All eyes will be on Rory McIlroy on Thursday when he tees off for the opening round of the 2024 PGA Championship, three days after filing for divorce from his wife of seven years, Erica Stoll.
Although the Northern Irishman, 35, is riding a winning streak following two straight victories, golfer Padraig Harrington told the Irish Independent on Tuesday that it’s “impossible to tell” how the chips will fall for McIlroy with his divorce filing now public.
“Obviously, with Rory, you know, there could be clarity there for him. But he’s won the last two weeks so, I don’t know. I have no idea,” said Harrington, a three-time major winner and the 2008 PGA Championship victor.
“You know, it’s all very personal. I’ve seen people who’ve had stuff going on off the golf course and the golf course becomes a haven. Nobody can ask them the question out there. They are back at business as usual.
“But then I’ve seen others where, you know, just being out there, they weren’t comfortable. So, I just don’t know where it’s going to sit. And it’s impossible to tell.”
When it comes to the sport, Harrington, 52, added, “There’s no way anybody can tell me that there’s a guaranteed, set cause and effect. There never is in golf.”
For McIlroy, though, he seems to be on his game “whenever I have a lot of stuff going on.”
“I’ve always been able to compartmentalize pretty well. I seem to for whatever reason play very good golf whenever I have a lot of stuff going on. I don’t know if it’s — I need that just to really — when I get on the course, really focus on what I’m doing out there. But yeah, it seems to work,” McIlroy said Sunday to Golf.com following his Wells Fargo Championship victory.
It was back to business as usual for McIlroy on Tuesday as the four-time major champion was seen on the driving range at Valhalla Golf Club in Louisville in the wake of his divorce revealation.
His camp confirmed Tuesday that a divorce had been filed and “he will not be making any further comment.”
McIlroy’s team also “stressed Rory’s desire to ensure this difficult time is as respectful and amicable as possible.”
Documents were filed Monday in Florida, with the filing noting McIlroy and Stoll’s union was “irretrievably broken.” They also have a prenup.
First linked in late 2014 after his broken engagement to tennis pro Caroline Wozniacki, McIlroy wed Stoll in a lavish ceremony at Ashford Castle in Ireland in 2017.
They welcomed daughter Poppy in August 2020.
McIlroy and Stoll are seeking split custody, according to the filing.
The PGA Tour star is seeking his fifth major win at Valhalla following consecutive victories, including the Zurich Classic in April, when he was paired with Shane Lowry.
McIlroy will tee off Thursday at 8:15 a.m. with Dustin Johnson and Justin Rose. The trio will tee off at 1:40 p.m. on Friday for the second round of the PGA Championship.