'This One Is Just As Much His As It Is Mine' - Rory McIlroy Pays Emotional Tribute To 'Big Brother' Harry Diamond After Historic Masters Win

The 2025 Masters champion couldn't hold back the tears when discussing the importance of his relationship with caddie Harry Diamond

Rory McIlroy and Harry Diamond hold the Masters trophy
(Image credit: Getty Images)

Rory McIlroy has entered golf's history books as a career grand slam winner after triumphing at the 2025 Masters, and he paid tribute to his best friend and longtime caddie Harry Diamond after finally sealing the green jacket.

Diamond has been on McIlroy's bag since 2017 and has come under plenty of criticism through the years as his fellow Northern Irishman continued to miss out on Major wins.

The now five-time Major champion missed a short putt on the 72nd hole to win The Masters and somehow managed to get himself together to birdie 18 and win the playoff.

After standing on the 11th tee with a four-stroke cushion, he inexplicably dropped four strokes over his next four holes to lose the lead and then missed his chance on 18.

How did he manage to get himself together to go and win the playoff? That's where Diamond came in.

"After scoring, Harry and I were walking to the golf cart to bring us back to the 18th tee, and he said to me, "Well, Pal, we would have taken this on Monday morning." I'm like, "Yeah, absolutely we would have," McIlroy said.

"That was an easy reset. He basically said to me, "look, you would have given your right arm to be in a playoff at the start of the week." So that sort of reframed it a little bit for me.

"Yeah, again, I just kept telling myself, just make the same swing you made in regulation. And I hit a great drive up there, and yeah, the rest is history."

Elliott Heath
News Editor

Elliott Heath is our News Editor and has been with Golf Monthly since early 2016 after graduating with a degree in Sports Journalism. He covered the 2022 and 2025 Masters from Augusta National and was there by the 18th green to watch Rory McIlroy complete the career grand slam. He has also covered five Open Championships on-site including the 150th at St Andrews.

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