20-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Irish Daily Mirror
Inside Rory McIlroy's relationship with his wife Erica
Rory McIlroy returned to Northern Ireland this week with the hopes of winning his second major of the year and avenging his poor performance at Portrush in 2019.
Six years ago, McIlroy's Open hopes were dashed before they even began when he put a ball out of bounds on the first tee and missed the cut.
A lot has changed for McIlroy since then, as he improved his game to finally end his major hoodoo.
His wife, Erica, has been by his side. It has been a rollercoaster few years for the pair after an unexpected separation and subsequent u-turn. They were an emotional pairing after he won the Masters earlier this year.
Here is everything you need to know about their relationship. Who is Erica McIlroy?
Erica Stoll was born in New York in 1987. When did the pair meet?
The pair first met in the 2012 Ryder Cup when a sleepy McIlroy got his tee times mixed up and was late for his tee time. Stoll, a PGA Tour of America employee, was on hand to help McIlroy get up and to the golf course.
The pair struck up a romance a few years later. McIlroy was previously engaged to tennis legend Carolina Wozniacki. Where and when did they get married?
The pair tied the knot in a luxurious ceremony at Ashford Castle in Mayo in 2017. The venue was on lockdown to accommodate the A-list wedding, which included many of McIlroy's top golfing pals.
McIlroy spared to expense with Ed Sheeran and Stevie Wonder performing. Children Rory McIlroy with wife Erica and daughter Poppy
The pair welcomed their daughter Poppy into the McIlroy family in 2020. Poppy was on hand for Rory's Masters win and also made headlines when she sank a magic long-range putt during the Augusta Par Three contest. Break up and U-Turn
In a shock announcement in May 2024, McIlroy announced that he was filing for divorce from his wife, Erica. A statement at the time read: "Rory McIlroy's communications team confirmed today that a divorce has been filed.
"They stressed Rory's desire to ensure this difficult time is as respectful and amicable as possible. He will not be making any further comment."
Fast forward a month, and the pair were able to work through their differences with McIlroy releasing this short statement.
'There have been rumours about my personal life recently, which is unfortunate. Responding to each rumour is a fool's game.
'Over the past weeks, Erica and I have realised that our best future was as a family together.
'Thankfully, we have resolved our differences and look forward to a new beginning.'
