And so it ran its course.
Rory McIlroy and Erica Stoll, who seemed like a perfect match, are no more.
The two have been married for seven years and have a daughter named Poppy, born in 2020.
But the Northern Irish golf star surprised fans around the world when he filed for divorce in May 2024.
And it’s not the first time McIlroy’s relationships have made headlines – with a romantic story involving a tennis star and even Meghan Markle.
When McIlroy arrived on the scene as a young teenager, he was supported by childhood sweetheart Holly.
However, they split after he hit the big time – with McIlroy claiming the split was “amicable”.
But Holly claimed the golfer left her for tennis star Caroline Wozniacki.
Starting their romance in such an unceremonious way was not the ideal start for the beautiful Danish tennis player.
They reportedly met at a boxing match and soon thrived as a sporting power couple, with McIlroy proposing to a romantic vacation in Monte Carlo on New Year’s Eve 2013.
Chic wedding invitations were sent out to friends and family, with a date set.
However, Rory reportedly dumped Caroline in a three-minute phone call – just months before the wedding.
And it was all due to a photo that Wozniaki posted on Twitter.
In 2014, McIlroy was even romantically linked to the now Duchess of Sussex, Meghan.
The pair flirted in a video shared on social media as they helped the American actress take part in the Ice Bucket Challenge, a viral trend adopted by many celebrities to raise money for ALS.
Markle would later write lyrics about McIlroy on her blog.
But nothing happened as McIlroy soon fell in love with Erica – who he met under bizarre circumstances after sleeping through the alarm at the 2012 Ryder Cup.
Erica, who worked on the Tour, spared McIlroy the embarrassment by helping him get to game time thanks to a police escort.
The incident began a strong friendship between the two, four years before their relationship turned romantic.
Soon after, the couple got engaged in Paris and walked down the aisle at Ashford Castle, Ireland, in 2017.
Click here to read our full article on McIlroy’s love life...
This story originally appeared on The-sun.com read the full story
