Rory McIlroy was the talk of the Masters on Friday as he fired himself right back into contention – but ESPN also spoke to his ex-fiancee Caroline Wozniacki at Augusta
Tennis star Caroline Wozniacki shared her telling Masters prediction as ex-fiancee Rory McIlroy forged his comeback at Augusta. McIlroy rallied during his second round on Friday to put himself T3 and back into contention to claim the Green Jacket.
McIlroy’s wife Erica Stoll has been in attendance, while their daughter Poppy stole the show at the Par 3 contest. The 35-year-old golfer experienced a disappointing stumble on the opening day but bounced back impressively on Friday, climbing up the leaderboard.
The four-time major winner scored an impressive six-under-par round of 66 in the second round at Augusta, putting him right back in the game to clinch the Masters for the first time. While fans were thrilled to see his resurgence, many were taken aback by ESPN’s interview with Wozniacki just as his climb up the leaderboard was kicking off.
McIlroy and Wozniacki were previously in a relationship for several years from 2011 and were even engaged in 2013, but they abruptly called it quits over a three-minute phone call. McIlroy later admitted it was his decision, as he wasn’t ready for marriage. Wozniacki has also spoken about the split, confessing she was shocked by the suddenness of it.
Wozniacki is, perhaps surprisingly, at Augusta this weekend with her husband to enjoy the tournament – and the 2018 Australian Open winner shared her experience with ESPN. She said: “As an athlete, I think there’s some places that are so iconic that are on the bucket list, and this and Wimbledon are so special.
“You see everything. It’s just so beautiful, and to be able to be here with my husband and enjoying it, just the two of us, no kids, no distractions, it’s really, really nice.
“There’s so much pressure here, it’s the small margins. These greens are so difficult, so if you don’t hit it at the perfect spot, you go from being in a position for maybe going for a birdie to being lucky getting a bogey.
“Watching someone who is so good at their craft I think has always been very inspiring, whether it’s tennis, golf, at work, whatever it is. As a spectator, it’s always fun to see when the best in the world are struggling, and that’s what you get here.”
While McIlroy has moved on in his love life with Stoll, Wozniacki married retired NBA player David Lee in 2019, and they’re now expecting their third child. However, McIlroy received a subtle dig as Wozniacki shared her and Lee’s pick to win the Green Jacket this weekend.
“David and I, my husband, we always pick a winner before the tournament starts,” former world No. 1 Wozniacki shared.
“We pick one that we think has a big chance of winning, and that was [Ludvig] Aberg.”