For years, every Rory McIlroy heartbreak came with a familiar background whisper—is Harry Diamond holding the Northern Irishman back? This week, however, the narrative was pushed back on the latest episode of the Sliced Podcast.

“If McIlroy had not had Harry Diamond as his caddie, how many majors would you say he’d be on now?” Ben Coley read a fan question posed to them. Without missing a beat, Sam Harrop replied, “Five.” “I think we’re both in agreement here that Harry Diamond has never really been a problem, as sometimes he seemed to be,” Coley nodded in agreement.

This hypothesis goes against the otherwise popular belief. Diamond joined McIlroy’s team in 2017 and is often blamed for the 11-year major gap. The Irishman’s four majors came before 2015 with JP Fitzgerald. The blame on Harry intensified after the 2024 US Open when McIlroy finished as the runner-up, handing the trophy to Bryson DeChambeau.

McIlroy had a two-stroke lead with three holes remaining, but collapsed. The selection of his clubs, as per critics, was the reason for his loss—a 7-iron on the 15th and his driver on the 18th. Most devastating was his miss of a three-foot par putt on the 72nd hole.

“I wouldn’t have said this if he had won, but I think he needs a new caddie,” said Eddie Pepperell at the time. “I hate saying that about Harry because I’m sure he’s a lovely guy. And I’m sure he’s a good caddie.” The same concern was flagged by Smylie Kaufman.

But cutting through all these arguments sits Harrop’s counter. After all, a caddie only suggests a club, as opposed to making the shot.

“Harry Diamond didn’t miss a three-foot putt on the 72nd hole at Pinehurst, did he? You know, it’s Rory. He was Rory. It’s always the player, really.”

What ultimately led to the weakening of Diamond’s “roadblock” was Augusta 2025.

McIlroy finally wore the Green Jacket he’d been aiming for for years, beating Justin Rose in a playoff. If Diamond were truly the limiting factor, that moment likely would have never arrived. McIlroy knew this, as he addressed the caddie as his “big brother,” silencing the critics once and for all. The two have been friends since they were seven, and McIlroy’s trust didn’t just prove to be sentimental but also professional.

After that, McIlroy went on to accumulate various other wins. His Ryder Cup theatrics, despite the hostility of the New York crowd, as well as the Amgen Irish Open. The European talisman eventually ended his year with a solo second on the DP World Tour Championship, losing 1-down to Matt Fitzpatrick in the playoff.

“Without being inside the ropes and seeing that firsthand, if you ask any caddie—I’ve not asked loads, but I certainly know one or two—they all think he’s very, very good at his job,” concluded Sam Harrop.

Harrop is echoing what Billy Foster has also said in the past, along with others.

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Voices of support for Rory McIlroy’s big brother, Harry Diamond

Billy Foster, with an experience of over four decades, couldn’t hide his frustration. He called out the hypocrisy of the critics, always blaming either the coach or the caddie for a golfer’s poor performance.

“It’s uncalled for,” he said. “He’s got a lot of unnecessary abuse, really.” “It’s never the player’s fault,” he said sarcastically.

That sentiment is echoed even more emphatically by Shane Lowry. Being Rory McIlroy’s close friend, Lowry has likely seen Diamond’s work ethic. This is exactly why he believed the critics to be nonsensical.

“It makes my blood boil, to be honest,” he said. “They don’t see how hard Harry works. Just because he’s not standing in the middle of the tee box like other caddies doesn’t mean that his voice isn’t heard by Rory.”

Logically, the critics’ opinions don’t fare well. McIlroy is #2, a grand slam winner, and a very successful golfer, overall. On a positive note, Diamond has been loyal to the 2025 Masters winner despite the major drought. That’s his persistence and hard work speaking. Lowry emphasized how Harry Diamond is always on the course before McIlroy. He walks the course and works harder than his counterparts. Diamond, as per the Lowry, is the best caddie Rory can ever have.

“I’ll argue that with anyone who wants to argue it with me.”