Of all the players who jumped ship and defected to LIV Golf a few years ago, Sergio Garcia’s move to the Saudi-backed circuit was perhaps the most acrimonious.
As Europe’s all-time top points scorer in the Ryder Cup, Garcia couldn’t wait to leave both the DP World Tour and PGA Tour – and made no secret of it.
Just before he left for LIV in 2022, he told a rules official at the Wells Fargo Championship: ‘I can’t wait to leave this tour. A couple more weeks and I won’t have to deal with you any more.’
There were also reports that Garcia flew off the handle during a DP World Tour event, shouting in front of fellow players: ‘This tour is s***. You’re all f*****’.
Now comes a screeching U-turn. After the Saudis pulled the plug on LIV, Garcia and others have come running back with their tails between their legs.
The 46-year-old former Masters champion announced a few days ago on social media that he would be seeking reintegration on to the DP World Tour and PGA Tour.
Sergio Garcia in the Open de Espana earlier this year on the DP World Tour
The former Masters champion was a controversial defector to the LIV Golf circuit
‘Next season I will be playing on the DP World Tour,’ said the Spaniard. ‘This tour has been a huge part of my career from the very beginning and I am proud to call it home again.’
Pass the sick bucket. The hypocrisy from Garcia is off the charts and the lack of self-awareness is quite astonishing.
Listen, nobody blames him for taking a huge payday from LIV. In the same position, the vast majority of people would have done the same thing. The money on offer was obscene.
But don’t try and pretend that the past never happened. Garcia burned his bridges. He made himself toxic – and now he expects to be welcomed back with open arms.
When you speak to people in golf, Garcia is not well liked. His conduct on the golf course is routinely a disgrace.
Just look at some of the instances where he has fallen foul of rules officials due to his outbursts and propensity to smash the place up.
In The Masters earlier this year, he was issued with a formal warning after hacking up the turf on a tee box and smashing his driver against a bench.
This is a man who, in terms of his achievements, should be celebrated as one of the greatest golfers Europe has ever produced. Instead, he returns as a pariah.
