Rory McIlroy considers long-time caddie JP Fitzgerald a close friend, but says he had to sacrifice his professional relationship for the sake of his game.
Fitzgerald was on McIlroy’s bag for all four of his Major wins and nine years in total, but the Northern Irishman’s recent slump – missed cuts at the Irish and Scottish Opens – meant something had to give.
‘I still consider JP one of my best friends, one of my closest friends, but sometimes to preserve a personal relationship, you might have to sacrifice a professional one and that was sort of the decision that I came to in the end,’ McIlroy said on Wednesday, ahead of the World Golf Championships-Bridgestone Invitational.
‘I was getting very hard on him on the golf course and I don’t want to treat anyone like that, but sometimes this game drives you to that,’ he said.
‘I got to the point where if I didn’t play a good shot or if I made a wrong decision, I was getting more frustrated at him than I was at myself. I would much rather be angry at myself for making a wrong decision than being angry at him.
‘It’s a big change. JP has been a huge part of my life.’
Harry Diamond will carry his bag at Firestone Country Club in Akron, Ohio.
The world number four hasn’t won since the Tour Championship last September.
