Rory McIlroy's Masters win, huge net worth and rapid divorce U-turn from wife

At long last, the coveted green jacket is finally his. may have endured a rollercoaster final round but he ultimately sealed victory in

The Northern Irish golfer joined golf’s immortals by winning a dramatic playoff at the expense of Justin Rose and complete his career grand slam - the Masters, the US PGA Championship, the Open Championship and the - becoming the first Brit to achieve the feat.

The Ulsterman recovered from losing a four-shot lead on the back nine - and missing a five-foot par putt on the 72nd green for the title - to beat Rose in a showing of resilience and cojones. It is the No.2's fifth Major - and his first since the 2014 US PGA.

At the age of the 35, he becomes only the sixth man to win all four Majors after Gene Sarazen, Ben Hogan, Jack Nicklaus, Gary Player and Tiger Woods, a career-defining moment for a player widely admired as one of the sport's biggest-ever talents.

"My 17th time here," said McIlroy. "I started to wonder if it would ever be my time. The last 10 years coming with the burden of Grand Slam on my shoulders and trying to achieve that. I wonder what we are all going to talk about coming into next year. I am so proud to be able to call myself a Masters champion."

His Masters success comes on the back of several tumultuous years away from the course also, where there have been numerous upheavals.

Here's everything you need to know about his life outside of golf, including his marriage U-turn, his connection with , and his impressive body transformation.

Marriage U-turn

Despite initially deciding to file for divorce last year, McIlroy remains married to his wife Erica Stoll.

The couple, who got hitched in 2017 and are proud parents to their daughter Poppy, seemed destined for a split when the Northern Irishman applied for divorce the day after securing a PGA Tour victory last May.

However, after a month, McIlroy had a change of heart.

He subsequently stated: "There have been rumours about my personal life recently, which is unfortunate. Responding to each rumour is a fool's game. Over the past weeks, Erica and I have realised that our best future was as a family together.

"Thankfully, we have resolved our differences and look forward to a new beginning."

Amidst the turmoil, talk swirled about McIlroy getting close to CBS Sports presenter Amanda Balionis when they were seen hugging post-interview at the Canadian Open,

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The Wozniacki exit

McIlroy is no stranger to high-profile relationships, having once been engaged to with tennis ace their December 2013 engagement news came after a three-year romance. Their break up soon after shocked many, as McIlroy apparently ended things over a brief phone call – a move that seemed all the more cold considering wedding invites had just been mailed.

Wozniacki took the words as a bad joke at first, astonished by the sudden collapse of their love story.

In an interview with the Irish Independent, McIlroy reflected on his past relationships, stated: "I thought at the time that being with someone that was in a similar position to you was the obvious answer. But it isn't, because you can never get away from it. You can never detach yourself and try to come back to the real world."

Meghan Markle rumours

Following his split from Wozniacki, rumours swirled linking McIlroy romantically with Meghan Markle, now the Duchess of Sussex.

Back in the summer of 2014, when Meghan was at the peak of her fame from the TV show Suits, she formed an unlikely friendship with Rory. The pair struck up a friendship after he nominated her for the viral ALS Ice Bucket Challenge and she agreed - but only if he would be the one to pour it over her.

After the video was shared on social media, it was reported that the two enjoyed drinks and dinner together in New York.

Not long after, Meghan wrote about Rory on her former blog, The Tig, referring to him as the "real deal". She penned: "Ah yes. Rory McIlroy. THE Rory McIlroy. Whispered (and shouted) to be the foremost golfer in the world, loved by Tiger, respected by Palmer, and dumper of frigid water on to my lone head for the ALS Ice Bucket Challenge. That Rory McIlroy."

She continued: "'He is a force who has the propensity to actually work hard and play hard - relishing intense practices to substantiate his title, embracing nights of sipping Opus One (his bold and impressive choice of wine) and indulging in group dinners at Cipriani - for the balance, of course.

"And yet, beyond his work/play ethic, the most endearing quality of this man is his character - as real and honest as they come, appreciating a simple smile, never shunning a fan photo, enjoying a plate of pasta with veal ragu, and expressing a love for his parents that is rarely seen in men his age. Or at any age, to be honest. He is not just the real deal... he is real. And perhaps that is what makes him even more cherished."

However, despite much gossip, internal sources claimed Meghan and the sporting star remained firmly just pals.

Body transformation

McIlroy has seen a significant physical transformation since his early days as a teenage golf prodigy, slimming down and toning up considerably. A serious back issue at 20 forced him to take a lengthy break from the game, serving as a crucial "wake up call" for the rising star who realised the importance of health.

"The reason that I decided to get healthier and get in the gym was that I had a herniated L4 L5 disc in my back and I had some bone edema in the vertebrae," McIlroy revealed to reporters in 2020. "The doctor basically said to me if you let that go on any longer that could turn into a stress fracture and that could put you out for a long time."

McIlroy has made some significant changes to enhance his game and overall health, citing the necessity for increased strength and stability.

"It was more out of necessity than anything else so just to get stronger, build up a bit of robustness in my body, honestly make myself a little less flexible and a little stiffer. I had so much movement in my hips and the lower part of my spine that there was not enough stability around there to protect the joints and the discs and the vertebrae and it was basically out of necessity to do that and to get stronger and prevent injury.

"Since then I haven't had really any back issues."

On tweaking his diet, McIlroy told Golf.com "I had to up my protein intake quite a bit. I'd eat a gram of protein per pound of body weight. I still do that; 170 grams per day of protein."

His philosophy towards food is rather straightforward and balanced, rooted in moderation rather than restriction. "I don't think any food is bad, necessarily. It's more like treating it as a treat. I'll allow myself ice cream every now and again because I enjoy it and you still have to enjoy what you eat."

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McIlroy's net worth

Financially, McIlroy's success is nothing short of remarkable. With a net worth reportedly sitting at a cool £225million, according to the , he's not only smashing records on the green but off it as well.

McIlroy stands as the UK's 13th richest individual under the age of 40, a testament to his sporting prowess and brand power. His vast fortune is spread wisely, with investments including a global property empire and a fleet of supercars.

The golf superstar has raked in over £140million from his career on the green after adding the top prize at Augusta to his stash - while his wealth has been significantly boosted by a series of lucrative endorsement deals with top brands like Nike, Omega, and TaylorMade.