the ones I make. So a one-way street.”

McIlroy said last year that Garcia texted him, asking him to stop badmouthing LIV Golf and the players who chose to join it. McIlroy said that he was “pretty offended” by being told to “shut up” by Garcia.

The two will be at Augusta together for the Masters in April. Would Garcia be up for a reconciliation?

Garcia said:

“Sure, I don’t have a problem with him. He’s the one that has a problem. So if he wants to reconcile, then I’m willing to talk. But I’m not sure he’ll put himself down to that level.”

Patrick Reed’s confrontations with McIlroy have been well-documented. The duo talked about each other at the Dubai Desert Classic last month, had an infamous confrontation at the driving range (where Reed “flung” a LIV tee in McIlroy’s direction), and then dueled on the course with McIlroy winning that tournament just ahead of Reed.

Cover Image Via TSN