Rory McIlroy's 'Reckless' Behavior Sabotaged Caroline Wozniacki Engagement

Just days before his Masters title defense, Rory McIlroy's name began trending thanks to a new book from golf journalist Alan Shipnuck.

“Rory: The Heartache and Triumph of Golf’s Most Human Superstar,” took aim at McIlroy's past relationships and current golf stardom.

His marriage with Erica Stoll, failed engagement with Caroline Wozniacki and close friendship with CBS golf reporter Amanda Balionis were central to the book.

Rory McIlroy Allegedly Courted Erica Stoll During Engagement to Caroline Wozniacki

In the new book, Shipnuck recounts how McIlroy and Stoll, a PGA of America employee at the time, met in 2012 at the Ryder Cup. Gossip allegedly spread quickly about McIlroy flirting with Stoll after she helped get him a police escort because he was running late.

“He was throwing every ounce of game he had at Erica,” one employee says in the book, according to the Daily Mail. “It was not subtle. It became a running joke among a few of us: Has Rory closed the deal yet?”

Group chats among staffers described McIlroy as “smitten” and were full of “winking emojis.”

Rory McIlroy, Caroline Wozniacki Call Off Engagement

McIlroy and Wozniacki were engaged in December 2013 but the now five-time major champion broke things off after just five months. He began dating his current wife just a few months afterword according to the book, though they didn't go public until two years later in 2015.

Stoll is described in the book as “quiet by nature” by former European Ryder Cup captain Paul McGinley.

In the midst of rumors about their divorce, Stoll reportedly spent more time at home while McIlroy and Balionis became “the talk of the links,” as the Daily Mail reported at the time.

Shipnuck's book poured cold water on those rumors, with sources close to the two saying their relationship never became romantic.

Rory McIlroy's 'Recklessness' Shown in Divorce, Reconciliation With Erica Stoll

McIlroy initially filed for divorce from Stoll in May 2024, claiming their marriage was “irretrievably broken.” However, just a few months later the two called off their divorce after the couple “realized that our best future was as a family together.”

Shipnuck took aim at McIlroy's about-face and called out his reckless behavior.

“The short-lived divorce proceedings and hasty reconciliation said more about him than her,” he wrote, per the Daily Mail.

“If you are an internationally famous athlete heading toward becoming a billionaire, it is probably unwise to file for divorce unless you are one million percent certain there is zero chance to save the marriage," he added.

“But McIlroy’s life has been defined by impetuousness, on the golf course and in matters of business and romance. The recklessness is part of what makes him appealing.”

Rory McIlroy tees off alongside Cameron Young and amateur Mason Howell at 10:31 a.m. ET.

Related: Amanda Balionis Puts Rory McIlroy on Notice Before the Masters