Shocking news: Rory McIlroy and CBS Sports journalist Amanda Balionis have dropped another bombshell: Golf is going crazy right now, and it’s shocking how true it is.
Last week, the blonde-haired Balionis was given the opportunity to interview the 35-year-old champion after he won the Wells Fargo Championship in Quail Hollow, North Carolina, on Mother’s Day.
It was a performance that really ignited the flames. Barriinis, dressed in blush that matches his own maker, laughed, flirt and headed for interviews.
Rory Makira and CBS Reporter Amanda Balionis are “Roman Rumors between them”
“What should you find to protect your rule again?”
They stood close. She teased out details of his string of wins. She then asked him to say, “Physically, how good is your game,” and fans were understandably left wondering what “game” the red-faced reporter was talking about.
Less than 24 hours later, it was reported that McIlroy had filed for divorce from Erica Stoll, 36, after seven years of marriage. But standing in the Charlotte sunshine on May 11, McIlroy looked happy to bask in the obvious adoration.
Balionis noted that McIlroy was wearing “Mother’s Day” pink, but while she urged him to pay tribute to his mother, Rosie, she made no attempt to ask him to gushed about Stoll, who is the mother of his 3-year-old daughter, Poppy.
So it was Rosie, not Stoll, whom McIlroy credited as ‘the sort of rock and gel that holds our family together.’
Summing up his mood, McIlroy told Balionis: ‘It feels like the stars are aligning.’
Certainly, when it comes to his relationship with the longtime CBS golf reporter, their chemistry and ease in each other’s presence is clear.
The flirty banter was evident during the Wells Fargo Championship on Mother’s Day, May 12, when Balionis giggled, flirted, and fangirled her way through her interview with the golfer
Dressed in a blush top that matched with McIlroy’s own, Balionis pointed out that he was wearing his ‘Mother’s Day’ pink and asked him to pay tribute to his mother, Rosie, but did not mention his now estranged wife and mom of his three-year-old daughter, Poppy
Social media users have taken note of Balionis’s missing wedding ring, and more recently, her coordinating outfits with McIlroy at the Zurich Classic on April 28 (pictured) and again at the Wells Fargo Championship
One source said: “She knew what she was getting into in her profession but things have changed so much since she had Poppy and she has a new perspective. “Erika was usually absent from most tournaments, completely focused on Poppy.”
And while Stoll was at home caring for their daughter, Balionis was always present on the course, enjoying playing with McIlroy and company and in person.
“The cracks in Rory and Erica’s marriage were caused by Erica being single,” a source told US Weekly.
McIlroy is a “hard man to marry,” the source added.
But judging by his wide smile, he’s not too hard to be around, at least for Balionis. For his part, McIlroy seems happy to lend his name and support to a cause dear to Balionis’ heart.
In April, he took time out of his busy schedule to film a short video in support of Puppies & Golf, a non-profit organization founded by Balionis in 2020 that aims to promote rescue dogs, rehome them and, in some cases, retrain them as animals – assistants for veterans. Photographed at the PGA Zurich Classic in New Orleans, McIlroy stroked the adorable crucifix and said, “Hi everyone, my name is Rory McIlroy and this is Cuddles,” showing his support for Balionis’ mission.
