Birth, Divorce and Sports Illustrated Swimsuit edition

At times over the last two years, as a golf fan, you'd be forgiven for thinking that you were watching the developing storylines of a new TV soap opera when tuning into men's professional golf.

Shady backroom deals, vast sums of tainted money, an acrimonious divide, relationship breakdowns, heroes, villains and power.

Am I just describing Full Swing? Maybe, but the drama has played out even when the Netflix cameras stop rolling.

It reminds me of Brooks Koepka speaking before the 2022 US Open, referring to all the focus being on LIV he said:  "It's a sh***y situation. We're here to play."

Now, as we head into the second men's Major, it's anything but the golf that is stealing the headlines.

Birth, Divorce and Sports Illustrated Swimsuit edition.

That just about sums up Tuesday of the PGA Championship.

I'd given Women & Golf's prediction that this week would be a battle between Scottie Scheffler, Rory McIlroy and Brooks Koepka. But when I wrote it I was obviously referring to the golf, not to who could garner the most headlines for anything but "the golf".

Whilst we woke up in the UK to the happy news that Scheffler had welcomed a baby boy with his wife Meredith. All seemed pretty stable in the golf world. Of course, we all love a birth story and we'd been patiently waiting for a month.

As well as congratulatory arictles, predictions would come of the World Number one being bouyed by his baby's arrival - hand him the trophy.

Surely, that was enough for one day. The PGA of America ready for the focus to be on Valhalla.

Then, completely out of left field, came the news that on Monday, Rory McIlroy had filed for divorce from his wife Erica. He'd claimed his 26th PGA Tour trophy on Sunday wearing his wedding ring and filed for divorce the next day, the week of a Major championship.

Not much is known, and of course it is important not to make light of what must be a distressing situation for both people involved.

I read via Golf Digest:

"McIlroy's team released a statement to multiple media outlets, asserting McIlroy's desire to ensure this difficult time is as respectful and amicable as possible and that he will not be making any further comments on the matter at this time."

And, as many golf fans started to digest the shock news about the McIlroys, we were met with the release of Brooks Koepka's wife Jena Sims Sports Illustrated Swimwear edition photos.

Due to the divide between LIV Golf and the PGA Tour, some saw this as a dig from Brooks to Rory. More likely just a post from a proud husband. But also a moment for boobs to be getting more headlines than Koepka's chances of defending his PGA Championship title.

So there you have it and it's only Wednesday morning! McIlroy is due to attend a press conference this afternoon but we doubt there will be any divorce questions answered (if they are allowed to be asked at all).

In the next episode of men's professional golf [insert Eastenders exit music].