Tiger Woods' former caddie makes Rory McIlroy U-turn after major criticism
Hank Haney has backtracked on his criticism of Rory McIlroy's caddie and claimed the golfer's ally is the perfect man for the bag ahead of the Tour Championship
Tiger Woods' ex-caddie Hank Haney has made a surprising reversal on his remarks about Rory McIlroy's caddie, Harry Diamond.
Initially, Haney had slammed Diamond for a poor club choice during the 15th hole at the US Open, which saw McIlroy lose his grip on victory, allowing Bryson DeChambeau to clinch the title.
Haney had branded the move a "bad decision" and further fuelled criticism when McIlroy showed signs of frustration at the BMW Championship, prompting Haney to share a clip of McIlroy tossing his club and commenting that he was "not happy."
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However, Haney has since changed his tune, now praising Diamond's influence on McIlroy's game. "No, I think his caddie is great for him," Haney said on X. "I never said he wasn't great for Rory, I said they made a mistake on #15 at the US Open. I actually am actually a big fan of friend caddie's, anyone can make a mistake."
This comes after McIlroy himself jumped to Diamond's defence against the notion that friends can't be successful caddies due to the pressures of their personal relationship. McIlroy and Diamond have a long-standing friendship, with the latter having been the best man at McIlroy's wedding.
McIlroy has fired back at Haney after the golf coach criticised his caddie. The Northern Irishman defended his long-time friend and caddie, saying: "Smylie has been in that position once, and I love Smylie, and he was out there with us on 18. Just because Harry is not as vocal or loud with his words as other caddies, it doesn't mean that he doesn't say anything and that he doesn't do anything.
"I just wish that, you know, these guys that criticise when things don't go my way, they never say anything good when things do go my way... So where were they when I won Dubai earlier year or Quail Hollow or the two FedEx Cups that I've won with Harry or the two Ryder Cups or whatever?
"They are never there to say Harry did such a great job when I win, but they are always there to criticise when we don't win. At the end of the day, they are not there. They are not in the arena. They are not the ones hitting the shots and making the decisions.
"Someone said to me once, you would never-if you would never take advice from these people, you would never take their criticisms, either. Certainly wouldn't go to Hank Haney for advice. I love Smylie, but I think I know what I'm doing, and so does Harry."
The golfer's time at the BMW Championship wasn't without drama, as he made headlines for throwing his club into the water on the 17th hole, only to retrieve it shortly after. McIlroy was seen breaking his driver in half in frustration after a stray tee shot on the 9th hole at Castle Pines ended up in the water hazard.
Despite a disappointing performance at the BMW Championship following his US Open upset, McIlroy will have an opportunity to redeem himself at the upcoming Tour Championship.
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