RORY McIlroy gave a subtle hint that his marriage was on the rocks in a Mother’s Day video following his Wells Fargo Championship win.
The top golfer, worth £200million, has filed for divorce from American wife Erica Stoll after filing papers in Florida on Monday.
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The split came “out of the blue” and “no one saw it coming,” according to a source.
But the 35-year-old athlete gave a subtle hint that not everything was perfect when he gave an interview on May 12th – which is Mother’s Day in the United States.
After winning his fourth Wells Fargo championship at Quail Hollow, he said, “My mom, Rosie, is like the kind of rock or gel that holds our family together, she always has been.
“I said it last night, I’m probably a lot more like my dad than my mom, but sometimes I wish I was a little more like my mom.”
McIlroy notably did not mention his wife or mother-in-law Bonnie Stoll – and the next day filed for divorce
May 2021 was the first Mother’s Day for Erica, who brought her eight-month-old daughter Poppy to see her dad Rory win that year’s Wells Fargo championship.
Speaking at the time, McIlroy said: “Really cool that it’s Erica’s first Mother’s Day and she’s here with Poppy.
“It was hard for me not to think about it on the last few holes and how cool it would be to see them at the end of the 18th green, but I had more pressing issues at the time.
“So it was really easy to put it out of my mind, but it was really cool for them to be here and be able to celebrate today.”
The Northern Irish star’s divorce came after the couple tied the knot in a star-studded wedding in 2017.
The three-page divorce petition — filed in Palm Beach County Circuit Court — said the marriage was “irretrievably broken.”
McIlroy’s team this week released a statement 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.”
A golf source said: “Their split came out of the blue 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. But he will now be the focus of much attention.
“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.”
McIlroy was spotted yesterday 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.
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.
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 becoming 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 were married in a lavish ceremony in County Mayo, Ireland.
Guests included Ed Sheeran, One Direction’s Niall Horan and Coldplay singer Chris Martin.
Erica and Poppy have always been by McIlroy’s side at 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 today with McIlroy as one of the favorites.
Yesterday afternoon, a representative for the golf ace confirmed the split to The Sun.
They said, “The divorce has been filed.”
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This story originally appeared on The-sun.com read the full story
