Rory McIlroy's caddie outearns two Masters winners this year with hefty paycheck

Rory McIlroy's childhood mate and long-standing caddie, Harry Diamond, has been by his side through thick and thin. The 41-year-old was the first to congratulate McIlroy after the world No. 2 clinched the Masters, completing the Grand Slam and ending an agonising 11-year wait for a major.

The Holywood duo first crossed paths on the putting greens of their local golf club. Although Diamond isn't a professional golfer himself, he's raked in more cash than many top players in recent years.

In 2025 alone, it's estimated that McIlroy's right-hand man has pocketed around £1.2million. This figure is based on McIlroy's winnings of roughly £12.2m, as it is standard practice for a caddie to receive about 10% of their player's prize money.

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Diamond's projected 2025 earnings exceed those of former Masterschampions Zach Johnson and Danny Willett, who have bagged around £651,000 and £397,000 this year, respectively. However, it's also possible that Diamond receives a weekly wage topped up with a bonus of around 7-10 percent.

Naturally, only Diamond and McIlroy can confirm or refute the specifics of their arrangement, but the above is generally accepted as the norm in the sport. One thing's for sure; McIlroy would find it very odd to compete in a major without his mate by his side.

The five-time major champion didn't hold back on his appreciation for Diamond after clinching the Masters title. In a heartfelt interview at Augusta, McIlroy recalled a pivotal moment shared with his close confidant during the tense play-off hole against Justin Rose.

McIlroy had just missed what could have been the winning putt on the 18th when he and Diamond prepared for the additional challenge. Recounting the experience, McIlroy said: "After scoring, Harry and I were walking to the golf cart to bring us back to the 18th tee.

"He said to me, 'Well, pal, we would have taken this on Monday morning.' I'm like, 'Yeah, absolutely we would have.' That was an easy reset. He basically said to me, 'Look, you would have given your right arm to be in a playoff at the start of the week.' So that sort of reframed it a little bit for me."

In the aftermath of his victory, McIlroy was quick to acknowledge Diamond's role in his success. He added: "I've known Harry since I was seven years old.

"I met him on the putting green at Holywood Golf Club. We've had so many good times together. He's been like a big brother to me the whole way through my life.

"To be able to share this with him after all the close calls that we've had, all the c**p that he's had to take from people that don't know anything about the game, yeah, this one is just as much his as it is mine.

"He's a massive part of what I do, and I couldn't think of anyone better to share it with than him."