Rory McIlroy and his wife Erica Stoll are not going their own way after all. The couple called off the divorce less than a month after filing for divorce.
The professional golfer, who has been married to Stoll for seven years, appears to have reconciled with his wife, and the two filed for voluntary dismissal of their divorce case in Florida on Tuesday, according to the Associated Press.
Read more: Rory McIlroy arrives at US Open content but on the verge of ending major drought
News of the divorce first came in dramatic fashion a day after McIlroy won his 26th PGA Tour event and just as the PGA Championship was set to begin. News of the reconciliation arrived in similarly dramatic fashion two days before the US Open in Pinehurst, NC, where McIlroy is looking to end his career Grand Slam drought.
The 35-year-old originally filed his divorce petition on May 13 in Palm Beach County, Florida, saying his marriage was “irretrievably broken,” which is similar to citing irreconcilable differences in a divorce petition filed in California. Erica received divorce papers the same day and had twenty days to respond.
At the time, the Northern Irishman’s communications team emphasized “Rory’s desire to ensure this difficult time is as respectful and amicable as possible.”
McIlroy, who finished 12th at the PGA Championship last month, did not discuss the split or reconciliation at a news conference Tuesday before his final major. The two-time world champion – who will play this week alongside the only two people ahead of him (Masters champion Scottie Scheffler and PGA champion Xander Schauffele) – addressed the rumors in a statement to the Guardian on Tuesday.
Read more: Golf champion Rory McIlroy files for divorce after seven years of marriage
“There have been rumors about my personal life lately, which is unfortunate,” he said. “Responding to every rumor is a fool’s game. Over the past few weeks, Erica and I have realized that our best future was together as a family. Fortunately, we have resolved our differences and are looking forward to new beginnings.”
A representative for McIlroy did not immediately respond to The Times’ request for comment on Wednesday.
The four-time major champion and his wife met in 2012 when Stoll was working the Ryder Cup event for the PGA. The golfer credited her with helping him get a police escort so he wouldn’t miss his tee time. McIlroy was dating and engaged to tennis star Caroline Wozniacki before he and Stoll began a romance. McIlroy and Wozniacki broke off their engagement in 2014, just days after sending out their wedding invitations. That same year he started dating Stoll.
The two married in 2017 in a lavish ceremony at Ashford Castle in County Mayo, Ireland, and welcomed their first child in 2020.
Read more: Can Rory McIlroy finally win the Masters and complete his elusive career grand slam?
On Tuesday, McIlroy arrived seemingly satisfied for his first practice round at this week’s US Open. When asked if there are any goals he wants to achieve, he replied: “Not particularly.”
“I’m really proud of my body of work over the past fifteen years and everything I’ve achieved,” he said, “whether it’s season titles, individual tournaments or majors. It’s obviously taken a while to get a fifth major, but I’m more confident than ever that I’m there, that I’m as close as I’ve ever been.
“There will always be a hint of ‘what could have been.’ I don’t want to do that,” he added. “If someone had told me at 20 that I would be sitting here at 35 and this is the career I’ve had, I wouldn’t have believed them.”
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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This story originally appeared in the Los Angeles Times.
