As Rory McIlroy claims a stunning back-to-back Masters triumph, the spotlight falls on his trusted caddie Harry Diamond and how his growing net worth compares to Tiger Woods’ legendary bagman Steve Williams, who amassed an estimated £15.7m fortune.
Rory McIlroy has at last overcome his Augusta struggles by securing consecutive Masters titles, becoming only the fourth player in history to achieve the extraordinary feat.
The Northern Irish golfer dominated proceedings throughout much of the competition before eventually fending off Scottie Scheffler to claim his second green jacket.
While McIlroy took the spotlight, the man standing alongside him, Harry Diamond, was also savouring a significant moment. The caddie’s role has transformed from simply carrying clubs to becoming a crucial, high-pressure partnership – and this evolution is unmistakably reflected in the earnings of those supporting golf’s elite players.
Diamond, a childhood friend of McIlroy, has witnessed his personal wealth grow substantially after years working alongside Rory. However, even his impressive bank balance falls short of the benchmark set by Tiger Woods’ iconic former caddie, Steve Williams.
The New Zealander, who worked intimately with Woods from 1999 to 2011, accumulated a level of wealth rarely seen in the profession before. He stood beside Tiger for 13 of his 15 major championship victories. Throughout that extraordinary period of dominance, he accumulated considerable wealth, with his net worth estimated at around $20 million (£15.7m). At the peak of “Tiger-mania,” his combined earnings from prize-money percentages and sponsorship deals were so vast that he ranked among the highest-paid sportspeople in the United States, according to the Mirror, reports the Irish Mirror.
His income mirrored Woods’ remarkable winning percentage, which consistently hovered around 30 per cent — a benchmark that today’s players find difficult to match. While Joe LaCava also earned handsomely during Tiger’s later campaigns, including the unforgettable 2019 Masters victory, it is the Williams era that continues to set the standard for caddie earnings.
Since taking up the position as McIlroy’s full-time caddie in 2017, Harry Diamond has repeatedly faced criticism from detractors — particularly during the latter stages of McIlroy’s decade-long pursuit of a fifth major — yet the 2025 Masters triumph silenced those critics, and the 2026 victory only further cemented his worth.
The financial landscape of professional golf has changed dramatically since the early 2000s, with prize funds climbing to record-breaking levels. Following McIlroy’s Augusta victory this weekend, which earned him an unprecedented $4.5m (£3.36m) winner’s cheque, Diamond is believed to have walked away with a considerable $450,000 (£336,000) from that tournament alone. Given that caddies generally earn 10 per cent of tournament winnings and approximately seven per cent for a top-10 finish, Diamond’s long-standing partnership with one of golf’s finest has accumulated considerable wealth. Reports indicate his total career earnings working with McIlroy have now exceeded €10m (£8.5m).
The contrast between Diamond and Williams underscores how significantly the profession has evolved. Williams worked during a period when he attained near-celebrity status, capitalising on Tiger’s global fame to build his own public profile.
By comparison, Diamond embodies the contemporary, understated professional – a dependable partner who offers a degree of reassurance that McIlroy claims “probably no one else in the world could.”
While Williams presently holds the record for highest net worth, Diamond is steadily narrowing the gap and should McIlroy continue his major championship triumphs, a new record-holder may well emerge.
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