Rory McIlroy has shared the early Christmas present he received from his caddie, Harry Diamond, after the Northern Irishman won the Masters to complete the grand slam
(Image: Richard Heathcote, Getty Images)
Rory McIlroy has disclosed the early Christmas gift he was given by his caddie, Harry Diamond. The golfer is presently taking some well-deserved time off following a remarkable year that saw him cement his place in golfing folklore forever.
The Northern Irishman joined an exclusive club of just six male golfers to achieve the career grand slam when he triumphed at the Masters in April.
McIlroy subsequently played his part in Team Europe’s Ryder Cup victory on American territory later in the campaign.
His most recent competitive outing was at the Australian Open, where he carded seven-under-par to finish in a tie for 14th place at Royal Melbourne Golf Club in his season finale. This left him eight strokes behind champion Rasmus Neergaard-Petersen, who completed the tournament at 15-under-par.
Now that the 2025 season has drawn to a close, McIlroy has seized the chance to look back on a campaign that witnessed him write his name into golfing legend, reports the Mirror.
The 36 year old disclosed that his caddie presented him with a memento celebrating his historic accomplishment.
“Harry [Diamond] gave this to me sort of as an early Christmas present in Australia last week, and it’s the first time that anyone has really seen it,” McIlroy revealed on The Shotgun Start podcast by Fried Egg Golf.
McIlroy proceeded to display a framed Augusta National scorecard bearing four autographs.
The signatures belonged to the other five career grand slam champions – Gene Sarazen, Ben Hogan, Gary Player, Jack Nicklaus and Tiger Woods. McIlroy went on: “He [Diamond] brought me this with a Sharpie and said, ‘Do you want to sign it?’ And I said, ‘Absolutely not’.
“I just said I hope I don’t have to get Scottie [Scheffler] to sign it next year,” McIlroy joked.
Scheffler boasts four majors in his collection and has already secured victories at the Masters, PGA Championship and The Open. Should he triumph at the US Open next year at Shinnecock Hills, Scheffler would join McIlroy amongst the elite group of grand slam champions.
The grand slam and Ryder Cup weren’t the only highlights of McIlroy’s stellar year. He also claimed a seventh Race to Dubai crown, surpassing the six achieved by Seve Ballesteros and moving within one of Colin Montgomerie’s record of eight season-long titles.
Given McIlroy’s triumphant year, Diamond may well have been set to pocket a substantial share of the prize money.
According to Golf Monthly, caddies typically earn between five to 10 percent of the total prize money when their player claims victory in a tournament.
The publication suggests that, based on McIlroy’s total earnings for the year, Diamond could have banked $1.67million (£1.24m) in bonuses, depending on what percentage of the Masters champion’s winnings was passed on to his caddie. McIlroy’s inaugural tournament of 2026 may be just around the corner, with the PGA Tour season set to kick off in Hawaii.
The Sony Open is scheduled for January 15-18 at the Waialae Country Club, presenting McIlroy with a chance to start his year on a high note with a win.