Rory McIlroy’s caddie, childhood friend Harry Diamond, is having a laugh at critics who have blasted the Pebble Beach and Players Championship winner in the weeks leading up to his wins. Since 2017, the two have been inseparable on the course as the Northern Irishman has trusted Diamond implicitly. McIlory’s decision to stick with his friend has garnered much criticism, yet the loyalty has paid off as the two have enjoyed great success this year as The Masters looms. And surely Diamond is having the last laugh as he is one of the best paid caddies on the planet.
Why Change Caddies?
Rory McIlroy has had trouble winning major events since 2014. Fans have often blamed the strategic mishaps of Harry Diamond for those losses, perhaps sometimes fairly. McIlroy has won plenty of tournaments and cites those as a reason not to dump Diamond. His recent wins at Pebble Beach and The Players Championship are perfect examples of the pair at their best.
But let’s just placate those critics for a moment, as there have been some rather vocal anti-Diamond sentiments. This year’s Genesis Invitational saw McIlroy snap at a heckler who said “blame your caddie,” after McIlroy missed a chance to make a birdie. Even if McIlroy did want a change, who would be most logical? As one of the top players in the world, his window to win is now and the pressure will always be there for results.
The answer floated around by Nick O’Hern was for McIlroy to bring on Billy Foster. The caddie is described by Matt Fitzpatrick as ‘the best in the world’. O’Hern made this suggestion on the Talk Birdie To Me Podcast:
“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.”
O’Hern goes on to point out how Diamond does not really push McIlroy too hard with certain decisions during crucial moments. One example is which club to use at the 2024 US Open:
“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.’”
Billy Foster has been in the caddie business for 42 years and has seen great success. Of course, he would be a perfect fit. The only issue is that Foster was already looking to retire from being a caddie at the end of 2024. He knows his age is catching up to him and was already on shared duties with Dan Parratt when he was eventually cut. If McIlroy were to bring Foster on he would need to immediately start looking for Foster’s replacement.
McIlroy’s Continued Stance
With this fantastic start to 2025, there will not be a change. McIlroy has publicly praised Diamond in the past for his continued support, even during victory speeches.
“I want to give a shout-out to Harry—he’s been with me every step of the way for the last seven years now,” McIlroy said after his win at Pebble Beach.
It is very unlikely for Rory McIlroy to change caddies, he has had a stance of sticking with Diamond through thick and thin. Based on how he previously responded to suggestions like this, this is a move that won’t be happening anytime soon.
