Rory McIlroy and his caddie Harry Diamond faced criticism from Hank Haney following last month’s US Open, and the four-time major champion has responded sharply.
McIlroy narrowly missed winning his first major championship in a decade at Pinehurst No. 2, losing by a single shot to Bryson DeChambeau. Leading by two shots with five holes remaining, McIlroy stumbled with three bogeys in four holes, allowing DeChambeau to claim the US Open title.
Much of McIlroy’s final holes were scrutinized, including his club selection, particularly on the 15th and 18th tees. On the par-three 15th, McIlroy’s tee shot flew long of the green, leading to his first bogey. On the 18th, he chose to use a driver, whereas in previous rounds he had used a three-wood from the same tee box. Haney criticized McIlroy’s caddie Diamond on social media, comparing his decisions unfavorably to legendary caddie Steve Williams, who had worked with Tiger Woods.
Haney tweeted, “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.”
He added, “Wrong club, wrong shot, bad plan. For players who have won more than 2 majors they’ve won 1 out of every 3 times they were in serious contention which is defined by on the lead or tied for the lead somewhere on Sunday. It was far from a sure thing that @McIlroyRory was going to close out the US Open, hard game.”
After a three-week break, McIlroy returned to action at this week’s Scottish Open and addressed Haney’s comments during his pre-tournament press conference. “It’s unfair to criticize Diamond,” he told reporters. “Hank Haney has never been in that position. At the end of the day, they are not there. They are not the ones hitting the shots and making the decisions. Someone once said to me, if you wouldn’t take advice from these people, you shouldn’t take their criticisms either. I certainly wouldn’t go to Hank Haney for advice.”
McIlroy also reflected on his disappointing finish at Pinehurst No. 2, acknowledging it was tough but noting he’s focusing on the Scottish Open and the upcoming Open Championship. “Yeah, it was a difficult day,” he said. “The days after were tough too. But as time passes, you start to see the positives and recognize the good things you did throughout the week.”