Rory McIlroy has spoken out for the first time since calling off his divorce from wife Erica Stoll, just days before the U.S. Open. The Northern Irish golfer filed to dismiss the divorce petition on Tuesday, revealing that the couple had reconciled after weeks of reflection.
“There have been rumours about my personal life recently, which is unfortunate,” McIlroy told The Guardian. “Over the past weeks, Erica and I have realised that our best future was as a family together. Thankfully, we have resolved our differences and look forward to a new beginning.”
The decision comes after speculation that McIlroy had struck up a relationship with CBS Sports presenter Amanda Balionis. Body language expert Judi James had noted that Balionis appeared to have McIlroy “purring” during interviews, but no evidence of a romance has emerged. Balionis is married to former NFL quarterback Bryn Renner.
Just days before the reconciliation, reports emerged that Stoll had missed the 20-day deadline to respond to McIlroy’s divorce filing. Court documents warned that failure to respond could result in losing the case. However, the couple have now put their differences aside, choosing to focus on their three-year-old daughter, Poppy Kennedy McIlroy.
McIlroy and Stoll were married for seven years. The divorce filing had stated that both parents would co-parent their daughter, but that is no longer necessary following the U-turn.
