Harry Diamond to Remain Rory McIlroy’s Permanent Caddie

There were many caddie changes that took place during the 2017 PGA TOUR season, with the likes of Phil Mickelson and Rory McIlroy parting ways with their longtime partners. Mickelson quickly found his replacement but McIlroy just recently found his permanent fix.

According to multiple reports, McIlroy will be keeping his best friend Harry Diamond in his bag for the 2018 season. Diamond is the man that stepped in last year for McIlroy when former caddie J.P. Fitzgerald was let go. McIlroy won all of his majors with Fitzgerald on his bag but thought he needed to make a change after seven events with Fitzgerald this past year.

As for Diamond, this seems like a move that many are going to criticize. McIlroy had already been getting criticism when Fitzgerald was his caddie, having to come to his partner’s aid on many occasions, but Fitzgerald was a brilliant amateur player and had experience carrying the bag before.

Diamond is a businessman by trade, so his lack of experience will certainly be questioned by golf pundits.

Rory McIlroy of Northern Ireland speaks with his caddie during the…

Rory McIlroy of Northern Ireland speaks with his caddie during the final round of the 2017 Alfred Dunhill Championship at The Old Course on October 8, 2017 in St Andrews, Scotland. Get premium, high resolution news photos at Getty Images

Asked about keeping Diamond on the bag and removing Fitzgerald last year, McIlroy stated he did so to bring back some of his own control. “I was just getting increasingly frustrated and frustrated for the wrong reasons,” McIlroy said at TPC Boston. “I think having Harry on the bag, I’ve been happier and more jovial out there and not getting as hard on myself that.”

Last year was a difficult year for Rory and you could argue it was the most difficult of his career. McIlroy missed a lot of cuts and battled through many injuries throughout the year while watching other young players step up and leave their mark on the season. Having not played in three months, Rory is set to return to the PGA TOUR at the Abu Dhabi Championship. He’ll make his U.S. return at the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am.

Knowing how much of a competitor he is, Rory has to be itching to get back out onto the course. And with Diamond now permanently carrying his bag, hopefully, he can take a positive mindset into a successful 2018 season.

Cover Photo via Instagram