New Details Emerge On Rory McIlroy Romance Rumors After Divorce
Stand down, Rory McIlroy fans — his rumored relationship with journalist Amanda Balionis isn't what it seems.
Over the last seven years, the professional golfer has made his fans swoon with his adorable marriage to wife Erica Stoll. Ahead of their 2017 wedding, McIlroy gushed about his then fiancé, describing her as a great influence on him. "For me, Erica brings such a level of normality to everything... and has given such a great balance to my life," he told The Irish Independent. However, on May 14, 2024, their love story came to an abrupt end when McIlroy filed for divorce. In documents obtained by the New York Post, the Northern Irish golfer cited that their marriage has "irretrievably broken." In addition to requesting split custody of their daughter, Poppy McIlroy, the PGA winner asked the court to honor their prenuptial agreement.
However, as with many divorces, the situation turned messy after rumors started to swirl that he was romantically involved with CBS sports reporter Amanda Balionis, who's married to football coach Bryn Renner. The gossip initially stemmed from the pair's May 12, 2024 interview at the Wells Fargo Championship, with some people accusing the two of having a flirty exchange. While the rumors have continued to spread like wildfire, we finally have a solid answer on the nature of their relationship: It's strictly professional.
Rory and Amanda share a professional relationship
Since Rory McIlory filed for divorce from his wife Erica Stoll, he and CBS sports reporter Amanda Balionis have been plagued by romance rumors. On May 21, 2024, speculation continued to grow after the Daily Mail claimed that their mysterious relationship was a huge source of gossip around the course. However, on May 29, Us Weekly confirmed that nothing romantic was taking place between the pair, adding that they only know one another professionally and don't have a personal relationship. The revelation isn't too much of a surprise, as the longtime journalist was just doing her job and covering the Northern Irish athlete's Wells Fargo Championship win.
While the dating rumors were effectively shut down, Balionis and McIlory turned heads again on June 3, 2024 when TMZ spotted the two taking part in another interview that ended in a friendly hug. One person on X, formerly known as Twitter, wrote, "That would be a pretty cool couple ngl." But not everyone bought into the supposed flirty embrace, with another fan sarcastically writing, "Breaking news: Rory McIlroy was nice to someone he's known for over a decade. More to come..."
Rory and Erica's divorce drama takes another surprising turn
In the months following their divorce announcement, things have not gone smoothly for Rory McIlroy and Erica Stoll's relationship. From the Amanda Balionis romance rumors to the Northern Irish athlete's busy golfing schedule, it has certainly been a chaotic time. Unfortunately, things have only gotten more complicated for the soon-to-be exes. On June 6, 2024, an official with the Palm Beach County Clerk's office revealed to the Daily Mail that Stoll missed her 20-day window to respond to McIlroy's divorce filing. As a result, it's possible that the judge in their case could impose a "default divorce" ruling, meaning the PGA champion a default divorce, resulting in Stoll not having the opportunity to raise objections to the filing. The news outlet went on to confirm that Stoll was warned of this possibility via the paperwork she received at her Jupiter, Florida residence. As of this writing, the New York native has yet to respond.
While Stoll and McIlroy have refrained from publicly commenting on their divorce, a source spilled all the tea about their troubled relationship to Us Weekly, revealing that the former was lonely in their relationship. "Rory was a hard person to be married to," they explained. The insider added that parenthood changed Stoll's priorities, resulting in her stepping away from attending McIlroy's tournaments to focus on their daughter. "[McIlroy and Stoll] were living very different lives the last two years with him being on the road, and eventually, she had a breaking point," they added.