Caroline Wozniaki and Rory McIlroy called off their wedding just days after sending out invitations. Credit: Getty Images
There is really something about golf wives. In a sport that one would think contains the most level-headed and normal athletes (in comparison to the NFL, MLB, NHL etc) there really wouldn’t be much extracurricular activity as far as media and gossip goes.
But for some reason, (for better or for worse) PGA golfers and their wives can’t stay out of the headlines.
The latest of these is Rory McIlroy, once the youthful face of golf’s future and now one of the streakiest golfers on Tour, who told the media Wednesday he and tennis-playing fiancé Caroline Wozniaki were pulling the plug on their engagement.
“Look, I’m no different than anyone else,” McIlroy said. “Everyone has been through breakups, and it’s obviously very, very difficult. But look, I’m here to try and concentrate on this week and answer questions about golf, and that’s what I’m going to do.”
Or maybe Wozniaki realized she wasn’t ready to be a trophy wife.
Tiger Woods and former wife ElinNordegren called it quits in fury of violence and crazy, crazy headlines about Woods sleeping around all over the world. And she decided enough was enough.
Visual evidence that the genes of Janet Jones and Wayne Gretzky combine quite nicely. Credit: Getty Images
And then there is Wayne Gretzky’s daughter Paula, who is engaged to Dustin Johnson, and who caused controversy when she adorned the cover of Golf Digest instead of a LPGA golfer.
On the other end of the spectrum is Amanda Dufner. Whose rear end was the recipient of not only a not-so-subtle grab following Dufner’s 2013 PGA Championship win.
And there are also positive stories, like Phil Mickelson’s wife (battling breast cancer), Bubba Watson’s wife (their shaky adoption) and on down the line — these women are subjects of conversation at every golf tournament. They are in the public eye just because of who their husbands are.
Why is it that we don’t hear the same about competitors on other sport?
Perhaps it is the slow pace, the cerebral contemplation and the featurization of golf that makes it so conducive to publicizing families as much as the players themselves.
Wozniaki, whether she was the catalyst or the victim of the latest celebrity dating casualty, will always be connected to McIlroy no matter how successful she is in her own career. An honorary golf wife.
Which begs the question, E! Network, TLC, etc… why haven’t you guys jumped on this yet?!
Follow Philadelphia sports editor Evan Macy on twitter @Evan_Macy
