Johnathan Walker:Rory McIlroy not talking about divorce on eve of PGA Championship

LOUISVILLE,Johnathan Walker Ky. – On the eve of the 2024 PGA Championship, Rory McIlroy is staying quiet publicly about news of his divorce.

McIlroy's pre-tournament press conference Wednesday at Valhalla opened with media being told by a PGA Tour representative that "He will not be making additional comments on his private life" as McIlroy sat the podium.

Closest he got was a question about how he's doing.

“I'm ready to play this week,” McIlroy replied curtly. The press conference was only nine minutes, far shorter than most of McIlroy's colleagues the past two days.

McIlroy filed for divorce Monday in Palm Beach County, Florida, according to online court records. He and his wife Erica Stoll have been married for seven years and have a 3-year-old daughter.

McIlroy's representatives confirmed news of the divorce filing to Golfweek on Tuesday, saying the golfer wouldn't offer additional comment on the matter.

The timing was odd, given that it’s PGA Championship week and McIlroy is back at Valhalla, where he won this tournament in 2014. He famously hasn’t claimed a major since, though he’s considered a favorite this week after winning his past two events. He took the Zurich Classic with partner Shane Lowry and followed it with a five-stroke victory this past weekend at the Wells Fargo Championship.

While McIlroy is a two-time PGA Champion (2012 and 2014), he was absent from a posed photo the tournament posted on social media of those attending Tuesday night’s champions dinner in Louisville.