Four-time major champion Rory McIlroy admitted he struggled to balance "trying to be the best golfer" and the "best" family man during the third episode of season three of the Netflix docuseries Full Swing released on Tuesday (February 25).
“There’s parts of my life that I like to keep as private as possible. Unfortunately, in this line of work, that isn’t always possible. I’ve always tried to be protective of my loved ones from people that have ill intentions. I think it was a wake-up call for me to say, ‘Let’s just focus on the golf for a little bit,'” McIlroy said.
McIlroy and his wife, Erica Stoll, called off their divorce last June.
“Thankfully, everything has worked out for the best, and we’re happy and moving forward and can’t wait for what lies ahead,” McIlroy said on Full Swing.
The golfer previously issued a statement to the Guardian announcing his and his wife's reconciliation.
“There have been rumours about my personal life recently, which is unfortunate. Responding to each rumour is a fool’s game," McIlroy said. "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."
McIlroy's reconciliation came days before his second-place finish at the U.S. Open at Pinehurst. The golfer reportedly signed the divorce papers digitally while playing in the Wells Fargo Championship at Quail Hallow in North Carolina, a tournament he won, on May 9, according to the court documents.
McIlroy and Stoll, who were married in 2017, were initially linked in 2014 after he called off his engagement to tennis star Caroline Wozniacki, having met two years prior when Stoll worked as a PGA transport official at the Ryder Cup, PEOPLE.com reports.
“Erica that week was always the one that was checking us in and out. She was there at transportation, so she was always in the car park over there (by the clubhouse),” McIlroy told NBC Sports during an interview in 2019. “But yeah, it’s still cool to look around and think about that week, and obviously everything that’s happened since then. It’s pretty cool.”