Rory McIlroy’s wife, Erica Stoll, appeared “subdued” after the golf pro rushed to embrace her while celebrating his impressive Masters win on Sunday.
A body language expert analyzed the seemingly sweet moment, going on to describe the mother of one as “more polite and tempered” as she hugged and cried with her husband.
“Erica uses back pats, which are firstly a gesture of gentle affection but which also usually signal a desire to break from an embrace, while Rory appears much more clingy,” Judi James told the Daily Mail Monday.
“Rory looks overwhelmed and clingy, while Erica’s response appears a little more polite, subdued and tempered,” she added.
A body language expert analyzed the demeanor of Rory McIlroy’s wife, Erica Stoll, following the golf pro’s Masters win.Getty Images
“Erica uses back pats, which are firstly a gesture of gentle affection but which also usually signal a desire to break from an embrace, while Rory appears much more clingy,” Judi James said of the seemingly sweet moment.REUTERS
His ex, CBS sports reporter Amanda Balionis, also celebrated his win with a post on Instagram.balionis/Instagram
Simultaneously on social media, CBS sports reporter Amanda Balionis — whom McIlroy allegedly dated after filing for divorce from Stoll in 2024 — praised the Northern Ireland golfer for his win after sitting down to interview him, possibly prompting Stoll’s “more polite” facade.
Balionis captioned a photo of their sit-down, “It took 17 Masters starts, 11 years of attempting to complete the career Grand Slam and 73 this week but Rory McIlroy has his Green Jacket and has solidified his legacy alongside Tiger, Jack, Gary, Hogan and Sarazen.
“What a week and a battle down to the very end.”
Many took to the comments section of her post, pointing out how “awkward” the interview must have been for all three parties.
One person commented, “Must be difficult since they dated last year,” while another said, “This is just wrong… I’m pulling this up tmrw😂.”
The couple showed subtle PDA at the Masters, almost a year after he initially filed for divorce.Getty Images
Shortly after he filed for divorce, he was rumored to be romantically involved with Balionis.Amanda Balionis/Instagram
Stoll’s demeanor proved that maybe she is not fully over McIlroy, 35, serving her with divorce papers and briefly moving on in May 2024.
According to docs obtained by Page Six, he cited that the seven-year marriage was “irretrievably broken.”
His rep told us at the time that his desire is “to ensure this difficult time is as respectful and amicable as possible” and pointed out that “he will not be making any further comment.”
At the same time, rumors began to circulate that he was romantically involved with Balionis, whom he was seen later getting cozy with.
However, neither McIlroy nor the journalist addressed the speculation before he made a 180 and called off his divorce from Stoll just a month after initially filing.
A month after he filed, McIlroy called off their divorce.PGA TOUR
Stoll was seen supporting McIlroy the entire weekend.REUTERS
Neither McIrloy nor Balionis has addressed their alleged romance.balionis/Instagram
Page Six confirmed that the 29-time PGA Tour winner submitted a notice of voluntary dismissal to a court in Palm Beach County, Fla., where the couple lives.
“There have been rumors about my personal life recently, which is unfortunate. Responding to each rumor is a fool’s game,” the athlete told the Guardian in a statement Tuesday.
“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.”
Since then, the couple — who shares 4-year-old daughter, Poppy — have remained under the radar. However, the two were seen sharing a sweet moment during the Masters kick-off last week.