Did Rory McIlroy’s Caddie Miss a Crucial Intervention at the U.S. Open? One Analyst Thinks So

Did Rory McIlroy’s Caddie Miss a Crucial Intervention at the U.S. Open? One Analyst Thinks So

Rory McIlroy, one of golf’s most decorated players, experienced a heart-wrenching near-miss at the U.S. Open. With his ball resting just 3 feet, 9 inches from the hole on the 18th during the final round, he missed. Earlier, on the 16th hole, he faced a similar situation from 2 feet, 6 inches and again, missed. However, as significant as these moments were, Smylie Kaufman, a former PGA Tour player and now an NBC analyst, points to a decision on the 15th hole as the critical juncture where McIlroy’s fate was sealed. According to Kaufman, a different choice could have changed the outcome of the championship that ultimately slipped into Bryson DeChambeau’s hands.

 

The Crucial Decision on the 15th Hole

During the final round at Pinehurst, on the daunting 205-yard par-3 15th hole, McIlroy opted for a 7-iron. His ball subsequently rolled off the back of the green, nestling perilously close to a patch of native grass. Kaufman believes this was the pivotal moment, where McIlroy’s caddie, Harry Diamond, should have stepped in and provided crucial guidance.

 

“I felt like Harry Diamond really should have stepped in on the 15th hole,” Kaufman remarked during a recent episode of GOLF’s Subpar podcast.

 

A Missed Opportunity: Could an 8-Iron Have Changed Everything?

Kaufman, who walked with McIlroy during the Open, suggested that an 8-iron would have been a more prudent choice. In his view, hitting to the middle of the green with an 8-iron, rather than attempting a delicate, spin-laden fade with a 7-iron, would have been the safer bet.

 

“He did not have the right club in his hands,” Kaufman stated on the podcast. “I felt like Rory could have taken control of the championship on 15 if he just hits it in the middle of the green. And he hit a good shot. But it just was the wrong club. And never, never was a 7-iron for Rory. Especially with a right flag. If the wind was down off the right, it’s not exactly a flag and a wind condition and the heat to be able to land it in a hula hoop, where you got to hit this kind of soft, spinny, fade 7-iron. It was an 8-iron all day, hit it in the middle of the green. I would say that was a huge, huge mistake.”

 

The Consequences: A Bogey-Strewn Finish

After his misjudged tee shot on the 15th, McIlroy executed a bump-and-run chip to 31 feet but missed the putt to the left, initiating a disastrous stretch where he bogeyed three of his final four holes. Kaufman emphasized that leaving the ball short on the 15th would have been a more favorable position, underscoring the significance of the club selection error.

 

The McIlroy-Diamond Dynamic: Should the Caddie Have Intervened?

 

This incident sparked a broader conversation among the Subpar podcast hosts, including Drew Stoltz and Colt Knost, both of whom have significant on-course experience. They examined the dynamic between McIlroy and Diamond, questioning whether the caddie should have been more assertive in such a crucial moment.

 

“To be fair, and I want to maybe ask Colt about this, too, it’s not unusual for Rory to kind of make all the decisions,” Kaufman noted. “I don’t really ever 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. I don’t know if you feel that way, too.”

 

Knost echoed Kaufman’s sentiments but added a nuanced perspective on modern caddying.

 

“Well, in my opinion, and this isn’t a knock on a lot of the caddies, but a lot of the caddies nowadays are much more vocal. You know, they’re on TV a lot more. And Harry’s very soft-spoken. I think he does give his opinion; it’s just not out loud for the boom mic to pick up like a lot of the other guys.”

 

A Quiet Influence: The Role of Harry Diamond

Kaufman and Knost both acknowledged that Diamond, despite his soft-spoken nature, does provide input to McIlroy. However, Kaufman’s critique was pointed: the decision on the 15th hole was crucial, and in his view, it was mishandled.

 

“I think he is very soft-spoken and he’s not out there to be heard or anything like that. But he does give his opinion to Rory. Harry’s a great player, by the way. There’s a lot of criticisms. … Should he move on? And I was like, dude, Rory feels comfortable with his guy. It’s one of his best friends in the world, they’ve won together — I mean, it’s not Harry out there hitting the shots,” Knost added, defending the player-caddie partnership.

 

Reflecting on the What-Ifs: A Single Shot’s Impact

Kaufman’s assessment boiled down to the fundamental nature of the error: a good shot executed with the wrong club. This misstep underscored the thin margins in professional golf where one miscalculation can determine the outcome of an entire championship.

 

“I just think there was a wrong decision made, and when it comes down to one shot, which it did, there was one shot that …” Kaufman trailed off, underscoring the weight of that single moment.

 

Stoltz chimed in, emphasizing the importance of the miss location. “The miss was in the wrong spot, I think is the bottom line. If you’re going to miss anything, if you’re in between, like we got to be short.”

 

The Fine Line Between Victory and Defeat

In the high-stakes world of professional golf, decisions on club selection and shot execution are scrutinized intensely. For McIlroy, this particular moment at the U.S. Open serves as a poignant reminder of the razor-thin line between victory and defeat. As Kaufman concluded, “In my head, as a player, when you execute a shot exactly how you’re supposed to and it ends up in a terrible spot, you have to look at, all right, what happened here. Because that’s what happened at the 15th hole. I know Pinehurst, there’s a lot of luck involved. Maybe that ball doesn’t bounce as hard and it stays in that fairway cut and he chips up and makes a bogey anyways. OK, that’s fine. I think I’m talking about it because of where the golf ball ended up, that when a pro hits a good shot and ends up in a bad place, you got to have to question the club and the decision.”

 

This analysis highlights the intense scrutiny that players and their caddies face, especially in moments that define their careers. As fans and analysts alike dissect each decision, it becomes clear that the journey to victory is often decided by the smallest of margins.