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The Northern Irishman has cemented himself as one of the best golfers to play the game, but who is Rory McIlroy’s caddie?

McIlroy’s parted company with his long-standing caddie JP Fitzgerald in 2017, making huge headlines – partly because the multiple major winner replaced him with one of his childhood friends, Harry Diamond.

The move, announced ahead of the 2017 WGC-Bridgestone Invitational, was initially expected to be a short-term deal whilst McIlroy weighed up potential replacements for Fitzgerald.

“We’ve been inundated with people wanting to have a chance to carry the bag,” said McIlroy prior to the 2017 US PGA.

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“But I can’t really think about that until next week, until I have a week off, and then I can reassess how these couple of weeks have gone with Harry on the bag.”

In the end, he opted to stick with his young caddie Diamond.

A talented golfer in his own right – his handicap is reportedly in ‘plus’ numbers – Diamond played junior golf with Rory at their home club, Holywood, in Northern Ireland.

The pair struck up a firm friendship, with Diamond invited to caddie for a 16-year-old McIlroy when he played in the 2005 Irish Open.

He was on the bag again for the Par-3 Tournament at the 2011 Masters, as well as for the 2014 Alfred Dunhill Links Championship. Diamond was even on best man duty when McIlroy married Erica Stoll in 2017.

Rory McIlroy caddie

Despite being good enough to have a crack at the pro game – he won the 2012 West of Ireland Championship, reached the final of the 2011 North of Ireland Championship, and represented Ireland at international level – Diamond opted to stay amateur and focus on his business interests.

He had been part of a family business which owns a chain of hotels, pubs and restaurants in Belfast and Bangor, until the opportunity arose to be Rory McIlroy’s caddie on tour.

The duo scored their first victory together at the Arnold Palmer Invitational at Bay Hill in 2018, and have since racked up multiple titles on the PGA Tour and DP World Tour.

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Including victory at the Players Championship in 2019, Diamond helped McIlroy return to No.1 on the Official World Golf Ranking in October 2022, the first time he had been there since October 2020.

Despite some social media users suggesting he would have more major success with a different caddie on his bag, McIlroy has been steadfastly loyal to Diamond over the years.

“I think over the years I’ve proven I know what I’m doing out here,” McIlroy said in an interview with BBC Sport Northern Ireland.

“I wouldn’t have him on the bag if I didn’t think he was good at what he did.”

McIlroy’s success with Diamond has continued and the duo share a close bond on and off the course. Diamond carried the bag for McIlroy as he topped the points scoring at the Ryder Cup in Rome in 2023, while he will be out to help the Northern Irishman end his major drought in 2024.

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