The golf star Rory McIlroy shocked the world on Monday when he filed for divorce from his wife Erica Stoll. The two had been married for seven years. The timing of this was particularly surprising, given the fact that it as just three days before the 2024 PGA Championships.
McIlroy Files For Divorce
Daily Mail obtained court documents filed in Palm Beach County that state that their marriage was “irretrievably broken.” News of the divorce broke on Tuesday, with McIlroy’s communications team expressing his hopes that this process goes “as respectful and amicable as possible.”
McIlroy has reportedly already hired the divorce lawyer Thomas Sasser, who is the same attorney who represented Tiger Woods when his wife Elin Nordegren divorced him in 2010.
McIlroy, who hails from Northern Ireland, first met the New York-native Stoll at the 2012 Ryder Cup. She was working for the PGA at the time. They remained friends for a few years, only starting a relationship after McIlroy suddenly called off his engagement to the tennis star Caroline Wozniacki in 2014.
McIlroy, 35, and Stoll, 36, went on to marry in 2017 before welcoming daughter Poppy Kennedy in 2020. McIlroy’s divorce filing is calling for shared custody and a parenting plan to be established for Poppy.
Related: Rory McIlroy Would Rather Retire Than Ever Play For Saudi Owned LIV Golf
McIlroy’s Divorce Came ‘Out Of The Blue’
Sources close to McIlroy say that this divorce has come out of the blue, with nobody having any idea that he was having difficulties at home.
“Their split comes right out of the blue and no one saw it coming,” one source told The Sun. “The timing is very odd with Rory about to take part in a tournament but perhaps he wanted to get things tied up before it started.”
The source went on to point out that McIlroy has been playing very well as of late. Which makes this split all the more surprising.
“Ironically, Rory is in some of the best form of his life so whatever has been going on behind the scenes has not affected him at all,” the insider added.
McIlroy is set to speak to the media on Wednesday afternoon at the Valhalla Golf Club. He was seen practicing there on Tuesday, and he appeared to be in good spirits at the time. It’s unclear if he’ll be addressing his divorce during today’s press conference.
Find out more about this divorce in the video below.
Related: The Roof Over Tiger Woods And Rory McIlroy’s Virtual Golf Stadium Collapses
Stoll Avoids The Spotlight
Unlike many other athlete wives, Stoll has preferred to stay out of the spotlight.
“Erica has been around me quite a lot at tournaments but we have really just tried to keep it low-key,” McIlroy previously told The Irish Independent. “She is a very low-key person, not the kind to broadcast stuff.”
That being said, Stoll has always supported McIlroy in his golfing. She cheered him on at the 2016 Ryder Cup in Chaska, Minnesota; the 2018 Cup in Paris; the 2021 Cup in Kohler, Wisconsin; and the 2023 Cup in Rome, according to People Magazine.
Find out more about McIlroy and Stoll’s marriage in the video below.
Divorce is never easy, particularly when there is a child involved. Here’s hoping that for the sake of their daughter, McIlroy and Stoll’s divorce stays as amicable as possible.
More about:Golf