Rory McIlroy kept golf fans on the sting of their seats during this yr’s Masters, resulting in the famed golfer finally hoisting the trophy that has alluded him during his skilled profession.
After ending regulation play, McIlroy, 35, found himself tied with fellow golfer Justin Rose. McIlroy missed a putt to save lots of par, dropping him to -11, the identical as Rose. In consequence, the pair squared off in a sudden death playoff hole.
McIlroy gave his daughter, Poppy, and his wife, Erica Stoll, a kiss after the dramatic end of regulation play and before going head-to-head against Rose.
The golfer won all of it after 4 rounds of standard play and the primary sudden death playoff hole. He celebrated with Poppy on the green, wrapping his daughter up in an enormous hug. He also, once more, embraced his wife as he wept.
The last sudden death playoff on the Masters occurred in 2017, between Sergio Garcia and Rose. Rose walked away empty-handed then, too.
McIlroy’s path toward his win was marked by a disastrous performance throughout the tournament’s opening round. The golfer, 35, had two double bogeys in his final 4 holes at Augusta National Golf Club on Thursday, April 10, which left him to complete with an even-par 72 and 7 shots off the lead.
He also refused to talk to the media after the performance, something that prompted negative responses from fans on social media. His decision got here only days after he had defended an expert golfer’s right to not speak to the press.
“Every other athlete, whether it’s within the NBA, NFL, they’re obligated to talk to you guys after a game. We’re not,” McIlroy told reporters during a pre-tournament press conference on Tuesday, April 8. “Whether that’s something that the PGA Tour looks to by way of putting that into their rules and regulations, but so long as that’s not the case and now we have that choice to opt out every time we wish, expect guys to do this infrequently.”
The refusal was a part of a pattern of behavior from McIlroy. He also refused to talk to reporters after the ultimate round of the 2024 U.S. Open last June.
The Irish golfer can also be navigating the excitement that comes with participating in point of fact TV. His marriage is a featured topic within the third season of Netflix’s Full Swing. “I’ve struggled with attempting to be the most effective golfer, the most effective husband, the most effective dad,” McIlroy, 35, confessed within the season 3 trailer for the hit docuseries.
McIlroy and Stoll filed for divorce in May 2024 after seven years of marriage. In keeping with court documents obtained by Us, McIlroy said the wedding was “irretrievably broken.”
“Rory McIlroy’s communications team confirmed today that a divorce has been filed,” a spokeswoman for McIlroy told the Irish Star that very same month. “They stressed Rory’s desire to make sure this difficult time is as respectful and amicable as possible. He won’t be making any further comment.”
Rory McIlroy and wife Erica Stoll sparked a romance after years of friendship. The professional golfer initially met Stoll in 2012 while he was still dating tennis player Caroline Wozniacki. (The exes split in 2014 after three years and were briefly engaged.) “The thing I like about it’s that we were friends before anything […]
Though the golf community was stunned by the news, not everyone was surprised. “A degree of contention in Rory’s marriage with Erica was that Erica was lonely of their marriage,” a source exclusively told Us in May 2024, claiming, “Rory was a tough person to be married to.”
In June 2024, McIlroy filed a notice of voluntary dismissal, which negated the divorce proceedings. “Over the past weeks, Erica and I even have realized that our greatest future was as a family together,” McIlroy told The Guardian in an announcement on the time. “Thankfully, now we have resolved our differences and look ahead to a brand new starting.”
