RORY MCILROY and TV reporter Amanda Balionis sparked romance rumors days after the golf star filed for divorce.
The 35-year-old filed legal documents with Florida courts this month to end his marriage to Erica Stoll after seven years.
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And now the Daily Mail claimed he may be in a blossoming relationship with CBS Sports host Amanda Balionis after McIlroy hinted at problems in his relationship with Erica with a subtle hint while being interviewed by her.
It hasn’t gone unnoticed that Balionis, who married a football coach in 2022, recently ditched her wedding ring and married name.
Now, this new report claims that McIlroy’s relationship with the 19th Hole reporter “is the talk of the links” and has “left many fans wondering just how close the two have become.”
The blonde bombshell, 38, interviewed the Northern Irishman after he won the Wells Fargo championship in Quail Hollow, North Carolina, which happened to be Mother’s Day in the US.
“The flames were fanned” as Balionis “laughed, flirted and fangirled throughout the interview” while “McIlroy seemed happy to bask in this clear adoration” of hers.
Balionis then pointed out that McIlroy was wearing her ‘Mother’s Day’ pink.
She then asked him to pay tribute to his mother Rosie, but the American did not invite him to do the same with Stoll, who is the mother of his three-year-old daughter Poppy.
McIllroy hailed mom Rosie as “the rock and gel type that keeps our family together” before summing up his mood at the end of the interview, telling Balionis: “It feels like the stars are aligning.”
Now, this new report claims that “their chemistry and ease with each other are clear,” while the golfer also seems happy to support causes close to her heart.
He filmed a video supporting Puppies & Golf, the nonprofit founded by Balionis that advocates for dog rescue, in April.
In recent months, questions have arisen about the TV reporter’s two-year marriage to college football coach Bryn Renner, who is also an account manager for a technology company.
They got engaged in 2021 and married the following year, but Balionis hasn’t worn her wedding ring since February in her social media posts.
Although it is understood that neither of them filed for divorce, she changed her username in the X from her married nickname, Balionis Renner, to just her maiden name, Balionis.
The Mail also claims that McIlroy was seen spending time “all over San Diego. More specifically… in the Crown Point neighborhood of Pacific Beach.
That property is more than 2,500 miles from her home in Jupiter, Florida, and is where Balionis has a two-bedroom home that she purchased for $789,000 in 2020.
A source told them: “My sister was at a restaurant and he went in to get takeout and used the name ‘Amanda’ as a pick-up. He paid cash – only a few people noticed him and he was out!”
Rory and Erica met when he overslept at the 2012 Ryder Cup and she organized a police escort to get him to the first tee on time.
The golfer was dating Danish tennis player Caroline Wozniacki at the time, but called off their engagement in 2014 after sending out wedding invitations.
McIlroy began dating former PGA employee Stoll in 2015, proposing in Paris in December of that year.
They married in 2017 – accompanied by a star-studded guest list – and welcomed their daughter Poppy three years later.
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Erica was present at the Ryder Cup in Rome last fall, cheering on her husband as he inspired Europe to an emphatic victory over the USA.
However, neither of them have commented publicly on the split, other than the official May 14 statement from McIlroy’s communications team that confirmed the divorce filing.
Documents filed in Palm Beach County Circuit Court described their marriage as “irretrievably broken.”
According to a source, who spoke with US WeeklyThe split didn’t come as a surprise to either of their inner circle.
They state: “A point of contention in Rory’s marriage was that Erica was alone. Rory was a difficult person to marry.”
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They claim the pair “reached breaking point” while living separate lives.
McIlory often attended tournaments, with Erica absent as she focused almost all of her time on being a mother to her three-year-old daughter Poppy.
The source explained: “She knew what she was getting into in his profession, but after they had Poppy, things really changed and she had a new perspective.
“Erica was usually absent from most of her tournaments and was really focused on Poppy.”
Inside McIlroy’s Turbulent Love Life, Including Tennis Champ and Meghan Markle
And so it ran its course.
Rory McIlroy and Erica Stoll, who seemed like a perfect match, are no more.
The two have been married for seven years and have a daughter named Poppy, born in 2020.
But the Northern Irish golf star surprised fans around the world when he filed for divorce in May 2024.
And it’s not the first time McIlroy’s relationships have made headlines – with a romantic story involving a tennis star and even Meghan Markle.
When McIlroy arrived on the scene as a young teenager, he was supported by childhood sweetheart Holly.
However, they split after he hit the big time – with McIlroy claiming the split was “amicable”.
But Holly claimed the golfer left her for tennis star Caroline Wozniacki.
Starting their romance in such an unceremonious way was not the ideal start for the beautiful Danish tennis player.
They reportedly met at a boxing match and soon thrived as a sporting power couple, with McIlroy proposing on a romantic vacation to Monte Carlo on New Year’s Eve 2013.
Chic wedding invitations were sent out to friends and family, with a date set.
However, Rory reportedly dumped Caroline in a three-minute phone call – just months before the wedding.
And it was all due to a photo that Wozniaki posted on Twitter.
In 2014, McIlroy was even romantically linked to the now Duchess of Sussex, Meghan.
The pair flirted in a video shared on social media as they helped the American actress take part in the Ice Bucket Challenge, a viral trend adopted by many celebrities to raise money for ALS.
Markle would later write lyrics about McIlroy on her blog.
But nothing happened as McIlroy soon fell in love with Erica – who he met under bizarre circumstances after sleeping through the alarm at the 2012 Ryder Cup.
Erica, who worked on the Tour, spared McIlroy the embarrassment by helping him get to game time thanks to a police escort.
The incident began a strong friendship between the two, four years before their relationship turned romantic.
Soon after, the couple got engaged in Paris and walked down the aisle at Ashford Castle, Ireland, in 2017.
Click here to read our full article on McIlroy’s love life...
This story originally appeared on The-sun.com read the full story
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