Rory McIlroy's former agent hits out over caddie fire demand saying the four-time major winner 'doesn't listen to anyone'

Joshua Lees & Steven Crawford
·3-min read
Rory McIlroy with his caddie Harry Diamond at the Valero Texas Open at TPC San Antonio
-Credit: (Image: Photo by Raj Mehta/Getty Images)


Rory McIlroy's former agent, Andrew 'Chubby' Chandler, has leapt to the defence of the golfer's caddie, Harry Diamond, following the dramatic conclusion of last Sunday's US Open. McIlroy seemed set to clinch his first major championship in a decade at Pinehurst No. 2, but was narrowly beaten by 54-hole leader Bryson DeChambeau.

The Co Down man was two shots ahead with just five holes remaining in North Carolina, but a series of errors towards the end saw him miss out by a single shot. Most notably, the four-time major champion missed short putts on both the 16th and 18th holes, damaging his chances, reports the Irish Mirror.

Questions were also raised about McIlroy's game management after his club selection on the tee at both the 15th and 18th holes left him in trouble. The first instance occurred when the 35 year old overshot the green at the par-three 15th hole, as a seven iron left him struggling over the back of the putting surface.

READ MORE: Rory McIlroy 'will be haunted for the rest of his life' by late US Open collapse

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He ended up with a bogey, before suffering the same fate at his final hole of the week, having put himself out of position off the tee after hitting his driver left on the 18th tee box. In the three previous rounds, McIlroy had safely played a three-wood up the final hole but changed his strategy in the fourth round.

As a result, many have blamed his caddie, Diamond, for his role in the two costly tee shots during the crucial stages of the tournament. Addressing McIlroy's decision-making process during games, Chandler, a close acquaintance of the golfer, said: "You can't blame the caddie because [McIlroy] doesn't listen to anybody. Everybody blaming the caddie does not know what they are talking about.

"Rory does what Rory wants to do. In life, full stop. So for everyone to say 'it was the caddie's fault', what is the caddie going to do, have a row with him on the 18th tee? If he has hit three-wood on the other three days, he probably doesn't understand why he is going with driver. But if he butts in and [McIlroy] goes on and makes a bogey, it is his fault."

Despite narrowly missing out last Sunday, long-standing friends McIlroy and Diamond have had many successes since their partnership began in 2017, although none yet in major tournaments. Chandler believes that McIlroy's independent approach to decision making has largely shaped his career.

"Rory is definitely the boss, and there is nothing wrong with it," Chandler added. "They haven't done bad with it have they? ".

Following his latest near-miss, McIlroy will be taking a break from competitive golf before making a return for his Scottish Open defence next month. His next major event is set to be the Open Championship taking place at Royal Troon a week later.

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