'I gained a friend back,' says Garcia after rekindling with McIlroy

Sergio Garcia and Rory McIlroy have reconciled and rekindled their friendship after the pair had fallen out last year following the former's switch to the Saudi-backed LIV Golf Series, the Spaniard said on Wednesday.

McIlroy had said in September that his relationship with some of his former Ryder Cup team mates was damaged by their decision to join the breakaway circuit, and the latter led to biting remarks between the two in public.

However, the PGA Tour, DP World Tour and rival LIV circuit, which had been involved in a bitter fight that split the sport, earlier in June announced an agreement to merge and form one unified commercial entity.

"I think it's great," Garcia said ahead of this week's LIV event at Valderrama.

"In my personal opinion, I wish this would have happened a year and a half ago when we all started, and it would have been better for all of us. I really think so."

The Spaniard said that it was during the recent U.S. Open that he and the Northern Irishman resumed their friendship, which goes way back before they played together on the European Ryder Cup team.

"The U.S. Open was a great event for me," Garcia said.

"I finished 27th ... I feel like I played well. But more than anything, because I gained a friend back, a friend that I kind of felt like I lost in the last year or so."

The 43-year-old revealed their reunion may not have been possible without the support of their wives.

"Angela, and Erica, they said 'Hi' to each other at the U.S. Open, and there was a nice text from Rory to (Garcia's wife Angela), and that kind of gave me the incentive to reach out to him," Garcia said.

"I think that at the end of the day, the important thing is that we got together and talked - we were two friends that wanted to get