"Best dinner date," Balionis captioned the moment. Earlier that day, she couldn't contain her excitement over meeting "legendary" reporter Lesley Stahl at the Travelers Championship Women's Day breakfast.
"It took my 38th birthday for two iconic things to happen," Balionis expressed on Instagram. "1. I had the honor of meeting and picking the brain of the legendary Lesley Stahl. She is everything. 2. I finally accomplished the thing Cosmo prepared us for every day of our lives as teens: successfully turning a top from day to night."
While Balionis relished these special moments, McIlroy was nowhere to be seen at TPC River Highlands during her significant celebration. Having taken a step back from the greens after his intense showdown at the US Open with Bryson DeChambeau, the Northern Irish golf star has temporarily stepped away from the game.
As McIlroy took a step back, the rumour mill went into overdrive about his personal life, especially during a time when it was public knowledge that he and his wife Erica Stoll had temporarily separated. There was even talk of a possible romantic connection between Balionis and McIlroy after their on-screen chemistry during an interview at the RBC Canadian Open was deemed by some as flirtatious.
The whispers of divorce have been quashed now that McIlroy and Stoll have reconciled before the US Open. Just hours after McIlroy's close call at Pinehurst No. 2, the couple were spotted taking a relaxed stroll with their daughter Poppy.
After Pinehurst, McIlroy is pausing his golfing activities for a few weeks, planning to come back strong in July for the Open Championship at Royal Troon.
"Yesterday was a tough day, probably the toughest I've had in my nearly 17 years as a professional golfer," he penned this week. "As I reflect on my week, I'll rue a few things over the course of the tournament, mostly, the 2 missed putts on 16 and 18 on the final day."
"But, as I always try to do, I'll look at the positives of the week that far outweigh the negatives. As I said at the start of the tournament, I feel closer to winning my next major championship than I ever have."
"The one word that I would describe my career as is resilient. I've shown my resilience over and over again in the last 17 years and I will again. I'm going to take a few weeks away from the game to process everything and build myself back up for my defense of the Genesis Scottish Open and The Open at Royal Troon. See you in Scotland."
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