Resurfaced Pics Of Rory McIlroy & Meghan Markle Sparked A Shady Hate Train

Back in 2014, before Meghan Markle became a royal, the Duchess of Sussex had an encounter with pro golfer Rory McIlroy. Exactly what went down is unclear, but amid that year's viral ALS Ice Bucket Challenge, McIlroy nominated the then-"Suits" star, who agreed, but only if the Northern Irish athlete did the pouring himself. He was game. He poured ice onto her head, and the pair went out for drinks at the Fitzpatrick Hotel afterward.

What happened then is their business, but we know that it didn't lead to anything serious. A few months later, McIlroy started dating his future wife, Erica Stoll, and Meghan went on to have her first date with Prince Harry a couple of years after that. But since the past of famous people is never truly behind them, pictures of Meghan and McIlroy's 2014 encounter resurfaced in March 2026, igniting a messy hatefest of the former. "Rory McIlroy dodged a massive bullet when he threw Meghan to the curb. She was clearly on the hunt, but Rory didn't take the bait," the X account wrote, pairing the caption with three pictures, two of which featured McIlroy and Markle together. 

Rory McIlroy dodged a massive bullet when he threw Meghan to the curb.

She was clearly on the hunt, but Rory didn't take the bait. pic.twitter.com/BUOUIR4y3R

— Harry, Meghan's Spare (@ViQueenie) April 13, 2026

In one, the two were seated at a table enjoying some drinks. The other showed the two next to each other before the infamous challenge, evidenced by the cooler in the background. "I can only imagine what a unhinged circus Masters would turn into if MM managed to trap McIlroy," a netizen shadily replied. Meghan isn't exactly the most popular royal, so we aren't shocked here. 

Given the vastly different paths their lives took, Meghan Markle and Rory McIlroy's ice bucket challenge encounter has largely been relegated to an insignificant past. After all, she married a prince, and he became a sensation in the golfing world. However, Meghan was far from a major star when she rubbed shoulders with McIlroy, who had just won his first Open Championship. She reportedly saw an opportunity there and jumped at the chance.

At least that's what author Tom Bower claimed in his 2022 book, "Revenge: Meghan, Harry and the War Between the Windsors" (via Page Six). "[She was] keen to use their close relationship to promote herself," he wrote. Bower also contended that McIlroy's night with Markle negatively impacted his performance on the golf course the next day. "Worse for wear after a hectic night, he fell back to 101st place," Bower writes.

After the poor performance, McIlroy reportedly drove back to New York to see Meghan. "He refused to sleep as usual near the golf course to be ready the following day," Bower claimed. However, Meghan played down what happened between her and McIlroy, telling Focus in 2018 that she actually initially rejected his nomination. "Rory McIlroy and I are friends, and when he nominated me I told him I couldn't do the challenge because I was traveling and in NY," she said. But he retorted that he was also in New York and made it happen. "We had a blast," she gushed.