Rory McIlroy ends engagement to Caroline Wozniacki

The era of Wozzilroy is over as golfer Rory McIlroy announced today that his engagement to tennis player Caroline Wozniacki has ended.

“The wedding invitations issued at the weekend made me realise that I wasn’t ready for all that marriage entails,” McIlroy (25) said in a statement issued today. “The problem is mine,” he said.

The former world number one from Holywood, Co Down said there was “no right way to end a relationship that has been so important to two people”.

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Caroline Wozniacki and Rory McIlroy pray during their visit to a temple in Thailand’s beach resort city of Hua Hin in December, 2011. Photograph: Bec Tero/Reuters.

“I wish Caroline all the happiness she deserves and thank her for the great times we’ve had. I will not be saying anything more about our relationship in any setting,” his statement concluded.

McIlroy answered questions about the break-up at a scheduled BMW PGA Championship pre-tournament press confernece in Wentworth, England today.

“Obviously (it’s) quite a difficult time for Caroline and myself ,” he said. “ It was mutual and amicable and we both thought it was the best for both of us. Time to move on and I think I’ve said all that I need to say,” he said.

McIlroy said he just wanted to to get his head “into golf”, to concentrate on the tournament and “try and do well”. “The form’s been good. Just want to dive straight into it and keep myself somewhat busy and just try and have a good week on the course,” he said.

“I’m not going to lie. It’s going to be very difficult. But you know, at least when I get inside the ropes, (I can) just try and concentrate on the shot at hand.”

The player insisted he had not been tempted to withdraw from the event: “No, I didn’t think there was any reason to do that. There’s no good time to sort of end a relationship I guess.”

The first question on golf at the press conference provided some light relief, with McIlroy laughing after a tongue-in-cheek question about at “least being at a golf course you love.”

He has been dating the 23-year-old Danish tennis player since 2011 and proposed to her less than six months ago on New Year’s Eve. At the time Wozniacki tweeted a photograph of her diamond engagement ring, the fireworks over Sydney Harbour Bridge and wrote: “Happy New Year everyone! Rory and I started 2014 with a bang! ... I said YES!!”

Wozniacki has won 21 Women’s Tennis Association tour titles and held the number one spot for two consecutive seasons in 2010 and 2011.

McIlroy also tweeted the same collage of photos, writing: “Happy New Year everyone! I have a feeling it’s going to be a great year!! My first victory of 2014 #shesaidyes!!”.

McIlroy is currently ranked 10th in the world. Among his major career achievements are winning the 2011 US Open Championship.

In an interview last year Wozniacki spoke about how the two successful sportspeople made their relationship work. “Golf and tennis follow the sun; we go around the world to pretty similar places. It’s not easy, but we make it work,” Wozniacki said. “When you know, you know.

“I think what Rory and I have is very special. He’s trying to work it out with his schedule, I’m trying to go and see him when I can, so in that way it’s been working out well so far. We speak every day but we never have a set time where we have to speak. We just do it because we want to.”

Additional reporting PA