Sergio Garcia makes fresh admission over McIlroy relationship after LIV spat

28 June 2023 , 15:30

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Rory McIlroy and Sergio Garcia's friendship appears to be back on track (Image: Getty Images)

Sergio Garcia has confirmed he has made up with Rory McIlroy, after their close friendship broken down amid the bitter civil war between the PGA Tour and LIV Golf.

12 months on from the formation of LIV, it appears the world of professional golf is beginning to heal. This comes after the PGA Tour announcement of an agreement with the Public Investment Fund of Saudi Arabia (PIF), which will see them work in unison with the DP World Tour and LIV Golf.

The feud between the two rival circuits ripped the sport in two, with relationships between players broken due to big names and friendships being on either sides of the spat.

In particular the fallout of McIlroy and Garcia had been well documented, with both holding strong views on opposite sides. The European duo saw their friendship crumble, which began with the Spaniard taking aim at the Northern Irishman over text.

"He [Garcia] was basically telling me to shut up about LIV, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah,” McIlroy shared in an interview with the Irish Independent. "I was pretty offended and sent him back a couple of daggers and that was it"

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Rory McIlroy and Sergio Garcia's friendship broke down (Getty Images)

Earlier this month though, the pair appeared to have began their healing process, with reports suggesting McIlroy and Garcia were going to settle the differences over the phone following the US Open. And it looks to have worked, with the Spanish star opening up on making peace at his homecoming LIV event at Valderrama.

Garcia revealed: "I have got my friend back," when discussing his relationship with McIlroy. The Spaniard went on to reveal that the four-time major champion had spoken with his wife at the recent US Open, a gesture he appreciated.

Sergio Garcia and Rory McIlroy had been long-time friends (Getty Images)

"Angela and Rory said ‘Hi’ to each other at the US Open,” García added.. “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.” Having made the switch last summer Garcia will be looking forward to this week's event more than most, as he returns to Valderrama - a course he has won at three times on the DP World Tour previously.

Joshua Lees