He has filed for divorce. She abandoned her wedding ring and abandoned her married name. Coincidence? Well, maybe not.
In fact, DailyMail.com can reveal that Rory McIlroy’s relationship with CBS’s 19th Hole reporter Amanda Balionis is the talk of link-ups and has left many fans wondering how close the pair have become.
Last week, it was blonde Balionis’ turn to interview the 35-year-old champion after he won the Wells Fargo Championship in Quail Hollow, North Carolina, on Mother’s Day.
It was a performance that only fanned the flames.
Dressed in a blush top that matched McIlroy’s, Balionis laughed, flirted and made her way through the interview.
Rory McIlroy and CBS reporter Amanda Balionis’ chemistry has sparked rumors of a romance between the two.
—What equipment did you have to find to assert your dominance once again over Quail Hollow? the 34-year-old asked, looking through her eyelashes as McIlroy smiled back.
They were close. She revealed the details of her series of victories.
Later, she asked him to tell her: “Physically, how good does your game feel,” and fans could be forgiven for wondering what “game” the blushing journalist was referring to.
Just 24 hours later, it emerged that McIlroy had filed for divorce from his wife of seven years, Erica Stoll, 36.
But standing in the Charlotte sun on May 11, McIlroy seemed happy to bask in this clear adoration.
Balionis pointed out that McIlroy wore her ‘Mother’s Day’ rose but, while he asked her to pay tribute to his mother, Rosie, he did not extend the same invitation to wax lyrical about Stoll, the mother of his three-year-old daughter, Poppy.
So it was Rosie, not Stoll, whom McIlroy described as “the kind of rock and gel that holds our family together.”
Summing up his mood, McIlroy told Balionis: “It seems like the stars are aligning.”
Certainly, when it comes to his relationship with the veteran CBS golf reporter, their chemistry and ease in each other’s presence is clear.
The flirtatious banter was evident during the Wells Fargo Championship on Mother’s Day, May 12, when Balionis laughed, flirted and fangirled during her interview with the golfer.
Dressed in a blush top that matched McIlroy’s, Balionis noted that he was wearing her ‘Mother’s Day’ rose and asked her to pay tribute to his mother, Rosie, but made no mention of his now estranged wife and mother of his children. three children. one year old daughter, Poppy
Social media users have taken note of Balionis’ missing wedding ring and, more recently, her coordinated outfit with McIlroy at the Zurich Classic on April 28 (pictured) and again at the Wells Fargo Championship.
And when compared to the golfer’s impending divorce and questions about the state of Balionis’ own marriage, fans were quick to connect what some say are obvious dots.
Friends close to McIlroy’s ex-wife have said that Stoll felt “lonely” in his marriage and that the couple had been living separate lives for the past two years and while McIlroy played on the PGA Tour.
According to the source: ‘She knew what she was getting into with her career, but once they had Poppy, things really changed and she had a new perspective.
“Erica was usually absent during most of her tournaments and was very focused on Poppy.”
And while Stoll stayed home to care for her daughter, Balionis was present on the fields to appreciate McIlroy and company in action and in person.
Speaking to US Weekly, a source said: “A point of contention in Rory’s marriage to Erica was that Erica felt alone in her marriage.”
McIlroy, the source added, is “a difficult person to marry.”
But judging by his wide smiles, he is not, at least for Balionis, a difficult person to deal with.
For his part, McIlroy seems happy to lend his name and support to causes dear to Balionis.
In April, he took time out of his busy schedule to film a short video in support of Puppies & Golf, the nonprofit founded by Balionis in 2020 and whose goal is to advocate for rescue dogs, rehome them, and in some cases , retrain them as support animals for veterans.
Filmed at the PGA Zurich Classic in New Orleans, McIlroy showed his support for Balionis’ mission as he petted an adorable crossbreed and said, “Hi everyone, I’m Rory McIlroy and this is Cuddles.”
‘Cuddles is waiting to be adopted and find her home forever. So if you fancy her, if you want to adopt her click the link and you’ll know where to find her.’
Last week, McIlroy, pictured with his now estranged wife Erica Stoll in September, announced he had filed for divorce after getting back together after seven years of marriage.
Balionis was last photographed wearing her wedding ring on Instagram in early February (pictured)
The rock has since disappeared and was noticeably absent from photos of his recent interview with McIlroy at the Wells Fargo Championship on May 11.
Balionis and her husband, college football coach Bryn Renner, were last photographed together on her Instagram profile in October (pictured).
In recent months, fans have questioned what’s going on with Balionis’ two-year marriage to college football coach turned tech company account manager Bryn Renner, 34.
The sportswriter and former University of North Carolina quarterback got engaged in 2021 and married in 2022.
But in recent appearances, Balionis hasn’t worn her wedding ring — the sparkler disappeared from view on social media in February.
And although neither party has filed for divorce, as rumored online, the reporter has changed your username from her married nickname of Balionis Renner to her maiden name of Balionis.
And while there haven’t been any sightings of Balionis with her wedding ring or her husband lately, according to one source, McIlroy has been seen spending time “all over San Diego.” More specifically…the Crown Point neighborhood of Pacific Beach.
The neighborhood, more than 2,500 miles from McIlroy’s home in Jupiter, Florida, is where Balionis lives in a two-bedroom home he bought for $789,000 in 2020.
According to the source: ‘My sister was at a restaurant and he came in to pick up a takeaway and used the name ‘Amanda’ as the pickup. He paid in cash; only a few people noticed him and he was out!’
Neither McIlroy nor Stoll have publicly commented on their split, aside from an official May 14 statement from McIlroy’s communications team confirming the filing.
The sports journalist and former University of North Carolina quarterback got engaged in 2021 and married in 2022
McIlroy and Stoll began dating in 2014, months after his split from Caroline Wozniacki in 2014.
Court documents filed in Palm Beach County last week were obtained by DailyMail.com.
They claim that the marriage was “irretrievably broken.”
The divorce petition also claims that the couple had signed a prenuptial agreement, but the details of that agreement have not been disclosed.
McIlroy’s attorney is listed as Thomas Sasser, the same attorney who represented Tiger Woods in his 2010 divorce.
The filing also calls for joint custody and the establishment of a parenting plan for Poppy.
The four-time major winner, whose career earnings are estimated at more than $87 million, failed to replicate his success from ten years ago when he played the PGA Championship at Valhalla last weekend.
It was the Kentucky course that earned him his last major victory, back in 2014.
Last weekend he finished tied for 12th, nine shots behind the first major winner, Xander Schauffele.