Lifestyle
Rory McIlroy’s divorce U-turn, Tiger Woods’ porn star mistresses and the $1 million Phil Mickelson had to give back… what happens on the course when golfers personal lives spiral as the US Open approaches
It’s been just under a month since it was announced that Rory McIlroy had filed for divorce from his wife Erica Stoll after seven years of marriage.
The 35-year-old has continued to turn out on the PGA Tour following that announcement, though there are some reports that claim the Northern Irishman has been ‘trying to find himself‘.
The news of their split dropped on the eve of the PGA Championship and ironically, it was revealed on Tuesday that the pair have reconciled – just days before he tees it up at the third major of the year, the US Open.
In a shock U-turn, McIlroy told Dailymail.com that he and Stoll had realised their future would be better together. ‘There have been rumours about my personal life recently, which is unfortunate. Responding to each rumour is a fool’s game,’ he said.
‘Over the past weeks, Erica and I have realized that our best future was as a family together.
‘Thankfully, we have resolved our differences and look forward to a new beginning.’
McIlroy, a traditionalist in the game of golf, carried the fight against LIV Golf when the Saudi-backed breakaway league started to gather momentum and began to pose a threat to the PGA Tour. His spats with LIV CEO Greg Norman were particularly explosive and perhaps distracting – so much so that McIlroy’s form may have seemingly taken a hit.
‘I’d love to get back to being a golfer,’ McIlroy said following the Players Championship in 2023.
He added, reflecting on the civil war that has engulfed the sport: ‘It’s been a busy couple of weeks, and it’s been — honestly it’s been a busy sort of six or eight months.’
McIlroy gave up his role on the PGA Tour’s Policy Board in November, citing that the position was ‘not what he had signed up for’ and added: ‘The game of professional golf has been in flux for the last two years.’
McIlroy, a traditionalist in the game of golf, carried the fight against LIV Golf when the Saudi-backed breakaway league started to gather momentum and began to pose a threat to the PGA Tour. His spats with LIV CEO Greg Norman were particularly explosive and perhaps distracting – so much so that McIlroy’s form may have seemingly taken a hit.
‘I’d love to get back to being a golfer,’ McIlroy said following the Players Championship in 2023.
He added, reflecting on the civil war that has engulfed the sport: ‘It’s been a busy couple of weeks, and it’s been — honestly it’s been a busy sort of six or eight months.’
McIlroy gave up his role on the PGA Tour’s Policy Board in November, citing that the position was ‘not what he had signed up for’ and added: ‘The game of professional golf has been in flux for the last two years.’
But McIlroy is a resilient character, and while rumours have swirled around recent issues in his personal life, he can now put those to bed and focus on playing golf.
It is inevitable that he will one day end his wait for a fifth major. On his day, the 35-year-old is the best ball striker on the PGA Tour and his experience, having won four major championships before will always count in his favour.
Interestingly though, in the three months following his split from ex-fiance Caroline Wozniacki in 2014, McIlroy clinched four PGA Tour titles and two major championships – the US Open and the PGA Championship. Prior to that he had only won six times on the tour and had clinched only one major.
It appears he has been kicking into form in the past few months too.
The four-time major winner has, in recent months, seemingly gathered some momentum, following a sluggish start to the season, where he failed to break into the top-10 during his first five events on the PGA Tour – despite clinching victory on the DP World Tour at the Dubai Desert Classic in January.
Back-to-back victories at the Zurich Classic in New Orleans and the Wells Fargo Championship in April and May seemed to kick-start some good form for McIlroy, who has since finished T12, T4 and T15 in his last three events.
The Northern Irishman will come into the US Open this week fancying his chances, particularly having won this tournament before.
But he is not the only golfer to have had to battle through personal issues while competing on the PGA Tour. Several professionals and greats of the game have shown that you can still win amid personal problems off the course – but sometimes it doesn’t always quite end well.
LITERALLY living inside the Rafa Nadal Tennis Academy in Mallorca, Spain for three years and counting, Filipina ace Alex Eala observed firsthand how tennis champions are made.
In fact, in some way, the 15-year-old sees herself treading the same ground and facing the same challenges as World No. 2 Rafael Nadal himself, who again bagged another Slam in his pocket today, after defeating World No. 1 Novak Djokovic in straight sets, in the French Open tournament.
It also helped, too, that she literally sees him on the court.
“Oftentimes, he plays beside me or on the court next to me. It’s so inspiring, even if you’re just watching him play from afar, you can learn a lot,” Eala said during a virtual press conference with the Philippine media on Sunday night.
Aside from being an oustanding athlete and tennis coach, she also considers the 34-year-old Nadal as an inspiring mentor.
“One of the biggest things I can take away from Rafa is his humility. [He’s] so grounded. He’s achieved more than I can dream of, and the fact that he’s achieved so much and he’s still very nice to everyone here, so down-to-earth, it’s very admirable for him,” she said.
It’s from him that Alex takes inspiration in celebrating her success in a very modest way. Just last Friday, she made the whole country proud after a gallant semifinals finish in her French Open stint.
