Seve Ballesteros and Jose Maria Olazabal paved the way for Spanish golfers. After Ballesteros, Olazabal remained a poignant figure. So, when Sergio Garcia won the Masters in 2017, he had Olazabal’s personal note in his hand. After all, he grew up watching him and wanting to be like him. But all that went sour once Garcia joined LIV. Olazbal did not agree with LIV’s format and massive checks. Yet, despite it all, Jose remains one of Garcia’s idols.

Speaking to Forbes on November 6, Garcia admitted, “Without a doubt, growing up, my biggest idols (in golf) were my dad, who taught me the game, and Seve and José María Olazábal… With José, it’s been great to play with him and be a part of teams with him for the Ryder Cup,” he continued. “It was great to be there with him in 1999, when he won the Masters and got the green jacket, the same year that I won the Low Amateur. That was super special.”

Witnessing his idol winning in August must’ve been for a lifetime. 18 years later, Garcia found himself in the same position. As he sat down to answer the pressers, he proudly boasted of the personal note Olazabal sent him a few days before. “‘He [Olazbala] said, ‘I’m not sharing my locker at the moment, and I hope that I get to do it with you,’” Garcia read at the time. “He’s a great man, and we’ve had a great relationship for many, many years.” Indeed, their relationship goes way back.

The two had also played together in the 2006 Ryder Cup and went on to defeat David Toms and Brett Wetterich and Phil Mickelson, and Chris DiMarco with a score of 3 and 2. Team Europe eventually won that year (18.5-9.5). But their bond strained once Garcia switched to LIV. For Olazabal, who has seen golf evolve, the innovative format of LIV was indigestible (ironically, the setup is changing now). So, with that came a disapproval for those who left.

“Call me traditional, but I don’t like the format… It saddens me that money has divided golf. It’s about the money, no doubt,” he said once.

While the exact signing bonus of Garcia hasn’t been disclosed publicly, it’s been speculated that it was over $40 million. He also soon enough became a great performer on the Tour, which might have totalled his career earnings to tens of millions of dollars. That many zeroes on a check might have made Jose Maria Olazabal switch sides, too, by his own admission.

“But it’s a shame that money has torn down in such a short time what had been built over so many years,” he remarked.

Despite the criticism, Garcia never responded with hostility. Unlike his public fallout with Rory McIlroy, there’s been no sign of animosity between him and Olazábal. Part of the reason could be Garcia’s own struggle with his eligibility on the DPWT and his desire to play one last Ryder Cup. Or maybe he couldn’t bring himself to speak anything against the Spanish legend.

Still, he should consider himself lucky. Because if he received indirect jibes from Olazabal, Jon Rahm bore the brunt of personal scrutiny.

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José María Olazábal laments Jon Rahm’s LIV choices

Just earlier this year, Jose Maria Olazabal talked to El País about Jon Rahm‘s decision to join LIV Golf. Rahm joined the Saudi-backed league back in 2023, reportedly for a whopping $300+ M. That sum might be enough for anyone to choose like Rahm’s, and Olazabal agreed to it. But he also admitted his surprise.

“He had an extraordinary future and the opportunity to make history in this sport, to write golden pages of golf. And I don’t know if he’ll be able to do it now.”

But his questioning of his fellow Spaniard’s ability to perform in golf falls short. He had several runner-up finishes this year, including one at LIV Indianapolis. He was also part of the winning European Ryder Cup team, contributing three points. Rahm also captained his Legion XIII to victory at the LIV Golf Team Championship in Michigan. But maybe Olazabal’s concern doesn’t lie here.

“I don’t know if playing LIV is the best preparation to stand out in the majors,” he added.

Still, it’s not like Rahm underperformed on those fronts. He had a T14 at Augusta, a T8 at the PGA Championship, and a T7 at the US Open. He is still Europe’s best performing player, and only time will tell if Olazabal’s concerns can ever come true.