Rory McIlroy speaks with pure grace about decision to sack caddie

It's an honest interview and it must've been a tough one.

Rory McIlroy copped a load of flak during the week for parting ways with long-term caddie JP Fitzgerald. After nine years together and four major titles, the county Down native made the decision to look for a new partner after an unsuccessful Open tournament and, let's get real, no individual sportsman or woman comes out of those career moves unanimously popular. See: Every single one of Andy Murray's coaching changes. That lad has notions. However, at a press conference at the WGC Bridgestone Invitational, McIlroy laid out the blunt reasons why he had to let go of JP Fitzgerald and it's hard not to feel some admiration for him. The golfer admitted that he was becoming too hard on the caddie and taking his frustrations out on him and, ultimately, he wanted to preserve their friendship which was seemingly in danger if their working relationship carried on as it was.