Rory McIlroy finds himself in a fascinating position at Augusta this weekend, sharing the lead as the Masters heads into its final day.
The Northern Irish star looked set to cruise to victory after building a commanding six-shot advantage at the halfway stage.
But Saturday proved tricky for the 36-year-old, who saw that comfortable cushion disappear entirely.
It’s now anyone’s tournament to win, with McIlroy hoping to claim back-to-back Masters titles.
Rory McIlroy savagely dumped Caroline Wozniacki in 2013 over the phone | PA
A victory would be extra special given his wife Erica Stoll and daughter Poppy are there to support him, just as they were when he completed his career grand slam last year.
McIlroy’s path to marital happiness wasn’t straightforward, though.
Back when he was in his early twenties, the golfer spent three years with Danish tennis star Caroline Wozniacki.
The couple got engaged towards the end of 2013, but it all fell apart just months later.
According to The Times, McIlroy ended things in a phone call lasting just three minutes, with his former fiancée reportedly devastated and initially believing it was a joke.
Rory McIlroy and Erica Stoll married back in 2017 | GETTY
“There is no right way to end a relationship that has been so important to two people. The problem is mine,” McIlroy said at the time.
“The wedding invitations made me realise that I wasn’t ready for all that marriage entails.”
McIlroy began his relationship with Stoll in 2015, and speaking to the Irish Independent before their 2017 wedding, he reflected on what had changed.
He’d once assumed being with someone equally famous made sense, but discovered the opposite was true.
“You can never detach yourself and try to come back to the real world,” he explained.
With Stoll, everything felt different.
“I don’t feel Erica wants to change me in any way. I can be myself around her; there’s no bulls***, no acting, no show,” McIlroy said.
Rory McIlroy was cheered on by his family as he won The Masters last year
| GETTY
The American, who lives what he described as a “normal life,” clearly brought something his previous high-profile relationship couldn’t offer.
The couple welcomed their daughter Poppy in 2020, marking a joyful new chapter together.
Things hit a bump last May when McIlroy filed for divorce, but the couple managed to work through their difficulties.
By June, the filing had been withdrawn and they’d reconciled.
“Over the past weeks, Erica and I have realised that our best future was as a family together,” McIlroy explained. “Thankfully, we have resolved our differences and look forward to a new beginning.”
Now Stoll is back at Augusta supporting her husband, with the family hoping for another celebration like last year’s triumphant Masters victory.
