Rory McIlroy was pictured hugging CBS journalist Amanda Balionis on Sunday, just minutes after they wrapped up a TV interview, amid rumors of a romance between the pair.
The couple have been in the news in recent weeks after McIlroy filed for divorce from wife Erica Stoll, while Balionis threw away her wedding ring and left her married name.
McIlroy shot a 64 in the final round as he ultimately fell short at the RBC Canadian Open at Hamilton Golf and Country Club, despite his encouraging return to form.
A few minutes later, the Northern Irishman stood in front of the cameras to reflect on his performance in a one-on-one interview with Balionis on CBS Sports.
Photos obtained by DailyMail.com show the pair embracing after the interview, sharing several laughs as they discussed his performance.
Rory McIlroy was pictured hugging CBS journalist Amanda Balionis after their TV interview
The CBS reporter spoke with McIlroy after the Canadian opening and they hugged afterward
Balionis and McIlroy were all smiles as they spoke with the cameras not rolling
“I don’t think so,” McIlroy told Balionis when asked if his score of 13 under par would be good enough to win. ‘I wish it were so. I had a few good opportunities along the way… selfishly it would be nice if it was enough.
“But Bob is a good friend of mine, a Ryder Cup teammate, and it would be really good to see him get the job done.”
He added: “We had a great weekend. It probably won’t be enough, but it’s definitely a very good weekend to build on.”
McIlroy and Balionis then shared a joke about his pairing with Tom Kim. “Is it something that you guys are really comfortable with each other? He seems like a little brother to everyone.’
McIlroy laughed before replying, “He sure makes me feel old!”
Golf fans are wondering just how close the pair have become.
Neither McIlroy nor Balionis have publicly commented on the rumors, but reports last week highlighted that the pair are “not dating and only have a personal relationship.”
Rory McIlroy was interviewed by CBS journalist Amanda Balionis after the Canadian Open
McIlroy’s divorce from wife Erica Stoll sparked rumors of a romance between the pair
Balionis and Bryn Renner started dating in 2019 and got engaged in 2021. They married a year later
This was the Northern Irishman’s first PGA Tour appearance since the PGA Championship at Valhalla, where he finished tied for 12th.
The second major of the year followed his victory at the Wells Fargo Championship in Charlotte, North Carolina last month. McIlroy, 35, filed for divorce from Stoll, 36, just 24 hours after that win.
They were married for seven years and it later emerged that McIlroy had not informed his estranged wife that he intended to divorce her personally.
Instead, the four-time major winner hired a police officer to deliver the divorce papers to Stoll’s home.
Stoll, a native of upstate New York, was served the legal documents by Carl Woods – a Palm Beach police officer who is also leading a lawsuit on behalf of the firm CW Services & Associates, according to court documents.
Woods showed up unannounced at the McIlroys’ lavish $22 million mansion in Jupiter, Florida, on May 13 at 10:30 a.m. ET and presented Stoll with a copy of McIlroy’s divorce petition.
Balionis, meanwhile, married Bryn Renner in 2022. Renner is a 34-year-old former NFL quarterback and former quarterbacks coach at Florida International University, with the Panthers competing in the FBS-level Conference USA.
The pair reportedly got together in 2019 and spent more than four years as an item before Balionis made her first public appearance without her wedding ring.