Legendary caddie Billy Foster believes Rory McIlroy is the man to beat in the major championships this year and that it is unfair to blame Harry Diamond for his eleven-year drought.
McIlroy and Diamond joined forces in 2017 and have won everything there is to win in the game except for one of the four major championships with McIlroy’s previous four triumphs coming alongside caddie JP Fitzgerald before they parted ways.
After a heartbreaking loss at the US Open last year, Shane Lowry launched a staunch defence of bagman Diamond stating he is the best man to caddie for McIlroy and Foster, who recently split from Matthew Fitzpatrick, three years after winning their first major together at the US Open followed suit on Diamond’s defence.
“The criticism is not fair at all,” Foster told Prime Casino https://www.primecasino.co.uk/blog/journal/billy-foster-exclusive/
“It makes me laugh really at the people getting on his back. He has just won two signature events and The Players’ Championship, in four starts and they’re still on his back.
“Give the lad a break. He’s a very good caddie. Harry, don’t read the shite. That’s simple as. Because it is shite.
“Somebody’s opinion that is not educated, I think it’s wrong. I’d leave Harry alone. Rory’s playing better than anybody this year and they’re still giving the caddy flack. It’s out of order.”
Diamond has regularly been a whipping boy for some of McIlroy’s agonising near misses in major championships, but Foster believes the pair work very well together.
“Harry is his best mate, isn’t he? He has always been. He was there before he started caddying for him. Harry was his best mate. Harry’s a very good golfer in his own right too.
“He’s a plus two handicap or whatever he is and keeps himself to himself. He does everything right, he just needs to be left alone and left to get on with it.
“He does a really good job. I can only see the relationship getting stronger and stronger. He’s caddied for him for a number of years now.
“Listen, we all make mistakes out there and you learn from them. You move on and that’s it.”
“You can only have one mind and that’s about concentrating on the tournament. Use the newspapers as fish and chip paper.
“Just prepare and do your best for the tournament you’re involved in. You can’t look back. You’ve got to move forward.”
Foster believes that last year’s US Open heartache could be a blessing in disguise and he has seen a different side to McIlroy in the early part of 2025.
McIlroy himself has spoken about learning from Scottie Scheffler’s disciplined side of the game and that has come to fruition in his wins at Pebble Beach and the Players Championship.
“I think what happened to Rory at the US Open last year has made him into a different animal to be quite honest. It’s made him stronger, what happened to him.
“I said it at the start of the season, I think it’ll make him a lot stronger going forward and he’s showing that already. The way he played the last hole at Pebble Beach, an iron off the tee and laying it up and chipping on, which the Rory of old would have probably wanged a driver down there, he’s maturing and looks mentally stronger through what happened at the US Open last year.
“It’s just my own personal opinion but it’s the way he’s carrying himself and the way he’s speaking. You can tell he’s a bit steelier and wiser. I can see him having a really, really big season.”
Foster seems firmly in the McIlroy camp and is adamant that the Holywood man will have his star moment at least once this season with the Masters just a fortnight away.
“I find it staggering if Rory doesn’t win a major this year. Obviously it’s only one month out of 11 this year but I think he’s playing so well. To think he won’t win at least one major this year, that would be amazing.
“Rory is up there as the best player in the world again this year. He is in the official world ranking points this year too, he’s earned the most points so far, so he’s obviously the hottest player in the world right now.”
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