Rory McIlroy and CBS reporter Amanda Balionis are stirring buzz on the PGA Tour just over a week after news broke that he filed for divorce from Erica Stoll, his wife of seven years, on May 13.
The Northern Irishman and the sports broadcaster are “the talk of the links” after some have noticed their close relationship on the PGA Tour, according to The Daily Mail.
Balionis, who married former NFL quarterback Bryn Renner in 2022, interviewed McIlroy after he won the Wells Fargo Championship at Quail Hollow golf course in Charlotte on May 12.
Rory McIlroy shares a heartfelt message for his mom, Rosie ❤️ pic.twitter.com/qVuiOfeaxi
The pair were all smiles when Balionis brought up McIlroy’s mother, Rosie, and asked him to share a message with her on Mother’s Day — one day before he would file for divorce from Stoll in Florida.
During April’s PGA Zurich Classic in New Orleans, McIlroy filmed a promo for Balionis’ nonprofit organization, Puppies & Golf — which protects and advocates for dogs by being a community resource, providing grants to families, shelters, rescues, and assisting military veterans and organizations that rescue dogs and train them to become service animals for veterans in need.
Stoll was noticeably absent at the Masters in April, after she and McIlroy participated in the Par 3 contest at Augusta National in 2023 with their daughter Poppy, now 3.
Two months prior, Balionis stirred buzz on social media when she was seen without her wedding ringwhile covering the Genesis Invitational for CBS in late February.
Balionis was wearing her ring a week earlier while covering the Super Bowl, which took place in Las Vegas on Feb. 11, as seen in a series of photos she shared on Instagram.
The CBS reporter, who also covers college football and the NFL, is fairly private about her personal life.
McIlroy and Stoll, who married in 2017, have a prenup and they’re also seeking split custody of Poppy, whom they welcomed in August 2020, according to his divorce filing.
The four-time major winner’s camp released a statement last week that “stressed Rory’s desire to ensure this difficult time is as respectful and amicable as possible.”
McIlroy was then spotted without his wedding ring last Wednesday while practicing at Valhalla Golf Club in Louisville, Ky., ahead of the start of the 2024 PGA Championship — which Xander Schauffele won by a single stroke with a clutch putt on the 72nd hole.
Prior to the tournament,the media was warned to refrain from asking questions about McIlroy’s personal life amid the divorce news — and Balionis was there covering it for CBS.
McIlroy is set to play in the RBC Canadian Open, which runs from May 28 through June 2 at Hamilton Golf and Country Club in Hamilton, Ontario.
McIlroy and Balionis have yet to address the report.
