Rory McIlroy’s wife Erica Stoll was noticeably absent when the golfer missed the cut at The Open on Friday, blaming his recent troubles on his “messy” life.
On Day 2 of the 152nd Open at Royal Troon, the Northern Irishman faced a tough task to make the cut after opening with a 78.
His faint hopes disappeared into thin air when he completed the first five holes in five strokes over par.
Then, after a lost stroke on the third, McIlroy triple-bogeyed the eighth on the fourth after failing to get his ball more than a few feet from the heavy rough. He missed the green with his fourth stroke and then chipped into a greenside bunker.
But the 35-year-old didn’t give up hope completely and fired the ball out of the bunker on the 14th, reducing the deficit to 12 over par.
OUT: Rory McIlroy’s great drought now stretches to 11 years after missing the cut at the Open
His briefly estranged wife Erica was not present at Royal Troon on Friday to cheer on her golfing husband
Unfortunately his efforts were a little too late as his round of 75 was nowhere good enough to put him over the cut, finishing 11 over, dropping him far down the leaderboard.
If there is any consolation for him, it is that Bryson DeChambeau, who defeated McIlroy in June to win the US Open, was also absent.
McIlroy played in the Scottish Open last week, which his wife also attended, after a short three-week break, finishing in a tie for fourth place as he was optimistic about his form for the final major of the year.
But he and everyone else were dissuaded from their plans at Royal Troon when the wind blew in the opposite direction, throwing McIlroy’s bid to end a decade-long drought into doubt.
While things weren’t exactly smooth sailing for McIlroy on the golf course, his private life also appeared to be in turmoil until he and his wife ended their divorce proceedings last month.
The couple have a three-year-old daughter, Poppy, who will be four in September.
McIlroy’s struggles come just weeks after he and Eric nearly went through a divorce
The news that McIlroy had reconciled with his wife broke when he arrived at the last major meeting in May, where they filed for divorce.
And two days before the US Open, news broke that the divorce proceedings had been finalized in Palm Beach Country, 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 as a family is together. Thankfully, we have resolved our differences and are looking forward to a new beginning.”
McIlroy issued a statement at the PGA Championship confirming the split and his desire to keep a difficult time respectful and amicable. He did not mention his “messy” life in Scotland.
