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‘Do Not Need Him in Mine’: LIV Golf Defector Sergio Garcia Once Spoke the Bitter Truth About His Relationship With Tiger Woods

Published 11/17/2022, 12:00 PM EST

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Tiger Woods is widely considered the greatest golfer of all time. He has won over 100 championship titles worldwide, including 15 prestigious major events. Although he made it look easy, his journey to becoming the best was never easy. He had many competitors challenging him to take over his title, and the European Ryder Cup great, Sergio Gracia, was one of them. 

Their world-famous rivalry reportedly began in 1999 when the 19-year-old gave Woods a tough time at the PGA Championship. Notably, the American golfer won his second major at the tournament with a 1-shot lead over Garcia. However, the golf world knew the tension between the two as the young Spaniard reportedly kept shooting daggers at his rival. 

“I did it with good feelings,” Garcia explained why he sent a mischievous glare toward his opponent during the game. “I was kind of telling him,” he further added. “‘If you (Woods) want to win, you have to play well.'” 

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An eye for an eye: the rivalry between Tiger Woods and Sergio Garcia

Soon after the PGA Championship, Woods and Garcia were invited to play in a made-for-TV match in 2000. The Spanish golfer made it even by winning the event. However, what made the American angry was how he celebrated it as a major victory. 

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Two years later, Garcia complained to the media that the officials were biased toward the “golf’s poster boy” at the US Open after suspending round 2 due to rain. They were paired together in the final round. And Woods earned an extra point in their own battle by scoring a 72 over Garcia’s 74 and snatching the title under his nose. 

“Bludgeoned Tweety Bird.” Reportedly, Woods sent this message to a friend after winning the 2006 British Open, which he attended two months after his father’s demise. Apparently, he referred to the flashy yellow outfit Garcia wore at the event with the message. 

Later in 2006, the European star, who is known for being a great Ryder Cup player, taunted Woods with his blunt statement on Woods’ Ryder Cup performances throughout the years. “(Woods) doesn’t have a great Ryder Cup record,” he said. “So, I’m looking forward to hopefully going out and meeting him two or three times.” 

Did the time let the golfers be more amicable toward each other?

Tiger Woods and Sergio Garcia experienced the best time of their respective careers in the late 90s and the 2000s. Even though the two still win events, they are not as feared in the fields now. However, that didn’t make them more friendly toward each other. In fact, they grew apart in the later years of their careers. 

“fried chicken” comment Garcia made in 2013 regarding Woods led him to face issues after being accused of being a racist. The incident made the Ryder Cup expert apologize publicly. 

Their rivalry got stronger when Garcia accused Woods of causing a distraction on the second hole at the 2013 PLAYERS Championship, which Woods won. 

“No.” The two-letter-word was the American’s reply when he was asked during the press meeting whether he would clear the misunderstanding between him and Garcia ever. 

Notably, his rival also had a similar answer when the media asked him what he thought of Woods’ answer. “He doesn’t need me in his life,” Garcia said during the 2013 PGA Championship. “I do not need him in mine.” 

How did Woods and Garcia’s relationship evolve in recent years? 

After their 2013 interaction, several things happened in their respective careers: 

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Sergio Garcia won his first-ever major title at the 2017 Masters Tournament. Moreover, Woods went through a series of injuries and other personal issues in his life. He also won his 15th major championship at the 2019 Masters. However, they both didn’t try to reignite the rivalry at these times. 

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Garcia is one of the best golfers to join the new LIV Golf Invitational Series, along with players like Phil Mickelson and Dustin Johnson. Woods has been critical regarding the rival league of the PGA Tour. He believed his legacy stays with the American Tour and didn’t want to join the new Series. Yet, he hasn’t brought up the past issues with Garcia to make his case. 

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It has been a while since the two players have been in a trash-talking battle. Do you think Woods and Garcia would erupt again if they would ever play in a tournament together? Let us know what you think in the comments below.

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Written by:

Anjana Prabhakaran

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Anjana Prabhakaran is a Golf content writer at EssentiallySports. She has completed her Master's degree in Public Administration and considers researching as one of her hobbies. As her family is interested in sports, Anjana grew up watching every sport on television.
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Edited by:

Manaal Siddiqui

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