Rory McIlroy highlights field for RBC Canadian Open ten days after shock divorce with Erica Stoll… as Scottie Scheffler skips the competition
Rory McIlroy highlights the field for the 2024 RBC Canadian Open at Hamilton Golf & Country Club in Hamilton, Ontario, May 30 to June 2.
However, world No. 1 Scottie Scheffler’s name appears absent from the roster as the PGA Tour heads north of the border.
The pair both made headlines around the PGA Championship in Kentucky for reasons that had nothing to do with the sport.
Three days before the championship kicked off in Valhalla, McIlroy shocked the fanbase by filing for divorce from his wife of seven years, Erica Stoll.
After going public with their relationship in 2014, McIlroy and Stoll became engaged in December the following year and married in April 2017. The couple welcomed their daughter, Poppy Kennedy, on August 31, 2020.
Rory McIlroy is on the court for the Canadian Open after filing for divorce from Erica Stoll
Scottie Scheffler, who was arrested in Louisville on May 17, will not be on the field from May 30 to June 2
An inside source later told US Weekly that “Erica was lonely in their marriage,” while another source told People that the Northern Irishman was “trying to find herself and win again” after the split.
On the other hand, Scheffler made headlines on May 17 when he was arrested in Louisville and charged with second-degree assault, third-degree criminal mischief, reckless driving and disobeying an officer’s traffic signals.
The arrest took place early in the morning as he attempted to enter Valhalla to make his tee time. Nevertheless, he was released hours later and received a thunderous ovation on the course for his second round.
“This morning I proceeded as directed by police officers,” Scheffler wrote of the arrest. ‘It was a very chaotic situation, understandable given the tragic accident that had previously occurred, and there was a major misunderstanding about what I thought was being asked of me.
McIlroy is looking to win his third Canadian Open title after victories in 2019 and 2022
Whether Scheffler’s absence has anything to do with his arrest remains a question
‘It was never my intention to disobey any of the instructions. I’m hopeful that I can put this aside and focus on golf today.”
Scheffler finished the tournament in a tie for eighth place. Meanwhile, McIlroy and five others were behind them in 12th place.
Whether or not Scheffler’s absence from the Canadian Open is related to the arrest remains a question.
As for McIlroy, he looks to add a third Canadian Open title to his resume. He won his first in 2019 and claimed his second title in the North in 2022.