Rory McIlroy admits to playing tournament while HUNGOVER two weeks after filing for divorce
RORY MCILROY has sensationally revealed he was hungover during his first round at the Canadian Open.
That’s after celebrating the birthday of his caddie, Harry Diamond, on Wednesday night.
AlamyRory McIlroy has revealed he was hungover at the Canadian Open[/caption]
GettyMcIlroy was celebrating the birthday of his caddie, Harry Diamond, the night before[/caption]
McIlroy, who has won the tournament twice before, started slowly on Thursday morning, failing to make a birdie on the front nine.
But he then shook off his malaise by moving to an impressive four-under-par 66 to end the day in joint third.
Although he did manage to hit a wayward shot straight into a hospitality tent on 17.
Asked about his off-colour start, McIlroy – who two weeks ago filed for divorce from wife Erica Stoll – admitted he was actually feeling some fog from hitting the booze a bit hard the night before.
The 35-year-old told reporters: “A bit of a slow start.
“Harry’s birthday dinner last night so had a couple of glasses of wine. I was probably feeling a little groggy when I woke up.”
He added: “I obviously hit it into the hospitality and some guy yelled out ‘You need a wrist band to get in here!’ – so that was pretty funny.
“I played the back nine blind. Hadn’t seen the back nine. Only played the front nine in the pro-am.
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“I was sort of happy enough to get out of there in even par and not make a bogey.
“But once I got that nine holes out of the way I knew there were some chances on that front side and played probably much better on that front side.
“Four birdies there, no bogeys, was a good day’s work.
“I missed a couple, too — I had that three-putt on the par-5 fourth hole — but apart from that felt like I putted really, really nice.
“So, again, hopefully, I can keep that going the next few days.”
Rory McIlroy's career achievements
By Ian Tuckey
Rory McIlroy spent more than 100 weeks at World No1 – and has scooped four Majors and won 40 tournaments in all SO FAR.
Only all-time greats Jack Nicklaus and Tiger Woods have matched his feat of winning one of the big four by the age of 25.
And after winning the 2011 US Open, the Northern Ireland ace added the PGA Championship the following year – adding the Open and PGA crowns in 2014.
Here’s a rundown on the glittering career of the 35-year-old, five-time Ryder Cup winner, who was also a strong critic of the rival Saudi-backed LIV tour:
2007 – topped the world amateur rankings aged 17.
Turned professional in September.
Became the youngest Affiliate Member in the history of The European Tour to earn a tour card.
2009 – reached the world top 50.
2010 – won his first PGA Tour title via the Quail Hollow Championship.
Made a winning Ryder Cup debut.
Became the youngest player to reach $10m earnings on the PGA Tour.
2011 – Famously blew a four-stroke lead on the final day of the Masters in May.
But won his first major the following month – the US Open.
Named Sports Person of the year by RTE – Ireland’s main broadcaster.
2012 – lifted the PGA Championship.
Named PGA Tour player of the year and picked up more Ryder Cup glory.
2013 – signed a huge sponsorship deal with Nike.
2014 – his best year to date, majors wise.
Won the Open at Royal Liverpool.
Then clinched back-to-back PGA crowns, beating Phil Mickelson by one stroke.
Named RTE Sports Person of the year for a second time.
Again helped Europe win the Ryder Cup.
2016 – Ended the season winning the Tour championship, putting him top of the FedEx Cup and landing him the $10m bonus pool.
Suffered Ryder Cup defeat.
2017 – failed to win all year.
But gained top 10 finishes at the Masters, The Open and 3 WGC events.
And with Nike largely withdrawing from the golf market, he landed an £80m endorsement deal with TaylorMade.
2018 – More Ryder Cup joy.
2020 Overtook Brooks Koepka to become World No1
2021 – A Ryder Cup loser.
2022 – runners-up at the Masters and finished third at the Open.
2023 – helped Europe thrash the USA 16.5-11.5 in the Ryder Cup.
2024 – struggled early in the season, finishing just joint-22nd in the Masters.
But then won two tournaments – the Zurich Classic for his 25th PGA title and the Wells Fargo Championship.
McIlroy has won four majors, 26 PGA Tour wins and a record three FedEx Cup titles.
This is the first tournament McIlroy has appeared at since the PGA Championship, days before which he had filed for divorce from Stoll after seven years of marriage.
Inside McIlroy’s whirlwind love life, including tennis champ and Meghan Markle
By Jon Boon
AND so it has run its course.
Rory McIlroy and Erica Stoll, who appeared a match made in heaven, are no more.
The pair were married for seven years and share a daughter called Poppy, who was born in 2020.
But the Northern Ireland golf star surprised fans everywhere when filed for divorce in May 2024.
And it isn’t the first time McIlroy’s relationships have made the headlines – with a romantic history involving a tennis star and even Meghan Markle.
When McIlroy burst onto the scene as a fresh faced teenager, he was supported by childhood sweetheart Holly.
However, they split up after he hit the big time – with McIlroy claiming the split was “amicable.”
But Holly alleged the golfer had left her for tennis star Caroline Wozniacki.
Beginning their romance in such an unceremonious way wasn’t the ideal start with the Danish tennis beauty.
They reportedly met at a boxing match, and soon prospered as a sporting power couple with McIlroy proposing on a romantic holiday to Monte Carlo on New Year’s eve 2013.
Fancy wedding invitations were sent to friends and family, with a date set.
However, Rory allegedly dumped Caroline in a three-minute PHONE CALL – just months before their nuptials.
And it was reportedly all down to a picture Wozniaki had put on Twitter.
In 2014, McIlroy was even romantically linked with the now Duchess of Sussex, Meghan.
The pair flirted in a video shared on social media, as he helped the American actress take part in the Ice Bucket Challenge, a viral trend adopted by many celebs to raise money for ALS.
Later Markle would wax lyrical about McIlroy on her blog.
But nothing even came of it as McIlroy soon fell for Erica – who he had met in bizarre circumstances after sleeping through his alarm at the 2012 Ryder Cup.
Erica, who worked on Tour, spared McIlroy’s embarrassment as he she helped him make his tee-time thanks to a police escort.
The incident began a firm friendship between the pair, four years before their relationship turned romantic.
Soon after, the couple got engaged in Paris and walked down the aisle at Ashford Castle in Ireland in 2017.
Click here to read our full feature on McIlroy’s love life...
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