Rory McIlroy Ends Seven-Year Marriage
Just days before the start of the PGA Championship, Rory McIlroy initiated divorce proceedings.
According to court records in Palm Beach County, Florida, Rory McIlroy has filed for divorce after seven years of marriage, leading up to the PGA Championship. The news came as a surprise and adds a significant development to the tournament.
McIlroy and his wife, Erica Stoll, had a remarkable meeting during the 2012 Ryder Cup. They started dating two years later and tied the knot in 2017. Their daughter, Poppy, was born in September 2020.
TMZ initially reported the divorce filing, which took place on Monday. As of now, there are no available documents regarding the dissolution of marriage.
Thomas Sasser, the same attorney who represented Tiger Woods during his divorce in 2010, is listed as McIlroy’s attorney.
A statement from McIlroy’s manager, Sean O’Flaherty, confirmed the divorce filing and emphasized McIlroy’s intention to handle the situation with respect and amiability. No further comments were provided.
Despite the circumstances, McIlroy arrived at Valhalla on Tuesday for the PGA Championship. It has been a decade since his last major victory, which occurred at Valhalla in 2014 during the PGA Championship. His pre-tournament news conference was scheduled for Wednesday.
McIlroy and Stoll’s meeting had an unusual backstory. In 2012, during the Ryder Cup at Medinah in the Chicago suburbs, Stoll worked for the PGA of America. It was during this event that McIlroy nearly missed his Sunday singles match due to forgetting about the time zone difference.
Fortunately, Stoll arranged for a police escort to Medinah, ensuring McIlroy arrived just in time. He went on to win his match against Keegan Bradley, contributing to Europe’s overall victory.
At the time, McIlroy was in a relationship with tennis star Caroline Wozniacki. However, their engagement ended abruptly over the phone, and shortly after, McIlroy began dating Stoll. The couple got engaged in 2015.
Rory and Erica have filed for divorce, and Rory’s team confirmed the news this morning.
Divorce is so brutal for everyone involved. Wishing both of them and their daughter Poppy all the best in these unfortunate circumstances pic.twitter.com/2uNRpoNNKB
— Rory McIlroy Tracker (@RMTracker) May 14, 2024
Interestingly, McIlroy filed for divorce the day after winning the Wells Fargo Championship in Charlotte, North Carolina. This marked his second consecutive PGA Tour win and his 26th career victory. When asked about his plans after the tournament, McIlroy mentioned returning home to reset before heading to Louisville.
The timing of the divorce filing coincides with the turmoil in the golf world caused by the launch of Saudi-funded LIV Golf. McIlroy has been a prominent figure in this controversy, initially criticizing LIV and then changing his stance to advocate for some form of reconciliation.
Last November, he resigned from the PGA Tour board and later attempted to rejoin by replacing Webb Simpson, which faced resistance from other player directors. Instead, McIlroy was appointed to a committee engaged in negotiations with the Public Investment Fund of Saudi Arabia regarding potential minority investment opportunities.
