A Gift for the Ages: How Rory McIlroy’s Caddie Commemorated a Historic Masters Win

Rory McIlroy’s long-awaited triumph at Augusta National carried meaning far beyond another major championship.

With childhood friend and longtime caddie Harry Diamond on the bag, McIlroy finally slipped on the green jacket, completed the career Grand Slam and erased years of heartbreak at the Masters. It was also his first major victory shared with the person who has been alongside him since the very beginning.

“I’ve known Harry since I was seven years old,” McIlroy said after the win. “We’ve had so many good times together. After all the close calls — and all the criticism he’s taken from people who don’t really understand the game — this one is just as much his as it is mine.”

In the months following the Masters, McIlroy has spoken about wanting to continue chasing major championships with Diamond at iconic venues like Pebble Beach and St. Andrews. Together, they’ve already accomplished something rare in golf. Still, Diamond found a fitting way to honor the moment.

While the two were in Australia, Diamond presented McIlroy with an early Christmas gift: an Augusta National scorecard signed by every player who has completed the career Grand Slam.

“Harry brought it to me with a Sharpie and said, ‘Do you want to sign it?’” McIlroy said on The Shotgun Start. “I said, ‘No — absolutely not. I just hope I don’t have to get Scottie to sign it next year.’”

Diamond’s importance was never clearer than on that tense Sunday afternoon at Augusta. After McIlroy missed a short putt on the 18th hole to win outright, the two regrouped behind the clubhouse before a sudden-death playoff with Justin Rose.

Diamond delivered a simple reminder that helped reset McIlroy’s mindset.

“He said, ‘We would’ve taken this on Monday morning,’” McIlroy recalled. “That reframed everything for me.”

Minutes later, McIlroy striped his tee shot, hit a laser approach and poured in the birdie that finally secured the green jacket and his place in golf history.

For McIlroy and Diamond, it was a victory defined not just by talent, but by loyalty, belief and a partnership that withstood every setback along the way.