Rory McIlroy praised his caddie for support after a challenging third round at The Masters, where he lost a significant lead. He recovered in the final round, shooting 71 to win the tournament by one stroke over Scottie Scheffler.
Photo by Ben Jared/PGA TOUR via Getty Images
Photo by Ben Jared/PGA TOUR via Getty Images
Rory McIlroy looked to have thrown his chance of retaining his Masters title away after Saturday.
McIlroy took the largest-ever 36-hole lead at The Masters into the weekend, leading by six strokes. But by Sunday, that advantage had evaporated. A third-round 73 meant he entered the final round tied at 11-under with Cameron Young.
But on Sunday, he steadied the ship. McIlroy shot 71 on his final round, bogeying the 72nd hole to win The Masters by one stroke over Scottie Scheffler. His swing, which was all over the place on Saturday, looked to have been fixed overnight, and he was in control throughout the second nine.
Whatever happened between his third and fourth rounds worked, and McIlroy credited his caddie, Harry Diamond, for what he did to put him back on the right track.
Photo by Jared C. Tilton/Getty Images
Photo by Jared C. Tilton/Getty Images
Rory McIlroy credits Harry Diamond for steadying the ship at The Masters
After his disappointing third round, McIlroy hit the practice range to find his swing. And find it he did, as he came into the following round a totally different man.
The Northern Irishman credited his caddie for suggesting they hit some balls afterward. Speaking to the Golf Channel, the six-time major winner said, “I think I needed it, and Harry was the one.
“When we were in scoring, he said, ‘Why don’t we hit a few balls, try to straighten this out. I’ll get over there, do your media, and I’ll get over there.’ I was like, ‘Yeah, that sounds like a good idea.’
“I probably would have got to that conclusion anyway, but that little nudge from Harry, it was like, yeah, let’s go and hit some balls. Because you finish late, it would be easy to just get in your car, go home, have some dinner, just want to get to bed. But Harry was like, ‘Let’s go figure this out.’
“So I get on the range, and honestly, I had a really good session.”
Diamond often gets criticism for not reining McIlroy in at times, as he is far less vocal than some of the other caddies on tour. But no one knows McIlroy better, and he knew exactly how to get his best friend back on form.
What Rory McIlroy did on the practice range to fix his swing at The Masters
It’s often said that if you have lost your swing at a tournament, it’s not possible to re-find it, but that certainly wasn’t the case at this year’s Masters for McIlroy.
He suffered with a right miss with his driver, which often sent him into the tees, and a left miss with his irons that put him in the water on Saturday.
McIlroy spoke about what he did to fix that miss: “I just worked on neutralizing my ball flight. My swing was getting too in-to-out, my ball was going to right-to-left.
“And when the path gets too much in-to-out, and you’re hitting partial shots, and the body stops, it just goes dead left like the shot I hit on 12 [on Saturday.]
“I neutralized the ball flight. I just got my body working through impact more, and that was the feel I went with [on Sunday]. And I definitely hit the ball better. I hit my irons better, and I probably hit the driver better too. I hit more fairways.
“But that practice session on Saturday night was key.”
McIlroy deserves immense credit for figuring that out in the crucible that is the weekend at The Masters. In the end, it won him the tournament.
What happened to Rory McIlroy during the third round of The Masters?
Rory McIlroy had a poor third round, shooting a 73 and losing his six-stroke lead.
How did Rory McIlroy perform in the final round of The Masters?
In the final round, McIlroy shot a 71, which allowed him to win the tournament by one stroke.
Who did Rory McIlroy beat to win The Masters?
Rory McIlroy won The Masters by one stroke over Scottie Scheffler.
What did Rory McIlroy say about his caddie after the third round?
Rory McIlroy praised his caddie for the support he provided after McIlroy's poor performance in the third round.
Related Articles
Sports
LIV Golf is still going, but its days seem numbered and probably always were
LIV Golf's future appears uncertain as reports suggest Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund may withdraw funding after investing $5 billion. Despite assurances for the 2026 season, the tour faces challenges from low ratings and strong competition from the PGA Tour.
ESPN News··1 min read
MLB·Recap
Angels' Mike Trout hits another HR to join Aaron Judge in rare Yankee Stadium history
Mike Trout's 446-foot HR joins him with Aaron Judge in Yankee Stadium lore.
Yahoo Sports··1 min read
MLB·Feature
Tigers projected to take a gamble on the upside of a 6'3" prep bat
Detroit Tigers projected to take a risk on a 6'3" prep bat in the MLB draft.