"They never say anything good"- Rory McIlroy slams golf analyst's 'unfair' criticism of his caddie

Rory McIlroy's caddie Harry Diamond drew criticism from both Hank Haney and Smylie Kaufman after the US Open. They believe that Diamond didn't step in to help McIlroy in critical moments, thus contributing to the shocking loss. McIlroy has come out in defense of his caddie.

He said that Haney hasn't been in that position, calling the criticism "unfair." He noted that Kaufman was out there with McIlroy and his caddie, but that it was a one-time thing that doesn't necessarily make him an expert.

McIlroy said via Sports Illustrated:

“But just because Harry is not as vocal or loud with his words as other caddies, it doesn't mean that he doesn't say anything and that he doesn't do anything. I just wish that these guys who criticize when things don't go my way ... they never say anything good when things do go my way."

He questioned where the criticism was when McIlroy won in Dubai earlier this year. He won at Quail Hollow for the Wells Fargo Championship and has won two FedEx Cups and two Ryder Cups with Diamond as his caddie. He called out Kaufman and Haney for not congratulating Diamond when he and McIlroy won but only criticizing over losses.

He summed it up by saying:

“At the end of the day, they are not there. They are not in the arena. They are not the ones hitting the shots and making the decisions. Someone said to me once, you would never—if you would never take advice from these people, you would never take their criticisms, either."

He said he "certainly" wouldn't get any advice from Haney. While he is fond of Kaufman, McIlroy believes both he and Diamond know better about what they should or shouldn't do.

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What criticism did Rory McIlroy's caddie receive?

It's very easy to assign blame after a loss like the one Rory McIlroy endured. He missed two three-foot putts in the final three holes and squandered a lead to Bryson DeChambeau at the US Open. It was a stunning collapse, and it prompted criticism from Hank Haney and Smylie Kaufman.

Rory McIlroy defended his caddie (Source: Imagn)

They called out Harry Diamond, McIlroy's caddie. Haney said that Diamond should have stepped in on the 15th hole and pushed McIlroy to use a different club that might have led to more success.

He also said that even Tiger Woods' former caddie would have stepped in and not allowed Woods to make some of the decisions McIlroy made. Kaufman said (via Sports Illustrated):

“I don’t ever really see Harry stepping in a ton. Rory always, if he has a question, he’ll ask, but for the most part, Rory kind of goes and does his thing and he’s got a lot of feel.”

That forced Rory McIlroy to hit back, coming to the defense of his friend and caddie.