Amanda Balionis takes subtle dig at Rory McIlroy in interviews with DeChambeau and Rahm
GOLF presenter Amanda Balionis appeared to take a subtle dig at Rory McIlroy after his Quail Hollow no-show.
The five-time major winner refused to speak to the media on all four days in North Carolina.
McIlroy shot over par in both weekend rounds to finish outside the top 40.
It culminated in his second-worst major finish since 2023.
The Northern Irishman completed the career grand slam last month at Augusta in The Masters.
He admitted prior to the USPGA that he’d been unable to put in his usual amount of practice.
And he had his favourite driver snatched away from him last week after a random test showed it broke PGA rules.
McIlroy spoke to the media for around 20 minutes ahead of Thursday’s first round in Charlotte.
But he didn’t appear in front of the TV cameras again for the remainder of the tournament.
CBS reporter Balionis welcomed Bryson DeChambeau and Jon Rahm for interviews after round four on Sunday.
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And viewers were convinced she aimed a subtle jibe in Rory’s direction at the conclusion.
Balionis signed off to Bryson: “We appreciate the time.
“You don’t have to take the time so we really appreciate it.”
Balionis later appeared to double down on Instagram, posting snaps of her interview with both players.
She wrote: “Appreciate these two for taking the time to talk after a gutting loss.
“Simply a reminder that no one is obligated to talk, it’s a choice.
“And to bring us in after coming so close to a career accomplishment is awesome for the viewer.”
One fan wrote on X in response: “Amanda with the subtle dig at Rory.”
Inside Rory McIlroy's whirlwind love life
RORY MCILROY enjoyed a high-profile romance with former tennis world number one Caroline Wozniacki before their split in 2014.
The following year, the golf ace began dating Erica Stoll, who he had first met on the PGA Tour in 2011.
Erica often interacted with players through her role as the PGA’s manager of championship volunteer operations.
She even prevented McIlroy from missing his tee time at the 2012 Ryder Cup after some confusion over the time zone.
The incident began a firm friendship between the pair, four years before their relationship turned romantic.
McIlroy and Erica were spotted on a string of dates in Rochester, New York, in the early days of their relationship.
Just eight months later, the couple got engaged in Paris and walked down the aisle at Ashford Castle in Ireland in 2017.
The pair then welcomed daughter Poppy into the world three years later.
Throughout their time together, McIlroy and Erica have kept their relationship to themselves, with the golfer keen to protect his family from the cameras during filming of Netflix’s Full Swing documentary series.
However, after seven years of marriage, McIlroy filed for divorce from Erica.
The reasons for the divorce were not disclosed, but the Northern Irishman submitted documents to a court in Florida.
However, a few weeks later, performed a U-turn on their decision to divorce.
McIlroy told the outlet: “Thankfully, we have resolved our differences and look forward to a new beginning.”
Another said: “I usually defend Rory from all the nonsense takes on Twitter, but yeah this isn’t a hill I’ll die on. Skipping all four days for any golfer on Tour, especially one of the ‘faces’ of the sport, isn’t right”
While a third added: “The point is the tour should obligate players to do a quick chat, the players have to much control.”
But a fourth countered: “Who cares. He had a bad tournament. Maybe it’s better to not say anything then to regret what you want to say.”
Scottie Scheffler proved too strong for the field as the American won his third major.
The 28-year-old dominated on Day 4, eventually winning by five shots.