Rory McIlroy and Amanda Balionis share a moment after interview amid dating rumours (2024)

If Rory McIlroy and Amanda Balionis aren’t dating, they don’t seem to be trying to keep the rumour mill from churning.

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The pair kept up a “business as usual” routine during the Canadian Open this past weekend, with the Northern Ireland star giving the CBS broadcaster a one-on-one sit-down interview after his final round in Hamilton.

Balionis asked McIlroy, who finished three strokes back of winner Robert MacIntyre, whether he thought he could’ve won.

“I don’t think so,” McIlroy said, per The Daily Mail. “I wish it was. I had a couple of good opportunities on the way in … selfishly it would 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.”

What caused the biggest stir was a picture snapped after the interview and posted on social media. With the TV cameras off, the golf superstar got up to give the seated Balionis a big hug with their cheeks appearing to graze.

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This sent social media into a tizzy, further diving into the debate of are they/aren’t they.

One user on X posted a screenshot of the interview noting a few flirtatious behaviours, writing: “Good for them. They do make a cute couple. I noticed that she licked her lips during this interview. He kept his left arm as close as possible to her. Sweet actually!”

Another seemed to think the hug confirmed the rumours.

“Why don’t they just confirm it? It sure seems like everybody else knows it!”

One report from Us Weekly did its best to shoot down any dating buzz, with a source stating McIlroy and Balionis only have a “professional relationship.”

McIlroy’s dating life has been a hot topic on and off the course over the past few weeks.

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The golfer filed for divorce from estranged wife Erica Stoll, with whom he shares three-year-old daughter Poppy, last month, seeking to end their seven-year marriage.

According to court documents obtained by Irish newspaper The Belfast Telegraph, McIlroy hired a private investigator to serve Stoll with divorce papers while she was at their family home in a members-only development in Jupiter, Fla., on May 13.

Per court records, McIlroy signed the divorce papers digitally on May 9 while he was in North Carolina competing in the Wells Fargo Championship at Quail Hallow, which he went on to win.

According to reports, Stoll reached “a breaking point” in the couple’s marriage before divorce papers were filed.

“A point of contention in Rory’s marriage with Erica was that Erica was lonely in their marriage,” a source told Us Weekly. “Rory was a hard person to be married to.”

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McIlroy and Stoll, a former publicist, “were living very different lives the last two years with him being on the road, and eventually she had a breaking point,” the source said.

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The rumour mill hit full steam after McIlroy’s victory at last month’s PGA Championship, with the golfer said to be romancing CBS sports journalist Balionis.

The Northern Irishman and the broadcaster were “the talk of the links” after some noticed their close relationship at events over the past few weeks, according to the Daily Mail.

Balionis and former NFL quarterback Bryn Renner have not officially announced a split, but the reporter changed her user name on X earlier this year from her married moniker of Balionis Renner back to just her maiden name. Fans noted in February that she had ceased wearing her wedding ring on TV and in posts on social media.

Neither McIlroy nor Balionis have publicly commented on the rumors and the golfer has offered very little about his divorce.

His manager, Sean O’Flaherty, issued a statement after the split was announced as McIlroy’s camp “stressed Rory’s desire to ensure this difficult time is as respectful and amicable as possible.”

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