Sergio Garcia opens up on Rory McIlroy relationship after ‘shut up’ text

In the past, Sergio Garcia and Rory McIlroy shared common ground as comrades in the Ryder Cup. However, tension has been brewing due to the rift between the PGA Tour and LIV Golf.

Two years ago, Garcia made the controversial decision to leave the PGA Tour in favour of the Saudi-backed LIV Golf, marking a clear divide.

Continuing with his critical stance, McIlroy has publicly aired his disapproval of the LIV Golf enterprise making him one of the most vociferous critics.

Back in 2022, at the height of golf’s internal conflict, McIlroy disclosed a text exchange with Garcia during the US Open that year.

Garcia had texted advising him to ‘shut up’ regarding his disparagement of the new breakaway league. “He was basically telling me to shut up about LIV, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah,” McIlroy shared with the Irish Independent.

He retaliated with sharp texts, stating, “I was pretty offended and sent him back a couple of daggers and that was it.”

It seems, however, that they’ve worked towards repairing their relationship since the heated exchange. Upon reflection a year later, Garcia suggested that a conversation between his wife Angela and McIlroy at the 2023 US Open played a part in softening the strained relations and led to a resurrection of their friendship.

“Angela and Rory said ‘Hi’ to each other at the US Open,” recalled Garcia, signalling a significant moment in reducing the distance between them.

“And there was a nice text from Rory to her. That kind of gave me the go-ahead to reach out to him. I had been thinking about it for a while but I wasn’t totally sure about it. And when I saw that reaction from him, he kind of gave me the go-ahead to get closer. We had a great chat. It was two friends that wanted to get back to that spot. That’s the most important thing.”

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McIlroy still fired a dig in the direction at Garcia some months later. The Northern Irishman had previously suggested that LIV could co-exist with the PGA Tour in a similar fashion to cricket’s Indian Premier League, taking a one-month slot in the season.

Garcia meanwhile was less than impressed with this suggestion, telling the Evening Standard that he felt LIV ‘deserved more’ than four weeks a season.

The response was posed to McIlroy at the Dubai Desert Classic in January, as he rolled his eyes and commented: “Yeah, Sergio feels he deserves a lot of things.However it appears there is in fact no bad blood between the ex-Ryder Cup teammates. Garcia was asked on an Instagram QandA who his favorite pro golfer was, and included McIlroy in the list. ” I love to watch my friends,” he replied. “The guys I get along with.

“”Guys like Jon Rahm, my teammates at Fireballs and Rory and guys like that. I don’t have anyone in particular but my idol was always Seve [Ballesteros] and [Jose Maria] Olazabal. Yeah, that is what it is.”

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