Does Rory need to change Caddy

[wjemather]

and if he needed it in a playoff?

The playoff was scheduled over holes 17 and 18, so presumably he wouldn't have needed it then either.

 

[Singlefiguregokfer]

The playoff was scheduled over holes 17 and 18, so presumably he wouldn't have needed it then either.

If he wanted to hit driver he did

 

[wjemather]

If he wanted to hit driver he did

The point that was being made was that his choice to hit driver was wrong (fwiw, it's a point I don't actually agree with), so what he wants to hit isn't relevant. If it was the wrong club in regulation, it's still the wrong club in the playoff, whether he wants to hit it or not.

 

[hambugerpete]

I don't think so , he missed a short putt that he hasn't missed anywhere else all year. Too much is made of the whole caddy thing. One of his best assets is his driving, so why not use it.

 

[Slab]

I didn't see it live but do we know that his caddy didn't tell him to not hit the driver?

 

[Swango1980]

I think he does, but don't see it happening. They are good mates, and I suspect Rory will want to stay loyal. Only see them splitting if his caddy steps aside.

McIlroy may be his own man. But the US Open seemed to show the weakness in that approach. I think having a discussion with a caddy, even if you hit the club of your choice, can keep you in the present, and stop you mind running away with itself. It can also give you critical second opinion. Would McIlroy have hit it over the green on that Par 3 if he had a top class caddy? I think it is less likely.

But, it is what if. There is no proof he'd be better with a top class caddy, unless he actually does it. But, it still the case he has won 4 Majors, none of them with Harry Diamond. And it isn't like he is a worse golfer over last decade and faded away. He has always been up there with best in world, but in Majors he just looks like he is battling between his ears so much more than the other top players

 

[HomerJSimpson]

I simply don't see the issue with the caddy. No-one was complaining when Rory got himself into contention and was a few solid shots from victory. Never entered the conversation during or before the event and shouldn't after

 

[Golfnut1957]

Adam Scott had Steve Williams on the bag when he coughed up a 4 shot lead at the Open.

 

[Lord Tyrion]

Do we actually have many examples of a caddy taking a club out of a players hands? We often hear the comment thrown out but I'm not sure I've ever seen it. The big fear is that you put massive doubt in a players mind, often at a key moment. If the player feels confident about a shot, leave them be.

As many have already pointed out, this was lost by 2 poor putts. Should Harry have given him a wedge to putt with, taken the putter out of his hands?

 

[clubchamp98]

Have not heard any criticism of Bryson’s caddy letting him hit driver on 18th.
It could have cost him the trophy.

But in the end he got a par Rory didn’t.

 

[PJ87]

Have not heard any criticism of Bryson’s caddy letting him hit driver on 18th.
It could have cost him the trophy.

But in the end he got a par Rory didn’t.

Think that's the point though. There was an article linked where brysons caddy will give different views but then it's up to Bryson to decide what's best.

As opposed to Rory's set up

 

[Deleted member 29109]

Adam Scott had Steve Williams on the bag when he coughed up a 4 shot lead at the Open.

Look at all the majors Lee Westwood won with Foster on the ba…….. oh!

 

[Lord Tyrion]

Think that's the point though. There was an article linked where brysons caddy will give different views but then it's up to Bryson to decide what's best.

As opposed to Rory's set up

If he ignores the caddy though, what's the point? Bryson sprayed it everywhere on Sunday off the tee. The caddy may have suggested 5 iron on every tee but Bryson did his own thing. Rory makes his own decisions, it's how he works. Having a caddy question him over his selection is not going to work for him. Rightly or wrongly

 

[timd77]

One of the things that’s being used in the argument for a new caddy, is the club choice on the par 3 when he went over the back. Not sure if anyone picked it up, but Rory was waiting for the wind to die down, it was apparently a fairly strong wind from behind. In the end he had to hit, and I guess he hit the 7i to try and keep it out of the wind, whereas the 8i could’ve got picked up by the wind and completely flown the green!

No doubt they’ll have been discussing it but in the end you go with what you think is the right club. Doesn’t always work out and hindsight is a wonderful thing.

The driver is probably his biggest strength, nice little fade off that wasteland is in his locker 99 times out of 100. Assume he felt he needed a birdie to win the tournament, being close would’ve improved the chances of that. Again, hindsight…

Ultimately it was those 2 putts that cost him, you could see his head had gone after the first one (he looked rattled when he had a 3 footer for par on the 17th!). Not a lot any caddy can do there. Personally in that situation, someone you know and love telling you to calm down and breathe, would probably be more valuable than a career caddy. I dunno.

Saying all this, I wouldn’t be surprised if he changed at the end of the season.

 

[Imurg]

Harry has already won a tournament for Rory..
Back in 2021 Harry persuaded Rory to take a penalty rather than try and hit from an awkward lie in a penalty area....
Took the drop, went on to win.....
QED....

 

[Orikoru]

I didn't see it live but do we know that his caddy didn't tell him to not hit the driver?

I think this is probably the biggest factor. The whole reason Rory got Harry on the bag is that he doesn't want to be told what to do anyway. He'll make his own mind up, and perhaps to that degree it doesn't matter who's on the bag.

I'd still say it's worth a change though. Not to a caddie who's more forceful at telling him what to do as some suggest - as that might be a disaster if he refuses to accept being told what to do. But perhaps a caddie who's really good on the mental side of things to help him not have a breakdown whenever he's in contention for a major. Or maybe he's that mental there's just no helping him!

 

[sjw]

I simply don't see the issue with the caddy. No-one was complaining when Rory got himself into contention and was a few solid shots from victory. Never entered the conversation during or before the event and shouldn't after

No, but that was before two incorrect club choices

 

[Singlefiguregokfer]

I think this is probably the biggest factor. The whole reason Rory got Harry on the bag is that he doesn't want to be told what to do anyway. He'll make his own mind up, and perhaps to that degree it doesn't matter who's on the bag.

I'd still say it's worth a change though. Not to a caddie who's more forceful at telling him what to do as some suggest - as that might be a disaster if he refuses to accept being told what to do. But perhaps a caddie who's really good on the mental side of things to help him not have a breakdown whenever he's in contention for a major. Or maybe he's that mental there's just no helping him!

Do we know for definite that’s why Harry Diamond is his caddie?

 

[Singlefiguregokfer]

Think that's the point though. There was an article linked where brysons caddy will give different views but then it's up to Bryson to decide what's best.

As opposed to Rory's set up

You don’t think Harry gives thoughts and then Rory decides?

 

[Orikoru]

Do we know for definite that’s why Harry Diamond is his caddie?

That's what he told me anyway.