Professional golfer Rory McIllroy and his girlfriend, tennis star Caroline Wozniacki, have broken off their engagement.

Rory McIllroy, Caroline Wozniacki Call Off Wedding

McIllroy first announced the split in a statement in which he revealed that it was he who feared he wasn’t ready to be married. “The problem is mine,” he said in a statement released by his communications team. “The wedding invitations issued at the weekend made me realize that I wasn’t ready for all that marriage entails.”

He added, “I wish Caroline all the happiness she deserves and thank her for the great times we’ve had.”

McIllroy didn’t intend on offering any more commentary on the split, but members of the press were eager to hear more of what he had to say on the subject during a media event for the BMW PGA Championship, reported The New York Times.

“It was mutual and amicable and we both thought it was the best for us, the best for both of us,” McIllroy added of the breakup. “Time to move on and I think I’ve said all that I need to say.”

When pressed about whether or not he considered dropping out of the tournament, McIllroy dismissed the notion.

“No, I didn’t think there was any reason to do that. There’s no good time to sort of end a relationship, I guess,” he said. “The European Tour has been very good to me over the last number of years, and I thought it was my duty to come back and play in this event. You know, once I gave my word that I would, I wasn’t going to go back on it.”

Though McIllroy is committed to taking to the green, the athlete couldn’t deny that the fresh split would be a mental hurdle.
“I’m no different than anyone else. Everyone has been through breakups and it’s obviously very, very difficult,” he said. “I’m not going to lie. It’s going to be very difficult. But at least when I get inside the ropes, just try and concentrate on the shot at hand.”

McIllroy proposed to Wozniacki this past New Year’s Eve while the two were celebrating the holiday watching fireworks at Sydney Harbor. The Danish tennis player broke the engagement news on Twitter with a photo collage, saying, “I said YES!!!!”

McIllroy and Wozniacki had been dating since 2011.