There was no sign of any awkwardness between Rory McIlroy and Amanda Balionis as the reigning champion was interviewed by the CBS presenter on day one of the Masters.
McIlroy, 36, is back on the grass at Augusta National looking to defend the famous green jacket, one year on from his dramatic play-off victory over Justin Rose, which bagged him a career grand slam.
The Northern Irishman has started the tournament in fine fettle, racing into a shared lead with American Sam Burns, after notching up five birdies to post an opening round of 67.
However, before we saw McIlroy roar at Augusta once again, the five-time major winner was interviewed by Balionis, the presenter he was once rumoured to be in romantic relations with.
But two years on from the allegations of an affair that rocked McIlroy’s marriage with Erica Stoll, all seemed platonic and friendly between the golfer and broadcaster on the green at Augusta.
After opening with niceties about McIlory being greeted by six-time Masters champion Jack Nicklaus early on Thursday morning, Balionis asked McIlory about the difference in the pressure on his shoulders ahead of this tournament now that he has a green jacket in his closet.
On Thursday Masters champion Rory McIlory was interviewed by Amanda Balionis, two years after unsubstantiated claims of an affair between the two
McIlroy and wife Erica Stoll (pictured on Tuesday) nearly divorced in May 2024 amid the rumours
‘It has felt very different,’ McIlroy said. ‘It’s the morning of the tournament, and those same feelings I’ve always experienced here, they come back.
‘You’re a little nervous, a little anxious. You want to get off to a good start. At the end of the day, it’s a new golf tournament; last year’s over. You want to try and do it again.
‘As much as I have reveled in the last few days, it’s business again and I want to make sure I get off to a good start.
‘One of my key thoughts last year was staying patient on the front line. It can play difficult. You want to think you can be under par through three, but if you’re not, it’s OK. There’s plenty of time to make birdies or whatever.
‘I stayed really patient on the front line last year and was rewarded with that really fast start on the Saturday. I know I’m not going to start like that every day, so it’s just about staying patient and playing myself into the round.’
It was, of course, another interview with Balionis in 2024 that fuelled speculation about an affair between the golfer and the interviewer.
When McIlroy failed to mention his wife Stoll, the mother of their daughter, during the chat at the Wells Fargo tournament, which coincided with US Mother’s Day, onlookers were bemused. A day later, he filed for divorce from his wife of seven years.
Looking for a reason for the unprompted announcement, observers noted the apparent closeness between Balionis and McIlroy during their interview, and days later, the Daily Mail broke the news of an alleged affair between the pair.
This came after McIlroy was seen picking up a takeaway in Balionis’s name in San Diego, California, where the presenter has a home.
McIlroy carded a five-under 67 to begin the defence of his Masters title at Augusta
However, McIlroy and Stoll reconciled not long after and appear to be every bit the happy couple, with pictures of the pair embracing ahead of the Master champion’s dinner on Tuesday evening being posted on the tournament’s Instagram.
Neither Balionis nor McIlroy has ever addressed their rumoured romance, which was never confirmed.
In this interview, like the many others Balionis has conducted with McIlroy since the unsubstantiated claims, the on-air relationship between the pair seemed both calm and cordial.
The good spirit McIlory showed in the interview was also evident on the course, and he leads ahead of the chasing pack of world No1 Scottie Scheffler, who is three back alongside that old thorn Justin Rose.
‘It’s a great start, but there’s a long way to go,’ McIlroy said. ‘I’m right in the tournament. It’s a lot better than start from seven behind going into the second round like last year.
‘I’m not getting ahead of myself but I’m feeling good with where I’m at.’
While McIlory has started well, Balionois, who has also been described as a ‘close friend’, wasn’t confident about the Northern Irishman’s chances of defending his Masters title ahead of the tournament starting.
‘I think, listen, he said it at The Players, right? He felt rusty,’ Balionis said on the Fairway Rollin’ podcast. ‘He didn’t look quite himself and he’s not going through the same schedule that he went through last year that led to success.’
She added: ‘I don’t know, back issues at Augusta National are tough. We’ve seen it with a lot of players. This is a hard place to be wondering at what point am I going to feel that tug in my back?
‘I just don’t think those back things solve themselves like that when you’re a golfer and you have to keep practicing and you have to keep doing the motion that likely caused whatever the thing is.’
