GOLFER Rory McIlroy has spoken out for the first time since splitting from his American wife after just seven years of marriage.
McIlroy, 35 – worth £200million – has filed for divorce from stunning Erica Stoll after filing papers in Florida on Monday.
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The Northern Irish star did not name a reason for the divorce – with the shock split coming after the couple tied the knot in a star-studded wedding in 2017.
But the three-page divorce petition — filed in Palm Beach County Circuit Court — said the marriage was “irretrievably broken.”
McIlroy’s team released a statement this evening that said: “Rory McIlroy’s communications team confirmed today that the divorce has been filed.
“They emphasized Rory’s desire to ensure this difficult time is as respectful and friendly as possible.
“He will have no further comment.”
McIlroy was spotted today at Valhalla Golf Course in Kentucky.
Documents filed in the US showed that four-time champion McIlroy and Erica signed a prenuptial agreement in March 2017, before tying the knot in April of that year.
They also revealed that the couple agreed to “share parental responsibility” for their three-year-old daughter Poppy.
Golf world No. 2 McIlroy and Erica met in September 2012 at the Ryder Cup, where she helped him get to the course after he overslept.
At the time, McIlroy was dating Danish tennis player Caroline Wozniacki – with the pair getting engaged – before splitting in 2014. His romance with Erica, 36, blossomed the following year.
Erica – who was working for the US PGA when they met – and McIlroy married in a lavish ceremony in County Mayo, Ireland, in front of guests including Ed Sheeran, One Direction’s Niall Horan and Coldplay singer Chris Martin.
And Erica – and her daughter Poppy – have always been by his side as McIlroy starred in tournaments in recent years. Erica cheered him on at the Ryder Cup in Italy last year and also caddied for him at the Masters Par 3 competition in 2023.
Erica was seen at The Players in March when the PGA Tour shared an emotional clip of her and Poppy greeting McIlroy on the 18th green.
The golfer was seen taking his daughter into his arms for a hug, with Erica saying they were watching her birdie-birdie finish.
The split comes on the eve of the US PGA Championships in Valhalla, Kentucky, which begins tomorrow (THURSDAY) with McIlroy as one of the favorites.
And tonight a golf source: “Their split came out of nowhere and no one saw it coming.
“The timing is very strange with Rory about to take part in a tournament, but perhaps he wanted to get things right before he started.
“Ironically, Rory is in the best shape of his life, so whatever happened behind the scenes hasn’t affected him at all.
“He is in a hot phase, so everything in the garden looked rosy.
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“But he will now be the focus of a lot of attention because his divorce has been made public.
“Hopefully this doesn’t affect his form at Kentucky and his game in general.
“But hopefully with the news out Rory will be able to focus on the tournament.”
This afternoon, a representative for the golf ace confirmed the split to The Sun.
They said, “The divorce has been filed.”
The rep said the couple wants to remain “respectful and friendly” and “surround their daughter with love.”
McIlroy has won his last two golf matches – at the Wells Fargo Championship and the Zurich Classic.
Rory McIlroy’s Professional Achievements
By Ian Tuckey
Rory McIlroy has spent more than 100 weeks as world No. 1 – and has won four Majors and won 40 tournaments so far.
Only all-time greats Jack Nicklaus and Tiger Woods have matched the feat of winning one of the Big Four at age 25.
And after winning the 2011 US Open, the Northern Irish ace added the PGA Championship the following year – adding the Open and PGA crowns in 2014.
Here’s a summary of the glittering career of the 35-year-old five-time Ryder Cup winner, who was also a strong critic of the Saudi-backed rival LIV tour:
- 2007 – topped the world amateur rankings at age 17.
I turned pro in September.
Became the youngest affiliate member in the history of The European Tour to earn a tour card.
- 2009 – reached the top 50 worldwide.
- 2010 – Won his first PGA Tour title through the Quail Hollow Championship.
He made a successful Ryder Cup debut.
Became the youngest player to reach earnings of $10 million on the PGA Tour.
- 2011 – Famously lost a four-stroke lead on the final day of the Masters in May.
But he won his first major the following month – the US Open.
Voted Sports Personality of the year by RTE – Ireland’s main broadcaster.
- 2012 – won the PGA Championship.
Named PGA Tour Player of the Year and went on to further Ryder Cup glory.
- 2013 – Signed a major sponsorship deal with Nike.
- 2014 – his best year yet, in terms of specialization.
Won the Open at Royal Liverpool.
He then won back-to-back PGA titles, defeating Phil Mickelson by one stroke.
Named RTE Sports Personality of the Year for the second time.
Once again he helped Europe win the Ryder Cup.
