Rory McIlroy’s wife, Erica Stoll, appeared “subdued” after the golf pro rushed to embrace her while celebrating his impressive Masters win on Sunday.
A body language expert analyzed the seemingly sweet moment, going on to describe the mother of one as “more polite and tempered” as she hugged and cried with her husband.
“Erica uses back pats, which are firstly a gesture of gentle affection but which also usually signal a desire to break from an embrace, while Rory appears much more clingy,” Judi James told the Daily Mail Monday.
“Rory looks overwhelmed and clingy, while Erica’s response appears a little more polite, subdued and tempered,” she added.
A body language expert analyzed the demeanor of Rory McIlroy’s wife, Erica Stoll, following the golf pro’s Masters win. Getty Images
“Erica uses back pats, which are firstly a gesture of gentle affection but which also usually signal a desire to break from an embrace, while Rory appears much more clingy,” Judi James said of the seemingly sweet moment. REUTERS
His ex, CBS sports reporter Amanda Balionis, also celebrated his win with a post on Instagram. balionis/Instagram
Simultaneously on social media, CBS sports reporter Amanda Balionis — whom McIlroy allegedly dated after filing for divorce from Stoll in 2024 — praised the Northern Ireland golfer for his win after sitting down to interview him, possibly prompting Stoll’s “more polite” facade.
Balionis captioned a photo of their sit-down, “It took 17 Masters starts, 11 years of attempting to complete the career Grand Slam and 73 this week but Rory McIlroy has his Green Jacket and has solidified his legacy alongside Tiger, Jack, Gary, Hogan and Sarazen.
“What a week and a battle down to the very end.”
Many took to the comments section of her post, pointing out how “awkward” the interview must have been for all three parties.
One person commented, “Must be difficult since they dated last year,” while another said, “This is just wrong… I’m pulling this up tmrw😂.”
The couple showed subtle PDA at the Masters, almost a year after he initially filed for divorce. Getty Images
