Hank Haney has backtracked on his criticism of Rory McIlroy’s caddie and claimed the golfer’s ally is the perfect man for the bag ahead of the Tour Championship
Tiger Woods’ ex-caddie Hank Haney has made a surprising reversal on his remarks about Rory McIlroy’s caddie, Harry Diamond.
Initially, Haney had slammed Diamond for a poor club choice during the 15th hole at the US Open, which saw McIlroy lose his grip on victory, allowing Bryson DeChambeau to clinch the title.
Haney had branded the move a “bad decision” and further fuelled criticism when McIlroy showed signs of frustration at the BMW Championship, prompting Haney to share a clip of McIlroy tossing his club and commenting that he was “not happy.”
However, Haney has since changed his tune, now praising Diamond’s influence on McIlroy’s game. “No, I think his caddie is great for him,” Haney said on X. “I never said he wasn’t great for Rory, I said they made a mistake on #15 at the US Open. I actually am actually a big fan of friend caddie’s, anyone can make a mistake.”
This comes after McIlroy himself jumped to Diamond’s defence against the notion that friends can’t be successful caddies due to the pressures of their personal relationship. McIlroy and Diamond have a long-standing friendship, with the latter having been the best man at McIlroy’s wedding.
McIlroy has fired back at Haney after the golf coach criticised his caddie. The Northern Irishman defended his long-time friend and caddie, saying: “Smylie has been in that position once, and I love Smylie, and he was out there with us on 18. 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.