Bizarre, emotion-filled week of Rory McIlroy (divorce, US Open loss) ends with turtles at Florida beach

Pro golfer Rory McIlroy had one heck of a bizarre, emotion-filled week.

Maybe looking at some sea turtles in Juno Beach eased his mind.

The week began when, on the eve of the U.S. Open — one of golf's four major tournaments — the Jupiter resident, who last month had filed for divorce with his wife of seven years, Erica Stoll, announced that the couple had "resolved our differences."

OK, good start.

Then came the collapse ... an epic collapse.

Rory McIlroy's collapse of epic proportions at the U.S. Open. McElroy blows off press conference

McIlroy, 35, is the second-ranked player on the PGA Tour and a winner of four majors, but he has not won one in 10 years. He's come close, now having 21 top-10 finishes in majors since his last win.

So on Sunday, June 16 − aka Father's Day 2024 − he had a two-shot lead going into the final four holes at the Pinehurst No. 2 course in North Carolina. That's usually an insurmountable lead in golf and it looked like he was about to erase the doubters. But then ...

He hit some horrible shots, including missing two short putts that your average weekend hacker could have made. To call it heartbreaking would be an understatement.

With his round over, McIlroy watched from the clubhouse as eventual champion Bryson DeChambeau clinched the tournament. It was painful seeing McIlroy's reaction.

Then he made things worse by leaving the course immediately, blowing off a press conference, and not congratulating DeChambeau. He took on a fair amount of heat on social media for blowing off his "responsibilities" as a pro.

Rory McIlroy, after leaving immediately after Sunday loss, tweets Monday about 'tough day' and Bryson DeChambeau

On Monday, McIlroy finally spoke, sort of. He posted on X, formerly Twitter, that Sunday was "a tough day, probably the toughest I've had in my nearly 17 years as a professional golfer." He went on to congratulate DeChambeau. He said he was going to "take a few weeks away from the game to process everything and build myself back up..."

McIlroy, originally from Northern Ireland, likely will next play in the Scottish Open July 11-14. Some in the media said that McIlroy leaving, not talking to the media, and not congratulating DeChambeau in person after the U.S. Open, was something he would not have done if this were, say, the British Open, or even the Masters.

Maybe the stress of the week was too much, or maybe McIlroy just enjoys sea life as much as anyone. He was spotted with his wife and daughter at Loggerhead Marinelife Center in Juno Beach.

What part of Florida does Rory McIlroy live in?

Rory McIlroy lives in the guard-gated Bear's Club golf community in Jupiter. He and Stoll bought the property for $11 million in 2017, according to records.

According to the New York Post, the 13,000-square-foot mansion is situated on almost 2.5 acres of land. It boasts "nine bedrooms, 11 bathrooms, a home theater, a recording studio, a guest house, a tennis court and membership to a Jack Nicklaus golf course."

A Redfin estimate puts the property at over $20 million today.

When did Rory McIlroy and his wife Erica Stoll get married?

Pro golfer Rory McIlroy met his wife, Eric Stoll, at the 2012 Ryder Cup when Stoll, a former employee of the PGA of America, helped McIlroy get transportation to his tee time after a time zone mix-up. McIlroy and his wife didn't begin dating until 2015. They tied the knot two years later in a celebrity-studded ceremony at Ashford Castle in Ireland.

They have one daughter together, Poppy Kennedy McIlroy born on Aug. 31, 2020 in Jupiter.

More: Rory McIlroy calls off Florida divorce right before U.S. Open. Here's what to know

Why was Rory McIlroy splitting from his wife Erica Stoll?

According to USA TODAY, Rory McIlroy filed documents for divorce on May 13, 2024, seeking enforcement of a prenuptial agreement between the two and a parenting plan going forward.

They have one daughter together, Poppy Kennedy McIlroy born on Aug. 31, 2020, in Jupiter.

What has Rory McIlroy accomplished on the golf course?

McIlroy has won the 2011 U.S. Open, 2012 PGA Championship, 2014 Open Championship and 2014 PGA Championship.

He was not won a major championship trophy in a decade. In a pre-tournament press conference on Tuesday, McIlroy spoke about his career and his goal to secure a fifth win.

“I’m really proud of my body of work over the past 15 years and everything that I have achieved, whether it be season-long titles or individual tournaments or majors,” McIlroy said. “Obviously getting my hands on a fifth major has taken quite a while, but I’m more confident than ever that I’m right there, that I’m as close as I’ve ever been.”

What's Rory McIlroy's connection with Tiger Woods?

TGL is a new interactive golf league headed by Tiger Woods and Rory McIlroy. Woods lives in Jupiter Island, a Martin County town on the border with Palm Beach County and not far from McIlroy's Jupiter home.

TGL, owned by TMRW Sports Group, is scheduled to launch its inaugural season Jan. 7 in prime time on ESPN. The league will be played at a venue being built on the Palm Beach Gardens campus of Palm Beach State College.

The league will infuse technology with in-person golf and is expected to consist of six teams, each with four PGA Tour players competing head-to-head in 18-hole match play. The field will be 97 yards long and 50 yards wide.

This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: Rory McIlroy calls off divorce to Erica Stoll, has epic US Open collapse