As a double divorcee, I fear for McIlroy's off-on marriage

Every hopeful bride and groom knows they currently have a 42 per cent chance of getting divorced.

- FLIC EVERETT

For some, it kicks in remarkably soon after the confetti is blown away; for others, decades later, after infidelity, “growing apart” and other gloomy midlife issues. Most who split eventually move on.

In fact, the idea of returning to the ex-spouse is slightly less appealing than waking up in your childhood bedroom, with double maths first thing. For some couples, however, instigating divorce proceedings is not a blessed relief, but a wake-up call.

This week, Northern Irish golfer Rory McIlroy called off divorce proceedings with Erica Stoll, his wife of seven years. A month ago, she was served papers with 20 days to file a counterclaim. Now, however, he’s changed his mind, and all is rosy in the marital garden (although what Stoll felt about this is not reported). According to McIlroy, their “best future is as a family together”, and they have “resolved their differences and look forward to a new beginning”.