- 2016 – Finished the season by winning the Tour championship, placing him atop the FedEx Cup and earning a $10 million bonus.
Suffered defeat in the Ryder Cup.
- 2017 – failed to win all year.
But he took top 10 places in the Masters, The Open and 3 WGC events.
And with Nike largely withdrawing from the golf market, he landed an £80 million sponsorship deal with TaylorMade.
- 2018 – More joy at the Ryder Cup.
- 2020 Surpassed Brooks Koepka to Become World No. 1
- 2021 – A Ryder Cup loser.
- 2022 – runner-up in the Masters and third in the Open.
- 2023 – Helped Europe defeat the USA 16.5-11.5 in the Ryder Cup.
- 2024 – struggled at the start of the season, finishing only 22nd at the Masters.
But then he won two tournaments – the Zurich Classic for his 25th PGA title and the Wells Fargo Championship.
And all eyes will be on him when he starts in Kentucky, where he begins his 106th championship as second favorite to American Scottie Scheffler.
It was at the Ryder Cup event in Medinah, Illinois, in 2012 where McIlroy met Erica, who worked for the U.S. Professional Golfers Association as the Championship Volunteer Operations manager.
McIlroy’s alarm didn’t go off, but Erica came to his aid and helped arrange a police escort to take him to the field so he wouldn’t miss the game.
The star helped Europe to the famous ‘Miracle of Medinah’ comeback victory.
McIlroy and Erica remained friends, while the golfer was with former world tennis number 1 Wozniacki – before their romance blossomed in 2014.
Speaking about their relationship the following year, McIlroy said: “I’m very happy in my love life.
“We haven’t really been publicizing it. She’s from America, so I like spending time in Palm Beach.
Inside Rory McIlroy’s turbulent love life
By Ciaran Wiseman
Rory McIlroy had a high-profile romance with former tennis world number one Caroline Wozniacki before their split in 2014.
The following year, the golf ace began dating Erica Stoll, whom he met on the PGA Tour in 2011.
Erica frequently interacted with players through her role as volunteer operations manager for the PGA Championship.
She even saved McIlroy from losing his playing time at the 2012 Ryder Cup after some confusion over the time zone.
The incident began a strong friendship between the two, four years before their relationship turned romantic.
McIlroy and Erica were spotted on a series of dates in Rochester, New York in the early days of their relationship.
Just eight months later, the couple got engaged in Paris and walked down the aisle at Ashford Castle in Ireland in 2017.
The pair then welcomed daughter Poppy into the world three years later.
Throughout their time together, McIlroy and Erica kept their relationship to themselves, with the golfer keen to shield his family from cameras while filming Netflix documentary series Full Swing.
However, after seven years of marriage, McIlroy filed for divorce from Erica.
The reasons for the divorce were not disclosed, but the Northern Irishman filed documents with a Florida court.
“The last six or seven months have been really good. That part of my life is going really well.”
And in a later interview, he added, “What I love about it is that we were friends before anything romantic happened.”
The couple also kept Erica and Poppy’s pregnancy a secret until shortly before she gave birth in September 2020.
Days before the arrival, McIlroy told reporters at the BMW Championships: “We’re about to be parents soon, so we’re obviously super excited.
“We’ve been sharing the news with friends and family, obviously, but I didn’t think it was something I really needed to share.
“But we are very excited and can’t wait [our daughter] to get here.”
McIlroy announced the birth of his daughter via Instagram shortly after in September 2020.
He, Erica and Poppy are said to have lived in a 12,800sq ft, £7million mansion in Jupiter, Florida – a golf hotbed.
The star reportedly broke off his relationship with Wozniaki via a three-minute phone call after saying he was “not ready for all that marriage entails.”
McIlroy – who previously dated childhood sweetheart and socialite Holly Sweeney, 33, added at the time: “I wish Caroline all the happiness she deserves and thank her for the great times we had.”
The separation occurred in May 2014, before the wedding scheduled for November – having already sent out invitations.
This afternoon, McIlroy’s rep said he and Erica hope for privacy for their daughter and added, “Neither of them will be commenting further.”
Who are the most famous Wags in golf?
The world’s best golfers enjoy an incredible lifestyle – and their Wags lead their own exciting lives.
Here are some of the best known beauties…
- A master golfer rushed home after his latest triumph to be by his wife’s side as she gave birth to their first child.
- Playing with a handicap of three, this sports reporter could give her friend a run for her money on the greens.
- This low-key beauty married a superstar golfer in front of Stevie Wonder, Chris Martin and Niall Horan.
- A former gymnast who has been her husband’s rock for 14 years – he even pays tribute to her on his golf balls.
This story originally appeared on The-sun.com read the full story
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