LIV Golf star’s wife said she’d love to see Rory McIlroy get punched in the face

Ashley Perez, wife of golfer Pat Perez, caused quite a stir last year when she expressed a controversial desire to see Rory McIlroy “punched in the face”.

Known for her influence on social media and currently amidst divorce proceedings with her LIV Golf star husband, Ashley shocked followers with her blunt sentiment towards McIlroy.

Her remarks surfaced while Team Europe was basking in the glory of their Ryder Cup win against Team USA in September, an event that saw McIlroy play a crucial role alongside fellow golfers Jon Rahm, Viktor Hovland, and Tommy Fleetwood.

However, not all was smooth at the Ryder Cup. McIlroy faced backlash for an incident involving caddie Joe LaCava in a car park altercation, prompting Ashley’s outspoken Instagram message about McIlroy’s conduct.

Echoing the Mirror’s account, she penned: “I can’t possibly be the only one that would absolutely love to watch Rory get punched in the face. And I mean that in the nicest possible way… kinda,” at 34 years old.

Before meeting Ashley at a dinner in Sin City and tying the knot in 2014, leading to two children, Pat had experienced a previous marriage that ended in divorce.

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As Pat navigates through his divorce, many expect the legal separation to be finalized sometime within the year. Compounding his challenges, he’s also facing uncertainty in his career, with the threat of being dropped from the LIV Golf series looming over him.

Perez first signed with the Saudi-backed league in 2022, securing a deal reportedly worth $10million (£7.9million). Despite initial success – including winning the inaugural LIV team championship and the 4Aces – he now finds himself in 47th place in the overall league table.

With only four games left and on the brink of relegation, the Phoenix, Arizona native’s best performance this year was a T-14 finish in Nashville last week. He still has chances to improve his standing in upcoming games in Andalucia, the UK, Greenbrier and Chicago, but with a mere 7.76 points overall, he faces a tough fight to secure his spot in the promotion for 2025.

Players scoring 49 or below will be dropped from the series, and currently, only Harold Varner III and Laurie Canter stand between Perez and elimination. His fate in the competition will be decided in the coming months.

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