Erica Stoll, Rory McIlroy’s wife, was noticeably absent when the golfer missed the cut at The Open on Friday, blaming his recent troubles on his “messy” life.
On the second day of the 152nd Open at Royal Troon, the Northern Irishman faced a tough task to make the cut after an opening 78.
His faint hopes were dashed when he covered the first five holes in five over par.
Then, after missing a shot on the third, McIlroy made triple bogey on the eighth of the fourth after failing to advance his ball more than a few feet out of heavy rough, missing the green with his fourth shot and then chipping into a greenside bunker.
But the 35-year-old did not give up hope at that point and dug the ball out of the bunker on the 14th hole to reduce the deficit to 12 over par.
OUT: Rory McIlroy’s major title drought now stretches to 11 years after he missed the cut at The Open
His estranged wife, Erica, was not at Royal Troon to cheer on her golfer husband on Friday.
Unfortunately, his efforts came too late, as his round of 75 was not good enough to make the cut. He finished 11 over par, which put him way down in the standings.
If there is any consolation for him, Bryson DeChambeau, who outlasted McIlroy to win the US Open in June, was also out.
McIlroy played the Scottish Open last week, attended by his wife, after a short three-week break and tied for fourth as he was optimistic about his form heading into the final major of the year.
But he and everyone else were thrown off course at Royal Troon when the wind blew from the opposite direction, throwing McIlroy’s bid to end his decade-long drought in majors into doubt.
While things haven’t exactly been easy for McIlroy on the golf course, his private life also seemed to be in turmoil until last month, when he and his wife finalized divorce proceedings.
The couple have a three-year-old daughter, Poppy, who will turn four in September.
McIlroy’s troubles come just weeks after he and Eric nearly divorced.
News of McIlroy’s reconciliation with his wife broke when he arrived at the final major meeting in May and they had filed for divorce.
And two days before the U.S. Open came news that divorce proceedings were finalized on a file in Palm Beach County, Florida, where McIlroy was competing in the Wells Fargo Championship.
In a statement to The Guardian in the UK, McIlroy said: “There have been rumours about my personal life recently which is unfortunate. Responding to every rumour is a fool’s game.”
‘Over the past few weeks, Erica and I have realized that our best future was to live together as a family. Thankfully, we have resolved our differences and look forward to a fresh start.’
McIlroy issued a statement at the PGA Championship confirming the divorce and his desire for the situation to be respectful and amicable. He made no mention of his “messy” life in Scotland.