section_path: Professional career/2017: Winless season, injury problems
section_name: 2017: Winless season, injury problems
paragraph_text: 2017: Winless season, injury problems
  
  At the end of 2016, Nike announced their withdrawal from the golf equipment market, releasing players from their contracts early. After spending several months trying different clubs and balls, McIlroy signed a $100 million endorsement deal with TaylorMade.
  
  McIlroy did not win during 2017, the first time he had a winless year since 2008. He was hampered throughout the season by a rib injury first sustained at the BMW SA Open in January, where he lost out on the title in a playoff to Graeme Storm, McIlroy played a limited schedule as a result of injury, although he did record top-10 finishes at both the 2017 Masters Tournament and 2017 Open Championship. In his final start of the season, McIlroy finished tied-63rd at the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship in October. He said after the event that he was going to take a three-month break to recuperate from his injuries. Having started the year at 2nd in the OWGR, McIlroy dropped to 11th by the end of the year.
  
  Late in the 2017 season, McIlroy parted ways with JP Fitzgerald, who had been his caddie since 2008, and hired Harry Diamond, a former Irish amateur international golfer and childhood friend of McIlroy. McIlroy said he had been "inundated" with caddie requests, including from Jim "Bones" Mackay and Tiger Woods' former caddie Steve Williams, but decided to opt for Diamond on a permanent basis after a successful trial period.
  
  At the end of 2016, Nike announced their withdrawal from the golf equipment market, releasing players from their contracts early. After spending several months trying different clubs and balls, McIlroy signed a $100 million endorsement deal with TaylorMade.
  
  McIlroy did not win during 2017, the first time he had a winless year since 2008. He was hampered throughout the season by a rib injury first sustained at the BMW SA Open in January, where he lost out on the title in a playoff to Graeme Storm, McIlroy played a limited schedule as a result of injury, although he did record top-10 finishes at both the 2017 Masters Tournament and 2017 Open Championship. In his final start of the season, McIlroy finished tied-63rd at the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship in October. He said after the event that he was going to take a three-month break to recuperate from his injuries. Having started the year at 2nd in the OWGR, McIlroy dropped to 11th by the end of the year.
  
  Late in the 2017 season, McIlroy parted ways with JP Fitzgerald, who had been his caddie since 2008, and hired Harry Diamond, a former Irish amateur international golfer and childhood friend of McIlroy. McIlroy said he had been "inundated" with caddie requests, including from Jim "Bones" Mackay and Tiger Woods' former caddie Steve Williams, but decided to opt for Diamond on a permanent basis after a successful trial period.