Golf legend defends Rory McIlroy's caddie Harry Diamond on eve of The Masters

Legendary golf coach Butch Harmon says criticism of Rory McIlroy's caddie Harry Diamond is extremely unfair. 

McIlroy hired his childhood friend in 2017 following his split with JP Fitzgerald. 

The Northern Irishman triumphed at the U.S. Open, The Open and two U.S. PGA Championships with Fitzgerald between 2011 and 2014 but has never won a major championship with Diamond on the bag. 

The duo have won practically everything else in the elite men's professional game but Diamond frequently finds himself at the receiving end of vitriol from armchair critics. 

"I think the criticism of [Harry] is very unfair," Harmon told GolfMagic.

 "Harry and I are good friends. I think Harry does a great job with Rory. Look, the caddie doesn't hit the shots the player hits the shots. 

"The caddie's job is to give you the information and then the player's job is to decipher all of that information and then figure out what he wants to do. 

"So I think it's very uncalled for all the criticism of Harry."

Diamond came under particular scrutiny following McIlroy's collapse down the stretch of the 2024 U.S. Open at Pinehurst No.2. 

McIlroy dropped three shots in his final four holes to allow Bryson DeChambeau the opportunity to snatch his second U.S. Open title. 

The Ulsterman missed par putts within four feet at the 16th and 18th to derail his chances and also hit his tee shot through the green at the par-3 15th. 

Tiger Woods' former golf coach Hank Haney was among those to criticise Diamond. 

For his part, McIlroy has stressed that he will never listen to criticism from someone he isn't willing to take advice from.

"A lot of it goes back to Pinehurst on the 15th hole, the par-3 hole, where Rory hit the ball over the green with an 8-iron," Harmon continued. 

"Yes, he, should've been short but they talked all about that shot [but] Rory was just all amped up and hit it too far. That wasn't Harry Diamond's fault. Harry doesn't hit a shot. 

"A good caddie is just a guy that knows you and knows your temperament and knows your adrenaline flow when you're in the heat of things and they give you the information. 

"They give you the numbers. But the player has to make the decision. A caddie has never hit a bad shot or a good shot because they're not hitting any!"

McIlroy has already completed three reconnaissance trips to Augusta ahead of the first men's major of the year.

He will head into the 2025 Masters in good form having already picked up two PGA Tour titles before April for the first time in his career.

World number one Scottie Scheffler is the bookies' favourite. 

But Harmon believes McIlroy is the man to beat. 

Harmon also told us he's not sure LIV Golf recruit Dustin Johnson is 100 per cent committed to the game anymore. 

Butch Harmon will be back on our screens next week as part of Sky Sports' coverage of The Masters.

Enjoy 50 per cent more live coverage than ever before of The 2025 Masters, exclusively on Sky Sports and NOW from 10 April.