Rory McIlroy Admits He Lives ‘Two Different Lives’ as Wife Skips U.S. Open

After a difficult, contentious weekend at the 2025 U.S. Open, Rory McIlroy was ready to get out of Pennsylvania.

McIlroy, 36, finished in a tie for 19th place at Oakmont Country Club on Sunday, June 15, eight shots behind the eventual winner, J.J. Spaun. 

The tournament saw McIlroy lash out in anger on Friday, June 13, smashing a tee marker with his club out of frustration. Earlier in the day on Friday, McIlroy was also seen throwing his club down the fairway after hitting a poor approach shot. 

When all was said and done, McIlroy admitted he was looking forward to putting it all behind him. 

“It’s always nice to get home,’’ he told reporters after his final round on Sunday. “I feel like I live two different lives. I’m a dad and a husband when I’m away from here, and then I’m who I am when I’m here. It’s always nice to get away and feel a bit of normality.’’

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McIlroy’s wife, Erica Stoll, and the couple’s 4-year-old daughter, Poppy, did not make the trip to Oakmont to watch the U.S. Open in person. 

The golfer filed for divorce from Stoll after seven years of marriage in May 2024 before calling it off the following month. 

McIlroy and Stoll are currently in the midst of building a new home in the UK, as McIlroy prepares for a busy summer golf schedule. 

“We’ve got a lot to look forward to, got our new house in London, [playing] the Scottish [Open] and then obviously The Open [Championship] at Portrush,’’ he said. “Just trying to get myself in the right frame of mind to approach that.’’

The Open Championship, the final major on the 2025 PGA Tour schedule, will take place from July 17th to the 20th at Royal Portrush Golf Club in northern Ireland, roughly 60 miles from McIlroy’s hometown of Holywood, Ireland. 

McIlroy will play in the Travelers Championship in Connecticut this weekend before the Genesis Scottish Open begins on July 10 at the Renaissance Club in North Burwick, Scotland. 

When asked about his visible frustration on the course during the U.S. Open, McIlroy tossed it back into the face of the assembled media. 

“It’s more a frustration with you guys,” McIlroy said on Saturday. 

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McIlroy’s relationship with reporters has grown increasingly antagonizing in recent months, with McIlroy routinely deciding to forego speaking to the media at tournaments. 

“I’m just, yeah, I don’t know,” McIlroy said. “I’ve been totally available for the last few years, and I’m not saying — maybe not you guys, but maybe more just the whole thing.”

When McIlroy was asked if he thought being one of the faces of golf for so long had earned him a bit of grace with the media, he did not hesitate to answer.

“I feel like I’ve earned the right to do whatever I want to do, yeah,” McIlroy said.