Rory McIlroy’ ex-wife Erica Stoll was cut making love with an NFL star and retrained as a counsellor after being scorned by golfer cheating scandal

Who is Amanda Balionis? Rory McIlroy’s romance rumours with presenter is ‘talk of the links’
Four-time golf major winner Rory McIlroy has a potential romance on the cards, with the 35-year-old being linked to CBS Sports reporter Amanda Balionis after his recent divorce decision

Romance rumours linking Rory McIlroy and CBS sports journalist Amanda Balionis have surfaced shortly following the announcement his intention to divorce Erica Stoll
Romance rumours linking Rory McIlroy and CBS sports journalist Amanda Balionis have surfaced shortly following the announcement his intention to divorce Erica Stoll

Rory McIlroy has been romantically linked to CBS Sports reporter Amanda Balionis shortly after his intentions to divorce his wife, Erica Stoll, were announced.

The Northern Irishman began dating Stoll in 2014 before tying the knot in 2017, and the pair share a child, Poppy Kennedy McIlroy, 3. However, after seven years of marriage, McIlroy and Stoll’s intention to divorce was made public shortly after the four-time major winner won the Wells Fargo Championship.

The 35-year-old finished T12 at the PGA Championship last week. Now, according to the Daily Mail, McIlroy’s potential romance with golf reporter Balionis “is the talk of the links.”

The pair’s chemistry was on full display when Balionis, dressed in a top that matches McIlroy, conducted an interview. Balionis was comfortable alongside Mcilroy, giggling and seemingly flirting. “What gear did you have to find to assert your dominance once more over Quail Hollow?” the 34-year-old blonde probed, leaving fans trying to connect the dots.

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McIlroy and Stoll’s marriage left his estranged wife feeling “lonely,” according to a source. “A point of contention in Rory’s marriage with Erica was that Erica was lonely in their marriage,” the source told Us Weekly. “Rory was a hard person to be married to.

“She knew what she was getting into with his profession, but once they had Poppy, things really changed and she had a new perspective. Erica was usually absent for most of his tournaments and was really focused on Poppy.”

McIlroy has played in two majors in 2024 and hasn’t come close to breaking his decade-long duck. The reasoning behind the long wait is much debated and his former Ryder Cup captain Paul McGinley believes he has two potential causes. McGinley believes the current golf field is a lot stronger than when McIlroy burst onto the scene, as well as there being some psychological issues at play.

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“I say yet because if he gets it once, I feel – maybe not – that there are certainly another three or four majors in Rory McIlroy. It is all about getting the first one. You would have to think that a golf course like this, that he has won on before, is the kind of thing that could ignite him,” McGinley added.

With two remaining majors this year, McIlroy is feeling confident in his game going forward. “I’m feeling good about that [his game],” McIlroy added. “I’ve been on a big stretch of golf here. I think this was my sixth event in seven weeks. I’ve got a week off and then I’m playing another four in a row.

“I’m feeling good about my game. I feel like things are sort of clicking more, especially after the win in New Orleans. Obviously played well last week in Charlotte. Have a week here to sort of reset and try to get going again.”