Sir Nick Faldo blasts Sergio Garcia over Rory McIlroy criticism

Sir Nick Faldo has launched an extraordinary broadside at Sergio Garcia, branding the Spaniard the “most immature player ever”. 

The six-time major champion made the remark on social media in response to comments made by Garcia about Rory McIlroy.

Speaking to The Telegraph during the opening event of the LIV Golf season in Mexico, Garcia revealed that his friendship with his former Ryder Cup teammate has been destroyed over the Spaniard’s move to LIV Golf.

“I think it is very sad,” said Garcia. “We’ve done so many things together and had so many experiences together that for him to throw that away just because I decided to go to a different tour, well, it doesn’t seem very mature; lacking maturity, really.”

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That prompted an incredulous backlash from many within the game, amongst them Faldo, who took to Twitter to defend McIlroy.

Quote-tweeting a story based on Garcia’s comments to The Telegraph, the Englishman wrote: “Now this is rich coming from the most immature player I’ve ever witnessed!”

Faldo and Garcia have a complicated history.

During the 2014 Ryder Cup at Gleneagles, Faldo – commentating on the event for NBC – described Garcia as having been “useless” and demonstrating a “bad attitude” during the 2008 match.

Garcia contributed only one point from four as Europe, captained by Faldo, slipped to a first defeat in the contest in nine years.

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In response, Garcia said: “I guess he doesn’t feel European, that’s the only thing I can think of. There’s a lot of things I could say about Nick Faldo but I’m not going to put myself down to his level.”

Those comments prompted Sam Torrance to brand Faldo an “arsehole” in an interview with bunkered, adding that he “just opens his mouth to change feet”.

Ironically, another one of the people who defended Garcia at the time of Faldo’s comments? Rory McIlroy.