11:06 AM
VIRGINIA WATER, England — Appearing at times on the verge of tears, Rory McIlroy kept his date with the news media Wednesday in advance of this week’s BMW PGA Championship, the European Tour’s flagship event, holding a news conference the same morning that he announced the end of his five-month engagement to the tennis star Caroline Wozniacki.
In a statement made public by his communications team, McIlroy said, “The wedding invitations issued at the weekend made me realize that I wasn’t ready for all that marriage entails.”
He added, “I wish Caroline all the happiness she deserves and thank her for the great times we’ve had.”
McIlroy, 25, looked as if he wanted to fold into himself during the question-and-answer session that lasted 6 minutes 40 seconds. His arms were crossed and his gaze kept returning to his hands. “Yeah, obviously quite a difficult time for Caroline and myself,” he said, adding, “It was mutual and amicable and we both thought it was the best for us, the best for both of us. Time to move on and I think I’ve said all that I need to say.
