Rory McIlroy Reportedly Sacks Caddie JP Fitzgerald After 4 Major Wins in 9 Years

World No. 4 golfer Rory McIlroy has reportedly ended a nine-year partnership with his caddie JP Fitzgerald.

According to Reuters (h/t The Independent), an unnamed source confirmed McIlroy took the decision to sack Fitzgerald ahead of this week's World Golf Championships-Bridgestone Invitational. 

Fitzgerald accompanied McIlroy during his rise to the top of the sport, which included a world No. 1 ranking and four major titles.

The last of those major titles came in 2014, when McIlroy won the USPGA Championship. Since that win, the closest he has come to one of the big four titles was at the 2015 Masters, when he was fourth, and most recently at The Open 2017, when he was tied fourth.

Betting company Bet365 broke down the success McIlroy had working alongside Fitzgerald:

At the 2017 Open at Royal Birkdale, McIlroy stumbled out of the blocks in Round 1 and found himself at five-over par for the tournament. However, some colourful language from his caddie helped kick the 28-year-old into gear.

"You're Rory McIlroy, what the f--k are you doing?" said Fitzgerald, prompting a strong recovery from the four-time major winner, per Andy Bull of The Guardian.

However, it appears McIlroy is keen for some fresh thinking alongside him on course. Former Westlife singer Brian McFadden doesn't think he'll be short of offers:

Between 2011 and 2014, when McIlroy won all of his major championships, there was a sense he was a player with the potential to dominate golf. But his form has plateaued while players like Dustin Johnson and Jordan Spieth have kicked on, and McIlroy has found himself out of contention in many of the massive events.

Sam Greenwood/Getty Images

There's no denying the talent is there for him to rescale the summit of the golfing world, and someone new alongside the Northern Irishman may well jolt him into life again. 

It means there'll be even more focus on McIlroy at the upcoming USPGA Championship, which gets under way at Quail Hollow Club in Charlotte, North Carolina, on August 10.