RORY MCILROY sensationally revealed he was hungover during his first round at the Canadian Open.
This after celebrating the birthday of his caddy, Harry Diamond, on Wednesday night.
two
two
McIlroy, who has won the tournament twice, started slowly Thursday morning, failing to make a birdie on the front nine.
But he then shook off the malaise by moving on to an impressive four-under-par 66 to end the day in third.
Although he did manage to hit a deflected shot straight into a hospitality tent in the 17th.
Asked about his awkward start, McIlroy – who two weeks ago filed for divorce from wife Erica Stoll – admitted he was actually feeling a bit foggy having had a bit to drink the night before.
The 35-year-old told reporters: “A bit of a slow start.
“Harry’s birthday dinner last night, so I had a few glasses of wine. I was probably feeling a little groggy when I woke up.”
He added: “Obviously I got hospitality right and one guy shouted ‘You need a wristband to get in here!’ – so that was really funny.
“I played the back nine blindly. I hadn’t seen the back nine. I only played the front nine in the pro-am.
CASINO SPECIAL – BEST CASINO WELCOME OFFERS
“I was happy enough to get out of there on equal footing and not make any boogeymen.
“But once I got the nine holes out of the way, I knew there were some chances on that front side and I probably played a lot better on that front side.
“Four birdies there, no bogeys, it was a good day’s work.
“I missed a few too — I made that three-putt on the par-5 fourth hole — but other than that, I felt like I made a really, really good shot.
“Then again, hopefully I can continue this over the next few days.”
Rory McIlroy’s Professional Achievements
By Ian Tuckey
Rory McIlroy has spent more than 100 weeks as world No. 1 – and has won four Majors and won 40 tournaments so far.
Only all-time greats Jack Nicklaus and Tiger Woods have matched the feat of winning one of the Big Four at age 25.
And after winning the 2011 US Open, the Northern Irish ace added the PGA Championship the following year – adding the Open and PGA crowns in 2014.
Here’s a summary of the glittering career of the 35-year-old five-time Ryder Cup winner, who was also a strong critic of the Saudi-backed rival LIV tour:
- 2007 – topped the world amateur rankings at age 17.
I turned pro in September.
Became the youngest affiliate member in the history of The European Tour to earn a tour card.
- 2009 – reached the top 50 worldwide.
- 2010 – Won his first PGA Tour title through the Quail Hollow Championship.
He made a successful Ryder Cup debut.
Became the youngest player to reach earnings of $10 million on the PGA Tour.
- 2011 – Famously lost a four-stroke lead on the final day of the Masters in May.
But he won his first major the following month – the US Open.
Voted Sportsman of the Year by RTE – Ireland’s main broadcaster.
- 2012 – won the PGA Championship.
Named PGA Tour Player of the Year and went on to further Ryder Cup glory.
- 2013 – Signed a major sponsorship deal with Nike.
- 2014 – his best year yet, in terms of specialization.
Won the Open at Royal Liverpool.
He then won back-to-back PGA titles, defeating Phil Mickelson by one stroke.
Named RTE Sports Personality of the Year for the second time.
Once again he helped Europe win the Ryder Cup.
- 2016 – Finished the season by winning the Tour championship, placing him atop the FedEx Cup and earning a $10 million bonus.
Suffered defeat in the Ryder Cup.
- 2017 – failed to win all year.
But he took top 10 places in the Masters, The Open and 3 WGC events.
And with Nike largely withdrawing from the golf market, he landed an £80 million sponsorship deal with TaylorMade.
- 2018 – More joy at the Ryder Cup.
- 2020 Surpassed Brooks Koepka to Become World No. 1
- 2021 – A Ryder Cup loser.
- 2022 – runner-up in the Masters and third in the Open.
- 2023 – Helped Europe defeat the USA 16.5-11.5 in the Ryder Cup.
- 2024 – struggled at the start of the season, finishing only 22nd at the Masters.
But then he won two tournaments – the Zurich Classic for his 25th PGA title and the Wells Fargo Championship.
McIlroy has won four majors, 26 PGA Tour victories and a record three FedEx Cup titles.
This is the first tournament McIlroy has entered since the PGA Championship, days before which he filed for divorce from Stoll after seven years of marriage.
Inside McIlroy’s Turbulent Love Life, Including Tennis Champ and Meghan Markle
By Jon Boon
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 to a romantic vacation in 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 while helping 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
