Rory McIlroy’s wife Erica Stoll is nowhere to be seen at The Open as he misses the cut amid divorce U-turn – after golf star’s Royal Troon struggles were blamed on ‘messy’ life

 

Rory McIlroy’s performance at The Open took a hit on Friday as he missed the cut, and notably, his wife Erica Stoll was absent from the event. This comes amid recent challenges in his personal life, which have been described as ‘messy.’

 

On the second day of the 152nd Open at Royal Troon, McIlroy found himself in a difficult position after a challenging opening round of 78. Despite his efforts, his hopes of making the cut faded quickly as he struggled through the first five holes, finishing five over par. A dropped shot on the third hole and a disastrous triple-bogey on the fourth, where he failed to clear heavy rough and ended up in a greenside bunker, sealed his fate.

 

The 35-year-old golfer didn’t give up without a fight. He managed to reduce his deficit with a remarkable bunker shot on the 14th hole, but his round of 75 was not enough to lift him above the cut line. McIlroy ended the tournament 11 over par, far down the leaderboard.

 

McIlroy wasn’t the only high-profile golfer to miss the cut; Bryson DeChambeau, who had bested McIlroy at the US Open in June, also fell short at Royal Troon.

 

McIlroy had shown promise the previous week at the Scottish Open, where he tied for fourth place with his wife in attendance, following a brief three-week break. His confidence was high heading into The Open, but unforeseen wind conditions at Royal Troon disrupted his game and dashed his hopes of ending his decade-long major drought.

 

Off the course, McIlroy’s personal life has been turbulent. He and Erica Stoll, who share a three-year-old daughter named Poppy, had been going through divorce proceedings until they reconciled last month. Poppy will turn four in September.

 

News of their reconciliation broke during the US Open in May, shortly after they had filed for divorce. Just two days before the tournament, it was reported that divorce proceedings were officially closed in Palm Beach County, Florida, where McIlroy was competing in the Wells Fargo Championship.

 

In a statement to The Guardian, McIlroy addressed the rumors about his personal life: “There have been rumors about my personal life recently, which is unfortunate. Responding to each rumor is a fool’s game. Over the past weeks, Erica and I have realized that our best future was as a family together. Thankfully, we have resolved our differences and look forward to a new beginning.”

 

McIlroy also released a statement at the PGA Championship, confirming the end of the divorce and expressing his desire to handle the situation respectfully and amicably. He made no mention of his ‘messy’ life in Scotland during these statements.

 

As McIlroy navigates these challenging times both on and off the golf course, fans hope to see him regain his form and stability, with a renewed focus on his game and his family.