Rory McIlroy sounded deeply unimpressed when asked how he was coping with the turbulence in his personal life following his first round at the PGA Championship in Valhalla
Rory McIlroy answered questions about his private life during a awkward exchange during his press conference after making a strong start to the PGA Championship on Thursday.
McIlroy prepares for Valhalla this week after files for divorce from his wife of seven years, Erica Stoll, Monday. But he was able to put his personal life aside with a fierce performance in Kentucky, finishing the day tied for fifth at five under par.
The Northern Irishman was delighted with his efforts, achieve an impressive score despite difficulties with his driver for much of the first round. He sits four shots behind Leader Xander Schauffele heads to second round Friday.
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At his pre-tournament news conference Wednesday, McIlroy told reporters he would not answer questions about his personal life this week. And he was unfazed by a question posed after the first round and gave a blunt answer.
“It was nice to be inside the ropes, Rory, and concentrate on Golf“Obviously there are other things going on this week,” the reporter asked.
“It’s always nice to be on the ropes,” McIlroy replied before the reporter asked a follow-up question. They asked: “Do you find it easy – we always ask players to compartmentalize. Is that something you’re good at and something you’re going to have to rely on this week?”
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“Happy to be here,” the four-time major champion replied before quickly moving on to other questions. He was pleased with the result of his round, even if he wasn’t at the top of his game.
“It was pretty scrappy overall,” he said of his opening-round 66. “I don’t really feel like I left a lot of players out there. I think I learned a lot about my game today.”
“There were some good ups and downs, like the chip-in on the sixth hole. I had a little bit of a rough round on the turn, so I’m not really happy with how I played, but I’m at least happy with the score.”
McIlroy, 35, filed for divorce in Palm Beach County state court in Florida on Monday, less than 24 hours after sealing the deal. a dominant victory at the Wells Fargo Championship at Quail HollowNorth Carolina. He and Stoll have one child together – a three-year-old daughter, Poppy Kennedy McIlroy.
Divorce documents say the couple’s marriage is “irretrievably broken” and are seeking a co-parenting agreement. McIlroy and Stoll signed a prenuptial agreement before they married in 2017, and the filing states: “The court should determine whether the prenuptial agreement is valid and enforceable.”
McIlroy’s communications team said on Monday that the Northern Irishman would make “no further comment at this time” and stressed: “Rory’s desire is to ensure that this difficult time is as respectful and amicable as possible.”
