Rory McIlroy Tears Into Legendary Golf Coach Over Comments About His Caddie
Rory McIlroy did not mince words in response to criticism from Hank Haney, Tiger Woods’ former coach, following the recent US Open. McIlroy, who has four major championships to his name, addressed Haney’s remarks during a press conference at the Scottish Open. McIlroy narrowly missed out on his first major victory in a decade at…
Rory McIlroy did not mince words in response to criticism from Hank Haney, Tiger Woods’ former coach, following the recent US Open. McIlroy, who has four major championships to his name, addressed Haney’s remarks during a press conference at the Scottish Open.
McIlroy narrowly missed out on his first major victory in a decade at Pinehurst No. 2, losing by a single shot to Bryson DeChambeau. Holding a two-shot lead with five holes remaining, McIlroy made three bogeys in four holes, allowing DeChambeau to clinch the US Open title.
Critics, including Haney, questioned McIlroy’s club choices, particularly on the 15th and 18th holes. On the par-three 15th, McIlroy’s tee shot flew long, leading to a bogey. At the 18th, he opted for a driver, a decision that backfired as his ball found trouble. Haney suggested McIlroy’s caddie, Harry Diamond, was to blame for these choices, taking to social media to voice his opinion.
“If Steve Williams was Rory’s caddie, I can promise you he would have never hit a perfect flighted 7 iron that rolled over the green on 15 into a terrible lie because he would have hit an 8 iron and sent it straight up in the air and held the green,” Haney tweeted. He added, “Wrong club, wrong shot, bad plan.”
Haney also pointed out that players who have won more than two majors tend to succeed in one out of every three instances when in serious contention on a Sunday, suggesting McIlroy’s collapse was far from a given.
Returning to action after a three-week break, McIlroy addressed the criticism ahead of the Scottish Open. He defended Diamond, stating, “[Criticism of Diamond] is certainly unfair. Hank Haney has never been in that position.” He continued, “At the end of the day, they are not there. They are in the arena. They are not the ones hitting the shots and making the decisions. Someone said to me once, 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.”
Reflecting on his final round at Pinehurst No. 2, McIlroy acknowledged the difficulty but emphasized his focus on moving forward with the upcoming Scottish Open and Open Championship. “Yeah, it was a tough day,” he admitted. “It was a tough few days after that, obviously. But I think as you get further away from it happening, you start to see the positives and you start to see all the good things that you did throughout the week.”
With the Scottish Open and Open Championship on the horizon, McIlroy aims to put the US Open disappointment behind him and focus on future successes.