Rory McIlroy barely spoke to caddie in Masters | Golf News

Rory McIlroy’s caddie is his closest confidant — somebody he considers a brother.

And when two people are that intently attuned to one another, phrases are often pointless. That was exactly the dynamic on show during McIlroy’s remaining spherical at the Masters on Sunday.

The 36-year-old secured another Green Jacket with a spherical of 1-under, ending 12-under for the major and edging out nearest challenger Scottie Scheffler by a single shot. The victory wasn’t without its anxious moments, including a double bogey on 4 and a dropped shot on six.

However, back-to-back birdies on seven and eight steadied the ship. Further birdies on 12 and 13 adopted, successfully locking up the win for McIlroy. Throughout every second, Harry Diamond stood by his facet. The longtime pals had been together when McIlroy triumphed last yr, too.

When requested whether or not the pair exchanged a lot dialog during the ultimate spherical, McIlroy admitted they largely stored quiet. “It wasn’t really — there wasn’t much to say,” he said, reflecting on the drive at the 18th tee before elaborating on their bond.

“I think we were both just hoping that my ball wasn’t in a really bad spot or behind a tree. I was just hoping that I had a swing. No, it was pretty quiet out there. It was pretty tense. I was sort of talking about, okay, after the 6th hole, let’s try to get back to even-par for the day after nine.

“He was attempting to encourage me, telling me there’s a lot of time left, just attempt to keep hitting fairways and greens. There wasn’t a ton of discuss on the market. I feel we both knew what we needed to do. I just needed to step up and execute.”

McIlroy became emotional when discussing Diamond following last year’s victory. The caddie has faced criticism in the past, with questions raised over whether a close friend is the ideal fit for McIlroy. The last two years have demonstrated that he is.

“Yeah, I’ve recognized Harry since I used to be seven years outdated,” he said after last year’s win. “I met him on the placing inexperienced at Holywood Golf Club. We’ve had so many good occasions together. He’s been like a big brother to me the entire manner through my life (tearing up).

“To be able to share this with him after all the close calls that we’ve had, all the crap that he’s had to take from people that don’t know anything about the game, yeah, this one is just as much his as it is mine. He’s a massive part of what I do, and I couldn’t think of anyone better to share it with than him.”