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Rory McIlroy stuck in the rough: Poor form, BARRED from the PGA board, a rumored rift with Tiger Woods and now divorce from wife Erica Stoll... where it all went wrong in 2024
The start of 2024 has not been the kindest to Rory McIlroy.
As his drought since his last major turns a decade old, his up-and-down performance on the course has been coupled with rumored rifts away from play.
A below-expectation showing at The Players back in March was coupled with a poor finish at the Masters as the final leg of his career Grand Slam continues to elude him.
But even with his return to the Tour Policy board scuppered and a rumored 'strain' on his friendship with Tiger Woods, McIlroy seemed poised for a great week after winning consecutive events at the Zurich Classic with Shane Lowry and then again at the Wells Fargo Championship on Sunday.
However, that all changed with Tuesday's shock announcement that McIlroy is filing for divorce from his wife Erica Stoll - the latest twist in what might be a year to forget for the Irishman.
2024 has not been the easiest year for Irish golfer Rory McIlroy on and off the course
Up until a few weeks ago, he had been struggling on the tour and at major championships
That led to Tuesday: when it was revealed he was getting divorced from wife Erica Stoll
On the course, McIlroy turned in a performance at the Players that was eleven shots behind the winner, Scottie Scheffler.
He finished in the top-20, but he was never truly a contender in the tournament that he won back in 2019 and was one of the favorites to win this year.
That was followed up by an awful showing at the Masters which made that Players performance look close.
He finished tied for 22nd, carding a four-over-par tournament - which was fifteen shots back of Scheffler in the lead.
It wasn't just in the majors that McIlroy was struggling. Up until three weeks ago, he had just one top-five finish on the PGA Tour and had earned less than Scottie Scheffler's caddie, Ted Scott.
That led to a number of swing changes that he made both before and after the Masters. Thankfully for him, that's led to a turnaround on the course with back-to-back dominant displays.
First, he won the Zurich Classic team tournament down at TPC Louisiana with playing partner Shane Lowry - beating Chad Ramey and Martin Trainer in a playoff.
Then, this past Sunday, he capped off a dominating performance at the Quail Hollow Club - a course he's won at multiple times before - beating runner-up Xander Schauffele by five strokes for his first solo stroke play victory of the year at the Wells Fargo.
McIlroy wasn't a contender at either the Players (L) or the Masters (R) in a rough start
But he's turned it around in recent weeks - winning the Zurich (L) and the Wells Fargo (R)
But off the course, things have been sour for him all year long.
Late last year, citing personal and professional commitments, he decided to leave the PGA Tour's Policy Board - a group made up of top players that help make key decisions for the tour.
But with news that Webb Simpson was planning on stepping down, McIlroy sought a return to his old position.
That was shot down by players on the board, who voted against his return. One of those players was his friend, Tiger Woods.
McIlroy shot down any reports of a strain on his relationship with the golf icon, with whom he is spearheading the TGL venture.
'I think friends can have disagreements or not see eye to eye on things,' McIlroy said last Thursday. 'We had a really good talk last Friday for 45 minutes, just about a lot of different things. No, there's no strain there.
'I think we might see the future of golf a little bit differently, but I don't think that should place any strain on a relationship or on a friendship.'
While the door to McIlroy's return to the board has been slammed shut, he is still set to play a major role in the ongoing talks with LIV Golf's Saudi backers, serving on the transaction committee.
Off the course, McIlroy's attempt to return to the tour policy board was voted down
That led to rumors that there was a rift between him and his friend, Tiger Woods
The crux of McIlroy's off-course issues came to a head on Tuesday - when the Irishman announced that he was filing for divorce from his wife, Erica Stoll.
McIlroy’s communications team confirmed on Tuesday that a divorce has been filed, stressing Rory's desire to ensure this difficult time is as respectful and amicable as possible.
Court documents obtained by DailyMail.com, stated that their marriage was 'irretrievably broken'. The petition for divorce states that the pair had signed a prenuptial agreement. However, the details of the arrangement have not been divulged. The filing also calls for shared custody and a parenting plan to be established for their three-year-old daughter, Poppy.
The Northern Irishman, whose career earnings total nearly $87million, first met Erica, 35, who hails from New York State, during the 2012 Ryder Cup, which she was working for the PGA.
Despite initially meeting in 2012, it wasn't until a few years later that the pair would enter a relationship.
A few months after calling off his engagement with tennis star Caroline Wozniacki in 2014, McIlroy and Stoll got together before getting engaged a year later.
The four-time major champion and Stoll kept their relationship largely private before they married in a lavish ceremony in Ireland in 2017.
The couple exchanged their vows at Ashford Castle in County Mayo, Ireland, in front of celebrity guests, including One Direction star Niall Horan and Coldplay frontman Chris Martin, while music icons Ed Sheeran and Stevie Wonder performed at the event.
Erica was on McIlroy's bag for the Masters Par-3 event with their daughter Poppy in 2023
The petition for divorce states that the pair had signed a prenuptial agreement. However, the details of the arrangement have not been divulged
She was seen at The Players in March when the PGA Tour shared a heartwarming clip of she and Poppy greeting McIlroy on the 18th green. The golfer was seen scooping his daughter into his arms for a hug with Erica telling him they had been watching his birdie-birdie finish.
But oddly enough, the divorce could lead to a change in momentum for McIlroy - as past examples have showed.
Back in 2014, McIlroy reportedly called off his engagement to Wozniacki in a three-minute phone call just days before playing in the UK at the BMW PGA Championship.
Not only did he go on to win that tournament, he also collected his last two major championship victories that year as well: the 2014 Open Championship at Royal Liverpool and the 2014 PGA Championship.
Incidentally, that last major title was won at Valhalla - the same course where this year's PGA Championship is set to tee off in just two days time.