Before Meghan Markle became the Duchess of Sussex, she briefly crossed paths with Rory McIlroy during the viral ALS Ice Bucket Challenge in 2014, an encounter that sparked dating speculation, later downplayed by both.
Markle took part in the social media challenge after being nominated by McIlroy. In a video filmed on a New York City rooftop, she said, “I thought it seemed fitting that the person who nominated me would be the one to dump the ice on me,” moments before McIlroy appeared with a cooler and poured ice water over her head.
At the time, the Irishman had recently ended his engagement to Caroline Wozniacki. According to royal author Tom Bower, the two later had dinner at the Fitzpatrick Hotel the same evening.
The following day, McIlroy opened The Barclays at Ridgewood Country Club with a round of 74. In his 2022 book Revenge: Meghan, Harry, and the War Between the Windsors, Bower wrote that the golfer was “feeling worse for wear after a hectic night.” He also alleged that McIlroy returned to New York shortly after to see Markle again.
Rory McIlroy reveals he once had a "hectic night" with Meghan Markle pic.twitter.com/QPWYBnbcfn
— The Sun (@TheSun) April 15, 2026
Bower further claimed the pair met for dinner in Ireland two months later. Around that time, Markle had begun dating chef Cory Vitello, who reportedly questioned whether she was involved with McIlroy.
Markle denied any romantic connection, according to Bower, stating that their relationship was “just friends” and that “their time together was innocent.” The author added, “The golfer was not her future.”
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Meghan Markle later met Prince Harry in 2016, and the couple went on to marry in 2018. Meanwhile, Rory McIlroy began dating Erica Stoll in late 2014, with the pair tying the knot in 2017.
Meghan Markle Praised Rory McIlroy Publicly In 2014 Blog Post
Following their Ice Bucket Challenge appearance, Meghan Markle also wrote about Rory McIlroy on her now-defunct blog, The Tig, in August 2014.
She wrote, “Ah, yes. Rory McIlroy. The Rory McIlroy. Whispered (and shouted) to be the foremost golfer in the world, loved by Tiger, respected by Palmer, and dumper of frigid water onto my lone head for the ALS Ice Bucket Challenge. That Rory McIlroy. He is a force who has the propensity to actually work hard and play hard — relishing intense practices to substantiate his title, embracing nights of sipping Opus One (his bold and impressive choice of wine) and indulging in group dinners at Cipriani — for the balance, of course.”
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She continued, “And yet, beyond his work/play ethic, the most endearing quality of this man is his character — as real and honest as they come, appreciating a simple smile, never shunning a fan photo, enjoying a plate of pasta with veal ragu, and expressing a love for his parents that is rarely seen in men his age. Or at any age, to be honest. He is not just the real deal … he is real.”
