Rory McIlroy Shades Ex-GF Caroline Wozniacki ... Being With a Celebrity Sucked

Shaaaaaaaaaaade!!!

Why does Rory McIlroy say he's happier dating a "normal person" instead of a celebrity like tennis star Caroline Wozniacki?

"I can be myself around her ... there's no bullsh*t, no acting, no show."

Boom. And that's just the beginning.

The golfer opened up about his personal life to the Irish Independent ... when he started gushing about his new fiancee, Erica Stoll ... and in the process fired some thinly-veiled shots at his ex.

"We met when she was working for the PGA of America, and renting a condo in Palm Beach, and I found it refreshing being with someone who was living a normal life rather than, 'Oh! My jet is 30 minutes late!'"

He continued to reference his relationship with Wozkiacki -- particularly how he thought the fact they were both crushing their sports at the time would bring them closer together. He was wrong.

"I thought at the time that being with someone that was in a similar position to you was the obvious answer. But it isn't, because you can never get away from it. You can never detach yourself and try to come back to the real world."

"And that's why I feel in such a good place now. I don't feel Erica wants to change me in any way. I can be myself around her; there's no bullsh*t, no acting, no show."