WHY HAS RORY GOT RID OF HIS ‘BEST MAN?’
McIlroy in dramatic split with his caddie of nine years
Rory McIlroy’s year of change and upheaval took another jarring turn yesterday with the surprise announcement he has parted company with his caddie JP Fitzgerald.
The shock development, reported by reuters and expected to be made official by the player tomorrow, comes as McIlroy makes his final preparations for two events he hopes will transform his stuttering season.
The pair were together for nine years, and experienced everything from four major championship victories and three ryder Cup successes to a meltdown at the Masters and a major drought that has now lasted three seasons.
Ironically, Fitzgerald bows out following praise from McIlroy for his contribution to the latter’s revival in their last event together at the open at royal Birkdale less than a fortnight ago. Five over after just six holes, it was Fitzgerald who took rory to one side and reminded him of his gifts with a memorable line: ‘you’re rory McIlroy, what the f*** are you doing?’
McIlroy publicly thanked his caddie for the ‘great job’ he had done in rekindling his spirits, as he stormed home in 32 shots for a 71. He eventually finished tied fourth.
‘He’s had to do it a few times, and he’s never afraid to do so,’ McIlroy said. ‘JP kept me positive out there, so that was very much appreciated.’
If coming so soon after such glowing praise made the parting bizarre, the fact it occurred as McIlroy anticipates a pair of events on two of his favourite courses merely added to the mystery.
Instead of a gentle warm-up for the Bridgestone Invitational at Firestone this week, where he won with Fitzgerald on the bag in 2014, McIlroy will now spend the eve of the tournament being bombarded with questions about the split. The following week it will be the same at the Us PGA Championship at Quail Hollow, a venue where McIlroy and Fitzgerald have been successful on two occasions.
At least the split fits the pattern of McIlroy’s year, where nearly all the headlines have been for things other than his sterling golf. The trend was set with the rib injury he suffered in January that would keep him on the sidelines for seven weeks, before a further three-week lay-off in May. McIlroy also got married in April, changed his clubs to TaylorMade in a 10-year deal worth £80million, before this change of caddie.
over the years, McIlroy was a staunch defender of Fitzgerald when he came in for criticism. It began after that infamous collapse at the Masters in 2011, with BBC analyst Jay Townsend pointing the finger at Fitzgerald three months later, despite McIlroy having won the Us open in the meantime.
‘JP can’t stand up for himself in the media,’ said McIlroy. ‘I have to stand up for him because he is the best man I can have on my bag. He has taken me from 200 in the world to major champion.’
In fact, Fitzgerald was not happy with his own performance on that occasion at Augusta but clearly learned, and the bond he and McIlroy established in adversity certainly paid dividends in the stressful moments that followed over the years. Fitzgerald’s standing is such that he would not struggle for another top bag if he wants one — but, with an estimated £7m banked during his partnership with McIlroy, he might decide to walk away and indulge his love of horse racing.
This is the second such split to shock the golf world in a month, after Phil Mickelson parted company with Jim ‘Bones’ McKay, who had carried his clubs for 25 years. At least Mickelson replaced him with someone else who knew his game well — his brother Tim, a golf coach in his own right, and manager to spanish player Jon rahm.
No word yet on who will succeed Fitzgerald long-term, but McIlroy’s childhood friend Harry Diamond is expected to get the job for this week’s Bridgestone Invitational and the UsPGA next week. After that, it is clearly the most lucrative bag to become available for many years.