Despite staunchly opposing the presence of LIV Golf, Rory McIlroy has admitted there’s one breakaway league player who he’s admired throughout his career.
With talks between the PIF and PGA Tour ongoing, the Northern Irishman could soon be regularly competing alongside LIV players; McIlroy insists he’s heard nothing about any potential agreement, however.
It’s unclear what the immediate future holds, but if a merger did occur, McIlroy would once again have the chance to play alongside a childhood hero.
Growing up on the DP World Tour and eventually becoming part a stalwart of European Ryder Cup sides, McIlroy’s ‘favourite’ player comes as no surprise.
Rory McIlroy names Sergio Garcia as ‘favourite’ player
Speaking ahead of this week’s DP World Tour Championship at Jumeirah Golf Estates Earth Course in Dubai, McIlroy revealed that Sergio Garcia was indeed a childhood hero of his.
“When Sergio was coming through — especially in the PGA in ’99 at Medinah running up the fairway, Sergio was my favourite player for a lot of years. Sergio definitely inspired me,” McIlroy explained.
“And then when I got to play on tour and Ryder Cup teams and stuff with him, it was a dream come true for me to play so closely and to partner with one of my favourite heroes growing up.”
Rory McIlroy and Sergio Garcia relationship explained after LIV Golf split
Of course, McIlroy was entirely against the emergence of LIV Golf back in 2022. And Garcia, one of the league’s most significant captures, recently shared an update on his relationship with McIlroy.
“I feel like I’m fortunate to have a lot of friends. I have always had a good relationship with a lot of players. On the PGA Tour, I got along very well with Rory, Tommy Fleetwood, Luke Donald, and Rickie Fowler,” Garcia said.
“On LIV, I have a really good relationship with my teammates at Fireballs: Joaquin Niemann, Carlos Ortiz, and Bryson. We are having a good time out there.”
Garcia’s comments come after the pair were involved in a small feud at the start of 2024, which involved a series of small digs at each other in various news outlets.
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