
Amanda Balionis takes dig at Rory McIlroy over cranky PGA Championship move
Rory McIlroy 's rumored ex-flame Amanda Balionis appeared to take a dig at him on social media on Sunday night over his bizarre four-day media snub at the PGA Championship.
Masters champion McIlroy, usually fairly generous with the time he gives media, snubbed reporters every day at Quail Hollow in a disappointing week at a course where he has won four times before.
CBS reporter Balionis, who led the broadcaster's coverage at the second major of the season, shared pictures on her Instagram from her interviews with Jon Rahm and Bryson DeChambeau.
They both fell short in their bid to try and catch the eventual runaway winner, Scottie Scheffler.
Balionis, 38, wrote: 'Appreciate these two for taking the time to talk after a gutting loss.
'Simply a reminder that no one is obliged to talk, it's a choice. And to bring us in after coming so close to a career accomplishment is awesome for the viewer.'
A year ago, McIlroy had filed for divorce from his wife Erica Stoll, sparking speculation of a potential romance with Balionis after the pair appeared to enjoy a strong rapport during a flirtatious interview at the Wells Fargo Championship.
McIlroy and Stoll have since reconciled and appeared to be every bit the happy couple as he won his first green jacket in Augusta.
McIlroy, 36, was the man everyone wanted to see going into the tournament after becoming only the sixth man in the history of golf to acheive the career grand slam.
The Northern Irishman gave plenty of interviews in the immediate aftermath of his triumph at Augusta and has since appeared on high-profile talkshows such as Jimmy Fallon.
But he didn't manage to recapture the form that won him his first green jacket, ending the week tied 47th with a three-over par score for the tournament.
One potential reason behind McIlroy's silence could be that he had been forced to swap his driver before the start of the tournament.
He was selected at random for his equipment to be tested on Tuesday and his driver failed a conformity test on the eve of the tournament.
From here, McIlroy is expected to play the Memorial Tournament in late May and the Canadian Open from June 5-8 in the run-up to the US Open from June 12-15.
Scottie Scheffler ended up as the runaway winner at Quail Hollow on Sunday
The US Open will be held at Oakmont Country Club next month and at the very latest, it will be there that McIlroy finally speaks out.
Rahm, meanwhile, was tied with Scheffler at one point during the final round before agonizingly falling away and finishing tied eighth.
I think it's the first time I've been in position to win a major that close and haven't done it,' Rahm said.
'The only times I think I've been in the lead in a major on a Sunday, I've been able to close it out, and this is a very different situation.
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