Rory McIlroy fights back tears when talking about caddie and shares 10-word message before playoff

Rory McIlroy fought back tears as he shared his emotional triumph with his caddie and friend Harry Diamond. And revealed his bagman gave him a crucial pep talk before completing his career Grand Slam.

"This one is just as much his as it is mine," said. Former amateur star Diamond has been a target of criticism since taking the job with McIlroy in 2017.

When the Ryder Cup star made the first of three late bogeys at No.15 Hank Haney blamed Diamond for the wrong choice of club and said Steve Williams would have stepped in to stop the “bad decision”.

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But after beating Justin Rose in a playoff to win his fifth Major, only child McIlroy had to stop and compose himself when asked about his childhood pal. “I've known Harry since I was seven years old,” he said. “I met him on the putting green at Holywood 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 crap 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.”

McIlroy missed two short putts to lose the US Open - and cold not hope a five-foot par putt on the 72nd hole to win the Masters in regulation. But the No.2 revealed that his caddie played a vital role in lifting him before beating Rose at the first extra hole.

“After scoring, Harry and I were walking to the golf cart to bring us back to the 18th tee, and 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 re-set. 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. Yeah, again, I just kept telling myself, just make the same swing you made in regulation. And I hit a great drive up there, and yeah, the rest is history.”

Asked where his fifth Major win rated among the best days of his life, McIlroy said: “It's up there. I'm not going to compare it to life moments like a marriage or having a child. But it's the best day of my golfing life. And yeah, I'm very proud of myself.

"I'm proud of never giving up. I'm proud of how I kept coming back and dusting myself off and not letting the disappointments really get to me. Talking about that eternal optimist again. Yeah, very proud.”