Rory McIlroy has often spoken of an ability to deliver his best golf at times of stress and upheaval away from the course. It would seem the US PGA Championship will serve as a rigorous test of that principle.

The news on Tuesday that the world No 2 and his wife Erica Stoll have filed for divorce has inevitably raised a secondary thought of how it might impact his sporting chances here at Valhalla.

That he demolished the field in winning at Quail Hollow on Sunday – his second victory in two starts – would suggest his game is precisely where it needs to be, despite the turbulence in his private life.

But there is also little doubting that the timing of such details coming out is less than ideal at a tournament where he has strong hopes of ending his decade-long wait for a fifth major. 

It is sure to be raised during his media duties on Wednesday, though McIlroy has regularly pointed to how he finds his strongest form when the noise around is loudest.

It was announced on Tuesday that World No 2 McIlroy is divorcing his wife, Erica Stoll

The couple were married for seven years but it emerged Tuesday that their time is over 

That was a theme he revisited after his 26th PGA Tour triumph at the weekend, saying: ‘I’ve always been able to compartmentalize pretty well. For whatever reason I seem to play very good golf whenever I have a lot of stuff going on.’

The context there was his form across 2022 and 2023, when his involvement in golf’s tawdry politics appeared to coax out his best form in years. Naturally, that sentiment has now taken on a different twist with the filings in a Florida court, though from outward appearances McIlroy does not appear to be under a cloud here.

His arrival on site on Tuesday coincided with the emergence details of his divorce, but he was laughing and joking on the driving range before signing autographs.

Much is expected of him at Valhalla, where he won his fourth and most recent major at the US PGA in 2014, just three weeks after he stormed The Open. 

As it happens, that season ignited for the Northern Irishman shortly after the end of his engagement to Caroline Wozniacki, so there is precedent for McIlroy finding comfort and success between the ropes.

Meanwhile, Tiger Woods has declared he can compete this week, despite conceding his game is rusty, having not played since making the cut at the Masters.

‘I still feel that I can win golf tournaments,’ he said. ‘I still feel I can hit the shot and I feel like I have my hands around the greens, and I can putt. I just need to do it for all four days.’

Woods has at least been given the advantage of playing early in Thursday’s first round, meaning a lengthy rest before contesting Friday’s second round in the afternoon wave.

It’s a sign of the times that most interest in Woods’s media appearance on Tuesday had less to do with his prospects than his role in merger negotiations between the PGA Tour and Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund. 

After one of the peace brokers, Jimmy Dunne, resigned on Monday and pointed to ‘no meaningful progress; in the talks, Woods countered by saying: ‘There been progress but it’s an ongoing negotiation, so there’s a lot of work ahead for all of us. There may not be giant steps, but we’re making steps.’