McIlroy brings old friend off the bench to caddie in Canada

TORONTO, Ont. – Even though Rory McIlroy has a different caddy this week at the RBC Canadian Open, it hasn’t seemed to impact his performance through 36 holes.

McIlroy’s usual caddy, Harry Diamond, is at home as he and his wife are expecting their second child any day.

The defending RBC Canadian Open champion is using long-time friend Niall O’Connor instead. O’Connor caddied for McIlroy once before, at the 2019 DP World Championship in Dubai. The pair met in their late teens.

O’Connor played high-level rugby for Ulster and roomed with a good friend of McIlroy’s. He’s also a keen golfer.

“Sort of bonded through my love of rugby and him playing and our love of golf,” said McIlroy. “He made the move over to the States a few years ago and (we) kept close.”

McIlroy sits at 6-under heading into the weekend and is near the top of the leaderboard as he looks to defend a PGA TOUR title for the first time.

“Overall it was a good score today,” said McIlroy. “I scrambled well when I needed to. I didn't really take advantage of how well I hit it off the tee. But overall I felt it was, a couple under was a fair reflection of how the day went.”

McIlroy said Diamond, who he has worked with since 2017, is “hopefully” on the bag next week at the U.S. Open.