Eala lost to Elsa Jacquemot, conceding the home ground to the French netter, 6-3, 6-2
Austin Butler just shared the details of his wild night at Paul McCartney’s house party.
The star-studded affair was not only the most “insane” time Butler’s had in a while, but it was the most glamorous, being surrounded by his childhood icons and legendary music artists like Meryl Streep and Bruce Springsteen.
Butler, 32, reflected on the experience while speaking with Jimmy Kimmel, who was also lucky enough to be at the party. During the June 17 episode of Jimmy Kimmel Live, the two gushed about having last seen each other at McCartney’s house.
“Last time I saw you was at maybe the craziest party I’ve ever been to in my whole life,” Kimmel, 56, admitted before Butler agreed: “That was insane.”
Kimmel noted: “It was like a party where Tom Hanks is going: ‘Oh my God, can you believe who’s here?!’”
Emblem rockers like Mick Jagger, Keith Richards, and Ringo Starr graced McCartney’s home, leaving Hollywood’s elite to mingle with music royalty, the pair said. Even Taylor Swift was there, according to Butler and Kimmel.
The Elvisstar said the “Anti-Hero” singer wasn’t a normal guest, she was the DJ. “Yeah, she was DJing at one point,” Butler told Kimmel, who then quipped about how Swift isn’t booked and busy enough, she must oversee the music for McCartney’s party, too.
While Swift’s appearance may have been cause for celebration among some of the other guests, Butler confessed a different idol sent him into complete awe. He couldn’t believe his eyes when he saw Meryl Streep in the same room as him.
“She’s just the greatest. I felt like, you know in high school when you have a crush on somebody and they’re across the room and you don’t really know how to say hello to them?” he said. “That’s how it was. I saw her there and I couldn’t believe I was in the same room.”
Too star-struck to approach the It’s Complicatedlead himself, Butler headed into McCartney’s kitchen to bide his time and eat some vegan pizza. Thankfully, his friend offered to introduce him and Streep.
“I couldn’t believe I was meeting Meryl Streep with Paul McCartney’s vegan pizza in my mouth,” Butler confessed.
He was then pulled into a circle of people he couldn’t pass the opportunity to spend time with. Butler was invited to “have tacos with Snoop Dogg and Robert De Niro.”
“I dropped everything I was doing and I was there in a heartbeat,” he told Kimmel.
Another crazy conversation Butler had was with Bruce Springsteen. The 74-year-old recounted a time when he was fearless, hopping the fence at Graceland to sing Elvis Presley a song.
Butler had heard rumors that Springsteen had done that but wasn’t sure it was true until he confirmed. Of course, Presley wasn’t there when Springsteen approached his front door.
Entertainment
Paige Spiranac gives hack for golfers with big boobs as she shares video of her swing in slow motion
PAIGE SPIRANAC gave fans a hack for golfers with big boobs and shared slow motion video. The American has become a popular sports influencer since she stopped competing in 2017.
She has since carved out a successful career on social media with over 4million Instagram followers.
In a recent post on X, Paige gave tips for players on the course who have bigger busts.
She wrote: “I’ve been doing these slow mo videos and in all seriousness it’s wild seeing what my chest has to do through the swing so my arms can clear lol I can totally understand why women with larger chests who pick up the game feel stuck and uncomfortable.
“My tip is under on the right arm and over the chest on the left at set up. Also stand a little farther away from the ball!”
Paige had just a brief year playing career but is now making huge amounts through social media.
Research from Vegas Insider suggests the 31-year-old earns as much as FOUR TIMES more per post than Scottie Scheffler.
The study estimates that Paige earns between $8,477 (£6,692) to $12,716 (£10,000) per post.
Scheffler, on the other hand, earns $2,000 (£1,578) to $3,000 (£2,368) per post.
Paige is also now inviting followers to join her on Passes, where her memberships run from £4 to £80 a month.
She announced the news on Instagram alongside some trademark racy photos.
A glimpse inside Paige Spiranac’s glamorous life…
-
Entertainment2 weeks agoSimon Cowell was ‘actually quite nervous’ after being honored to walk X-factor contestant down the aisle
-
Lifestyle3 weeks agoSimon Cowell returns to Britain’s Got Talent following illness
-
Lifestyle2 weeks agoPaige Spiranac opens up and reveals the things that drive her crazy in golf
-
Entertainment2 weeks agoVictoria Beckham gushes over son Cruz Beckham for new achievement
-
Lifestyle2 weeks agoSammy Spieth and Maya Fowler Steal the Show at the Masters Par-3 Contest
-
Entertainment3 weeks agoSimon Cowell Hijacks Howie’s Golden Buzzer for Airfootworks on ‘AGT’: Watch Airfootworks Performance
-
Entertainment1 month agoAmerica’s Got Talent’ Returns With 44 Acts for Season 19
-
Lifestyle3 weeks agoVictoria Beckham gets Netflix show charting her career from Spice Girl to fashion designer