Scruffy-Looking Rory McIlroy Escapes To US Open Wife-Free And Gets Railed For His 'Private Jet Life'

Rory McIlroy can't seem to catch a break from his haters, so when he was seen at the U.S. Open just hours after the PGA Tour Championship ended, it probably shouldn't have come as a surprise that his detractors went all in. Even so, between the complaints about his attitude, the fact that he didn't stick around to celebrate Tommy Fleetwood, and the fact that he did so without his wife, we hope he had some burn ointment handy. 

As a brief refresher, McIlroy made headlines for his hasty exit from East Lake Golf Club in Atlanta, where the PGA Tour Championship was taking place. From there, he jetted off to watch the U.S. Open — this, despite his close friend Fleetwood ultimately winning the championship. "Didn't stay to celebrate with Fleetwood. Didn't play well at East Lake. Just doesn't seem to care much post Masters. IMO, he's still trying to find motivation," was one of the nicer X comments on the matter. Others were a little less diplomatic. "It was so nice for Rory McIlroy to stay at East Lake to congratulate Tommy Fleetwood after winning the PGA Tour's Fed Ex Tour Championship. Oh wait, sorry that was Justin Rose, Shane Lowry and Harry Hall. Apparently, if it ain't about Rory it ain't worth the wait. What a d***," wrote one X user. 

Others were vexed over the Masters champion flying to New York, rather than straight home, with one journalist decrying his "private jet life." Another X user wrote, "Might just be me, but I would catch a jet home to a beautiful wife and my child," Enter, a reply that suggested it was yet another sign that McIlroy's marriage to Erica Stoll was still on the rocks, despite the divorce being called off. "Something weird is going on at home," chirped the X user. Yikes.

Rory McIlroy's decision to nip down to New York in a private jet (according to social media users, anyway) to see the tennis rather than stick around in Atlanta or go straight home may have annoyed some of his haters, but it bears mentioning that not everyone was quite so outraged. In fact, some X users came to his defense over the matter, and rubbished the idea that McIlroy was being shady. 

Of McIlroy not staying to congratulate Tommy Fleetwood, one X user wrote, "Fleetwood was playing with Cantlay so Rory finished 2 hours + ahead. No way I'm sticking around 2+ hours to maybe celebrate when a phone call will do." Another pointed out that the Masters champion might have stopped in to see the tennis while waiting to go home. "Maybe it's a convenient stop on his way back across the pond? ... If Rory wants to relax and watch some tennis, go for it," they wrote. It's a fair point — with McIlroy and Erica Stoll moving to the U.K. after the Masters, a stop off in New York was on the way. 

Stoll hasn't spoken about her husband remaining stateside to watch the tennis rather than go straight home, and given McIlroy's past comments to The Guardian on responding to stories about him being "a fool's game," we're not expecting him to weigh in on the matter, either. That said, Fleetwood certainly didn't seem to take anything too personally. On the contrary, speaking to Sky Sports Golf after his win, the champion lauded McIlroy's track record and even shouted out his ability to keep cool amid scandal and divorce gossip to go on and win the Masters. McIlroy may have gotten a ton of tongues wagging, but it's clear his fans are loyal through and through.