A caddie is not just a bag handler on the green, but a companion and a strategic mind for a golfer. And for Rory McIlroy, Harry Diamond is so much more! In fact, the two have known each other since the 7-year old Rory and a 12-year-old Harry would putt as junior golfers. They are not just old friends but McIlroy considers him an older brother who was his best man in his 2018 wedding.

So, when a finger is pointed on Harry for being too soft-spoken and not enough fiery, the world #2 would not take it lightly. However, if you look at it closely, it is his winning drought that is increasing the volume on these criticisms to begin with. It would be over a decade since McIlroy has clenched a Major win with his last coming in 2014. Also, even in the last six US Opens, he has come close to wins but failed. One thing in common in these instances? Rory has shared a majority of his time with Harry since he became his caddie in 2017.

But is the caddie to catch all the fires? McIlroy has defended him time and again by saying, “He gets his fair share of stick and it’s not warranted. He’s an amazing caddie and the best friend I could ever ask for.” Still, the calls have not shut down. Most recently, it’s the former world #16 Nick O’Hern has lit the fire again.

Recently, O’Hern was with Mark Allen on the Talk Birdie to Me podcast. One of the agendas that O’Hern brought up during the conversation was Rory’s Majors win. He said, “Rory has two more Majors, right now he doesn’t ’cause it’s not the fifth Majors, obvioulsy. This year, Rory needs to do two things if he wants to win a Major.” Guesses to what his first ask was? Yep, the caddie switcheroo!

He added, “Something that happened last week, Billy Foster split with Matt Fitzpatrick. And, that’s a big open door and I’m sure there’s a lot of big players vying to get Billy on their bag. Now, Harry, who caddies for Rory and, as we know, is one of his best mates and he does a very good job. However, in those crucial clutch moments, that’s when you need someone who’s got the experience, who’s got the answer for the game, the feel that can sense it.”

The legendary looper, Foster, has seen many bests and worsts in the golfing world in the 42 years in the pro tours, most recently with Matt Fitzpatrick who he joined in 2018. However, in December 2024, he revealed that his age is catching up to him to Mirror Sport. “I’m going to do a job share next year. I’m 59 next week so I am going to do a job share.” However, his plans to share the duties with Dan Parratt have ended as Matt cut him completely when he could not make a cut in the Players Championship. Hence, while Foster may still not want a full-time job, he can share his expertise of over four decades on the greens, something that many believe Rory can use as they point out the 2024 US Open miss for him.

O’Hern too pointed out the same tournament, that Rory could’ve won but lost. “If we go back to, for example, the US Open last year, when he lost to Bryson… What is was all about was a short miss putt on the 16 and a short miss putt on the 18. However, what they didn’t cover, and for me, reason those things happened was putt selection on 15 on the par-3. (It) was long. He makes a bogey, he had a two-shot lead at this stage. Now, he’s probably thinking that on the next green, he’s three putts, hasn’t missed a putt inside 3-fts in 500 attempts, whatever. Then, obviously what happened in the last, it was a good putt, but it shouldn’t have happened in that position to begin with.

A great caddie there would have said, ‘No Rory, you aren’t hitting this club. We are gonna put you at the front of this green and you are gonna have a long putt but it will be uphill and I am backing you from the two-putt there.’ Billy Foster is the kind of guy who would’ve said, ‘Rory, we’re not doing this. We’re gonna do this right here.'”

But remember what happened with the Irishman’s last caddie? Before Harry came into the picture, a seasoned but at-times-abrasive JP Fitzgerald would loop for the golfer. While a majority of the wins for Rory came alongside Fitzgerald, he had admitted and also promised for Harry, “I was getting very hard on him. Really hard. Really angry. It was partly to do with him and mostly to do with me. I wasn’t playing the best and was frustrated at myself and taking it out on him: ‘I’m [expletive] trying hard here!’ And whether that was (related) to a club I’d hit, or wanted to hit or – but it was not good. And it’s something I would never do with [current caddie] Harry [Diamond]. Never.” 

Top Comment by Golden boy

Regroup. He will not win a major.

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Fitzgerald did that. He would tell Rory what he needs to do and when. He gave him all the options. And that’s why during his absolute reign between 2012 and 2014, he clinched a US Open, two PGA Championships and an Open Championship. But as Rory himself admitted that his frustrations would get the better of him. Still, O’Hern has made some observations on Diamond that he believes is too comfortable for the two, almost being the reason for McIlroy’s failures.

“Now, Harry at the moment, every time I’ve heard it’s funny on Full Swing on that 18th for example, Rory said, ‘I’m not feeling through what I might just hit the driver on the 18th at Pinehurst’ and Harry goes, ‘Well, if that’s what you like.’ And it’s like ‘What? There should be a game plan going on like, ‘Rory, no, let’s take a three wood, put it in the fairway and go from there.'”

However, with all the criticizing noises echoing, it is only fair to also remember the better days that Harry and Rory have seen together. With Diamond carrying the sticks, McIlroy has yielded 3 FedEx Cup titles (2016, 2019, 2022), 3 Race to Dubai titles (2022,2023,2024), multiple PGA Tour wins and Ryder Cup success stories.

So, what about Rory McIlroy himself? Does he believe he needs a new caddie?

Rory McIlroy isn’t changing his caddie

Diamond has handled his fair-share of criticism from wanting him to speak more to Rory getting him out of the picture completely. Last year, Smylie Kaufman also pointed out a crucial mistake at the 15th hole during the U.S. Open that led to Bryson DeChambeau winning the tournament, “I felt like (caddie) Harry Diamond really should have stepped in on the 15th hole. He did not have the right club in his hands.”

Not only Kaufman, but Eddie Pepperell also commented, “Sometimes, to win a golf tournament, you need to limp over the line, and I’m adamant that it is your caddie on occasions like that can really be the difference that can pull you over that finishing line. I just think, observing Rory today, that was the big thing that was lacking.”

Tiger Wood’s former coach Hank Haney also opined, “If Steve Williams was Rory’s caddie I can promise you he would have never hit a perfect flighted 7 iron that rolled over the green on 15 into a terrible lie because he would have hit an 8 iron and sent it straight up in the air and held the green. Wrong club, wrong shot, bad plan.”

Although Rory observed from afar for some time as the drama after the US Open unfolded, he ensured to defend his caddie soon. “You know, it’s certainly unfair. Hank Haney has never been in that position. Smylie has been in that position once. I love Smylie, and he was out there with us on 18, but just because Harry is not as vocal or loud with his words as other caddies, it doesn’t mean that he doesn’t say anything and that he doesn’t do anything. I just wish that, you know, these guys that criticize when things don’t go my way, they never say anything good when things do go my way,” as revealed on the Golf.com website.

In fact, very recently, in the Genesis Invitational, the golfer missed a 10-ft putt on the par three third and a fan chipped, “BLAME YOUR CADDIE.” Golf insider Dan Rapaport took to his X and tweeted the short dialogue between the fan and McIlroy as the latter quickly shut him off with, “Shut the f*** up.”

The golfer silenced all the hate. Now that they have also won two events this year the golfer is even more positive about his bag man. And, it certainly implies that the 4x major champion might not change his caddie any time soon.

Do you think he can win his fifth major title with Harry Diamond this year? Feel free to let us know in the comments below!