Denis Poroy-Imagn Images
Scottie Scheffler’s arrest was the source of the most drama off the course at the 2024 PGA Championship, although Rory McIlroy found himself dealing with his fair share after filing for divorce ahead of the tournament. He eventually decided to reverse course, and we’ve finally gotten some insight into what transpired after he shed some light on the saga during the new season of Full Swing.
Rory McIlroy is one of the many professional athletes who do what they can to keep the public from prying into their private life, and he got a crash course in just how difficult that can be during his high-profile relationship with tennis star Caroline Wozniacki during the first half of the 2010s that led to them getting engaged before he decided to call the wedding off.
The Northern Irishmen subsequently started dating Erica Stoll, a former PGA of America employee, in 2015 before the two of them tied the knot two years later, and they had their first (and, to date, only child) when they welcomed their daughter Poppy into the world in 2020.
However, things took a turn just a couple of days before the PGA Championship got underway in Louisville last year when McIlroy filed for divorce.
He understandably dodged questions about that development during a tournament where he ended up in a tie for 12th place (reports that surfaced at the time asserted a rift had formed between him and Stoll due to the amount of time he devoted to golf as opposed to their family), but less than two months later, he announced they’d decided to remain together.
It seemed safe to assume we’d get a bit more insight into the situation during the third season of Full Swing, the Netflix series where McIlroy is one of the most notable golfers who’ve agreed to let a camera crew follow them around.
That turned out to be the case, as the 35-year-old sat down to discuss what unfolded during a fairly cryptic interview that’s nonetheless provided the most insight we’ve gotten into the situation to date.
McIlroy admitted he’s had trouble juggling his career and his personal life, saying, “Sometimes I’ve struggled with the balance of trying to be the best golfer; trying to be the best husband or the best dad. Sometimes I get overwhelmed and it can be a little too much for me.”
He declined to get into the specifics of the conversations that led to the divorce being called off but did discuss the impact the attention the news generated had on him, adding:
“I think it was a wake-up call for me to say, ‘Let’s just focus on golf for a little bit.’ I have been on tour for 17, 18 years. I like when the attention is on my golf. Sometimes that is impossible.
Thankfully, everything has worked out for the best and we’re happy and moving forward and can’t wait for what lies ahead.”
All seven episodes of the new season of Full Swing are now available to stream on Netflix.