Amanda Balionis drops hint over next golf appearance but McIlroy won’t be there

Amanda Balionis looks set to once again play a part in CBS’s coverage of the PGA Tour this week, with the next stop the annual John Deere Classic at TPC Deere Run in Illinois.

Balionis has become one of the most recognizable faces in golf broadcasting, acting as interviewer of CBS’s coverage of the PGA Tour in recent years. The reporter was back on TV screens last weekend, catching up with those in action at the Rocket Mortgage Classic, including champion Cam Davis.

As ever the PGA Tour schedule continues this week, with some of the game’s top players heading to Silvis, Illinois to compete for an $8 million and the John Deere Classic title.

READ MORE: Amanda Balionis shares inspirational Cameron Davis lesson after PGA Tour win
READ MORE: Skip Bayless sends upbeat message to Akshay Bhatia after brutal PGA Tour finish

Revealing that she will be back in front of a camera at the event, Balionis took to Instagram to share a picture alongside her colleagues along with the caption: “That is a wrap from Detroit with the best traveling circus, see ya in Silvis, Illinois squad!”

One man who will not be in the field at Deere Run is world No. 2 Rory McIlroy, who had previously been romantically linked with Balionis before announcing his planned divorce to wife Erica Stoll was canceled. McIlroy’s last outing came at the U.S. Open last month, in what proved to be a heartbreaking week for the Northern Irishman.

McIlroy looked set to win his first major championship in 10 years at Pinehurst No. 2, holding a two-shot lead over Bryson DeChambeau with just five holes left to play. What followed however was a stretch to forget for the 2011 champion, as he bogeyed three of his last four holes to lose grip on the lead.

In that run, McIlroy agonizingly missed two putts from short distances at the 15th and 18th, as his putter went cold at the worst possible time. At 15 McIlroy missed a putt inside three feet for the first time this campaign, having previously made all 496 attempts from within that distance.

Another short putt then cost him on his final hole of the week, ensuring it was DeChambeau who was crowned champion. A dejected McIlroy skipped his post-round media duties in the aftermath, making a sharp exit from the North Carolina site, before breaking his silence in a statement a day later.

The Northern Irishman confirmed he would be taking a break from competing before returning for the Scottish Open on July 11. “Firstly, I’d like to congratulate Bryson. He is a worthy champion and exactly what professional golf needs right now. I think we can all agree on that,” McIlroy said in his statement on social media.

He later added: “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.”