Rory McIlroy, who recently became the first back-to-back Masters winner since Tiger Woods, once had a memorable night out with Meghan Markle before her marriage to Prince Harry. The Northern Irish golfer's dating history includes a brief link to the Duchess of Sussex following his broken engagement to Caroline Wozniacki in 2014.
McIlroy and Markle crossed paths in New York City during the ALS Ice Bucket Challenge, where he drenched her with ice-cold water. They later spent time together at a hotel bar, an evening described as 'hectic' by author Tom Bowman in his book 'Revenge: The Meghan and Harry Story'.
The night out took a toll on McIlroy's golf performance the next day. Competing in a tournament at Ringwood golf course, he admitted: 'I wasn't quite on my game. I was enjoying myself,' and fell to 101st place.
The romance was short-lived, and Markle went on to date Prince Harry, marrying him in 2018. McIlroy later found love with Erica Stoll, proposing in 2016 and marrying in 2017 at an Irish castle. However, in May 2024, he filed for divorce citing irreconcilable differences, before withdrawing the application just days before their eighth wedding anniversary in 2025, stating: 'We've realized that our best is still ahead.'
