Rory McIlroy has firmly rejected criticism of his caddy Harry Diamond, saying their record over the past five years “speaks for itself”.
The world number two’s continued inability to land a first major since 2014 has led to comments about Diamond’s role, particularly on social media.
However, McIlroy, 33, called his lifelong friend Diamond an “easy target”.
“I think over the years I’ve proven that I know what I’m doing here,” McIlroy told BBC Sport Northern Ireland.
“I wouldn’t have him on the bag if I didn’t think he was good at what he did.”
Diamond, who was one of Ireland’s top amateur players and won the West of Ireland title in 2012, took over in August 2017 – initially on an interim basis – following McIlroy’s split from JP Fitzgerald.
He was quickly confirmed as the four-time major winner’s full-time caddy and McIlroy won nine PGA Tour titles – including FedEx Cup triumphs in 2019 and this year – as well as the 2019 WGC-HSBC Champions event. with his friend on his bag.
“Harry is a really calming presence by my side,” McIlroy said before joining his father Gerry at this week’s Dunhill Links event, whose venues include St Andrews where he narrowly missed winning a second Open title in July, when he finished two strokes behind Cameron Smith.
“He’s grown really well in his role. I think our record speaks for itself. We’ve won a ton. We’ve won two FedEx Cups together.”
“I’m going to walk through the door and take another one”
Reflecting on his near failure of the Open Championship two months ago, after a season in which he finished second in the Masters, eighth in the US PGA Championship and tied for fifth at the US Open, McIlroy insisted on the fact that he remained confident he would end his major winless run that dates back to the 2014 US PGA.
“I have no doubt in my mind if I continue to play the golf that I currently play, I will have a much better chance of winning a major championship,” he said.
“The more I put myself in a position to win, the more comfortable I’m going to feel in that position and eventually I’m going to walk through the door and get another one.
“It’s funny, I feel like I’m on a journey to win my first again because it’s been so long since I’ve done it. Maybe that gives people a better idea of what I think. It’s not just ‘he won four…why can’t he win another one?
“I feel like it was so long ago and I’m kind of a different person now and I need to relearn how to do it. I’m on this path but I’m getting closer to it.”
“It’s not just about winning and losing”
McIlroy looked crestfallen after the July Open disappointment, but when he returned to golf country on Wednesday, he spoke of a change in perspective.
“The support I’ve gotten along the way…it still gives me goosebumps,” he said.
“I can only have good memories of this week. It didn’t work out the way I wanted in the end, but it was still a great week. A great trip.
“What I’ve come to understand in life is that it’s not just about winning and losing. There’s a lot more to it than that.
“You always want to win and you always want to collect the trophies, but at the end of the day sometimes I have to take a step back and just appreciate the journey I’ve had.”
In the short term, a strong performance in Scotland this week could help McIlroy return to world No. 1 above Scottie Scheffler before the end of 2022, with the Northern Irishman also defending the CJ Cup title on the PGA Tour in a few weeks before. finishing his season at the DP World Tour Championship in Dubai.
“If I keep putting myself up there and playing the golf that I play, I think I’ll have a chance.
“At the end of the day, the world ranking is an algorithm that the computer runs every Monday, but if you play well enough, everything sorts itself out.”
McIlroy started his Dunhill Links challenge with a four-under 68 at St Andrews, seven shots off the club lead.