The golfer Rory McIlroy is reportedly “trying to find himself” after filing for divorce from his wife of seven years Erica Stoll earlier this month.
McIlroy Soul Searching Amidst Divorce
Daily Mail reported that McIlroy, 35, cited “irreconcilable differences” when he filed for divorce from Stoll on May 13. The timing of this was shocking, since it was days before the start of the PGA Championship.
“He’s just trying to find himself, focus and get back to winning,” a source told People Magazine. This insider added that McIlroy “went through such a winning phase and hasn’t done much in the last five-ish years.”
“Plus, he put his blood, sweat and tears into defending the PGA against LIV golf the last two years and it was basically for nothing,” the source continued.
The insider also expressed sympathy for Stoll, saying that being the wife of a golfer isn’t always easy.
“It’s a hard life being a golfer’s wife,” the source admitted. “They’re always away at tournaments and practicing, there has to be a lot of trust.”
The insider went on to say that professional golfers like McIlroy are always surrounded by “hangers-on” and “beautiful women” during tournaments.
“You either have to join them on tour and go with it or just have trust in them, it’s impossible to expect them to be home and able to help with the kids,” the insider explained.
Related: Rory McIlroy Files For Divorce From Wife Of 7 Years – ‘No One Saw It Coming’
McIlroy And Stoll’s History
McIlroy met Stoll at the 2012 Ryder Cup, where she was working for the PGA, according to The Mail. They allegedly were just friends at first and only became romantic after he broke off his engagement to the tennis star Caroline Wozniacki in 2014.
McIlroy reportedly ended his engagement to Wozniacki in a three-minute phone call just hours after telling her he loved her. A source close to the Danish tennis player said that she “wants no part of his drama” amidst his divorce.
McIlroy and Stoll welcomed their daughter Poppy In 2020. The golfer is asking for shared custody and a parenting plan to be established for their 3 year-old daughter. McIlroy is said to be a particularly devoted father to his daughter.
Official court documents filed in Palm Beach County state that Rory and Erica’s marriage is “irretrievably broken.” For legal representation, Rory has hired Thomas Sasser, who represented Tiger Woods in his 2010 divorce from Elin Nordegren.
Related: Rory McIlroy Rumored To Be Dating CBS Reporter Amanda Balionis Amidst His Divorce
McIlroy And Stoll’s ‘Breaking Point’
One of the main issues with McIlroy and Stoll’s marriage was reportedly how much he was away on the road.
“A point of contention in Rory’s marriage with Erica was that Erica was lonely in their marriage,” another insider told Us Weekly. “Rory was a hard person to be married to.”
This reportedly led the marriage to a “breaking point.”
“She knew what she was getting into with his profession, but once they had Poppy, things really changed and she had a new perspective,” this source continued. “Erica was usually absent for most of his tournaments and was really focused on Poppy.”
Divorce is never easy, particularly when there are children involved. For the sake of their daughter, here’s hoping that McIlroy and Stoll’s divorce is an amicable one!
More about:Golf