A handful of crucial mistakes cost Rory McIlroy the chance to end his much-talked-about Major drought of 10 years on Sunday, with Bryson DeChambeau pipping the Northern Irishman to the post at the 2024 US Open.
Two short missed putts on holes 16 and 18 were the most obvious errors from McIlroy, but the decision to take driver on the final hole in the first place - plus club choices earlier in the round - caused some to cast an accusatory look at the man carrying the four-time Major winner's clubs, Harry Diamond.
Here, four Golf Monthly staff writers share their own opinion on who was at fault for McIlroy coming up short at Pinehurst No.2 and whether a change in looper might help the 35-year-old break out of his Major-induced shackles.
Rory didn’t lose the US Open because of Harry Diamond – he lost it because he missed two putts I guarantee he’d have made in rounds one, two and three.
If Harry is so responsible for how McIlroy performs, why was no one giving him credit when McIlroy made four birdies in five holes around the turn to open up a two-shot lead?
I completely take Nick’s point that ultimately it was Rory McIlroy who didn’t win the US Open or make those two putts on 16 and 18. But perhaps now it is time for a refresh?
Sunday at Pinehurst, whether he likes it or not, was one of the biggest days in Rory McIlroy’s career that will be remembered for a very long time. He made two or three wrong club choices on Sunday that an experienced looper might have changed. 5-iron into 5, 7-iron into 15 and driver up the last.
Diamond and McIlroy are obviously great mates, but their partnership is yet to yield a Major despite huge success together in basically winning everything barring number 5. I’m not saying it’s Diamond’s fault, but Rory perhaps needs something fresh to kick him into what could well be the next phase of his career. Should he hire a new caddie? I think yes. Will he? If I had to predict, I would say yes.
Personally, I wonder whether McIlroy is the kind of player who doesn't want someone telling him what to do and just needs a friend by his side to keep him relaxed. That’s maybe why he’s had Diamond for so long.
However, neither party can ignore the fact that he hasn’t won a Major since hiring his buddy and it might be worth going back to an old face or even picking up Jim ‘Bones’ Mackay for a few years to see if the pair can’t work this Major jinx out.
The only sticking point would be that you wonder how it might affect their friendship if McIlroy initiates a split. In an ideal world, as far as McIlroy is concerned, he might secretly hope that Diamond offers his resignation at the end of the season and McIlroy is almost forced into trying something else.
At this point in his career, and with a Major that potentially could have been won with slightly better advice (although, we don’t know what was said), surely McIlroy must consider switching his looper - even if it is just temporarily...
I don’t want to say it, but I do feel that McIlroy would benefit from a caddie change. Diamond has done a good job throughout his time on the bag, with one example being his decision to get Rory to take a drop on the final hole of the 2021 Wells Fargo, an event he won.
However, although there are examples of good work, there are plenty where the decision-making has been questionable. McIlroy and Diamond are good mates and I feel a change to a more experienced player-caddie set up, as opposed to a player-friend set up, could benefit the 35-year-old more and get him over the line in Majors. We saw it with Scottie when he signed Ted Scott, so why not Rory?