Rory McIlroy's caddie under the spotlight at The Open with 'lot of s***' verdict
It's been a difficult couple of weeks for Rory McIlroy and caddie Harry Diamond.
Golf star Alexander Bjork has thrown his support behind Rory McIlroy's caddie ahead of the fourth and final major of the year at Royal Troon.
It’s just McIlroy's second event since his heartbreaking US Open collapse, which saw him buckle a two-shot lead heading into the back nine.
Caddie Harry Diamond came under fire for his club selection heading into the final stretch - criticism Bjork has rubbished.
Speaking to Swedish outlet Sports on TV, Bjork commented: “Rory McIlroy’s caddie gets a lot of s*** that he doesn’t deserve.
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“If you look at Rory’s scoring and tournament positions and rankings over the last few years, he’s always up there in the top three.”
He added: “I don’t get why people think his caddie is doing a bad job, I think he’s doing a great job.
“It’s easy to say the caddie made the wrong decision for Rory afterwards. If Rory feels more happy to have his friend on the bag then he should have his friend on the bag.”
McIlroy announced in the aftermath of his Pinehurst disaster he was taking a short break from golf - a hiatus he broke during last week’s Scottish Open.
While he may have failed to hit the heights of his triumphant 2023 Scottish Open showing, the Northern Irishman posted a respectable 14 under-par finish at The Renaissance Club.
And heading into this week’s Open at Royal Troon, Bjork is backing McIlroy to right his wrongs and rank high up the leaderboard come Sunday night.
The Swede continued: “For sure I can see him bouncing back at Royal Troon.
“It’s a new opportunity for him. I played a front nine at the course this morning and for anyone that hits long, there will be plenty of birdie opportunities so he’s got a great chance.”
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Attention is understandably fixed on McIlroy, whose wait for a major championship victory has now extended beyond the 10-year mark.
But McIlroy insists Pinehurst is behind him, with the focus now fixed on Royal Troon: “I trust the people around me. I don’t need to go looking for external counsel. If the tournament [US Open] ended after 68 holes, people would be calling me the best golfer in the world.
“That doesn’t mean to say I’ll get it. I always felt if you say you deserve something, it reeks of entitlement. Nobody is entitled to anything in this game or life in general. You have to earn everything. But I feel like I am in a great position to go and earn it.”