Sergio Garcia may have buried the hatchet with Rory McIlroy but he has dismissed the Northern Irishman’s idea for LIV Golf.
Sergio Garcia and Rory McIlroy may be friends again after the duo fell out over the breakaway tour but the Spaniard has dismissed the Ulsterman’s idea for the LIV Golf League.
Although the future of men’s professional golf is still uncertain, McIlroy’s position on the Saudi-backed tour has softened recently, and it seems the two parties are finally making an effort to work together.
The 34-year-old Northern Irishman hinted that if LIV were to become the “IPL of golf,” with four events held in the spring and four in the summer, he would be amenable to the idea of participating.
He has also urged the powers that be to ‘think outward’ and try and formulate a global golf tour.
“Revenues at the PGA Tour right now are about $2.3 billion,” McIlroy said as he outlined his vision.
“So how do we get that number up to four or six? To me, it is by looking outward.
“They need to think internationally and spread their wings a bit. I’ve been banging that drum for a while.”
Garcia believes LIV should have more of a prominent role in the future of men’s professional golf.
“I don’t think we want to be important for one month,” he told the Standard. “We all deserve more than that.”
Unsurprisingly Garcia had some kind words for his fellow Spaniard Jon Rahm, who switched tours last month in a deal reported to be worth at least £450m to the reigning Masters champion.
Rahm wasn’t as heavily criticised by his peers for bolting. At least, not in the same way Garcia and his fellow LIV ‘rebels’ were initially treated.
McIlroy described Rahm’s decision as a ‘smart business move’.
Responding to McIlroy’s comments, Rahm said the Northern Irishman displayed a lot of ‘maturity’ considering his previous remarks about LIV.
“Rahm should probably thank us a little bit for that,” Garcia told the paper of the lack of criticism Rahm has come in for.
“We knew being the first ones we would take some heat.
“We believed in the product, we believed in how good LIV is and it can become even better.
“We just had to ride the wave of criticism, but now people are starting to see the reality of it.”
Scroll down…
Garcia still hasn’t paid his outstanding DP World Tour fines
The 2017 Masters champion was fined heavily by the DP World Tour for teeing it up in LIV events without a tournament release.
Unlike European Ryder Cup icons such as Lee Westwood and Ian Poulter, Garcia opted not to pay his fines after LIV players were ruled against by a sports arbiter.
Garcia reportedly made a last-minute attempt to be involved in the 2023 Ryder Cup by making good his fines.
According to Telegraph Sport, Garcia owes as much as £700,000.
But Garcia’s bid to wear the blue and gold in Italy last September was swiftly rejected by European chiefs.
It appears Garcia still hasn’t paid the fines but he is willing to reapply for his DP World Tour membership. Yet the issue of fines is a sticking point.
He declared: “I had discussed with my managers and wife that I was going to [reapply for membership] this year. I was all set to go.
“But it’s evidently not worth it after realizing that players in LIV continued to be members while receiving a one-year ban.
“I refuse to pay all of my fines, obtain my membership, and then receive a one-year ban. That’s not logical at all.”