Rory McIlroy breaks silence on Erica Stoll bombshell divorce U-turn
Rory McIlroy has opened up about his personal life after retiring from golf earlier this year to reunite with wife Erica Stoll.
The 35-year-old Northern Irishman surprised the world when he filed for divorce from his wife of seven years in May, just days before the start of the PGA Championship.
The four-time major winner shocked golf fans even further when he did an about-face a month later and called off his divorce from Erica, 36, ahead of this year’s US Open, saying their “best future is as a family together.” The couple have a three-year-old daughter, Poppy.
Just days later, McIlroy suffered a painful defeat at Pinehurst No. 2, when he collapsed on the last five holes and lost to Bryson DeChambeau.
McIlroy announced he would take a short sabbatical following the implosion of the US Open and the dramatic course of the divorce. He will return to the course in July for the Genesis Scottish Open and The Open Championship.
Rory McIlroy has opened up about his personal life after reuniting with wife Erica Stoll
The Northern Irishman called off his shock divorce from his wife of seven years in June
Speaking to Patrick Kielty on the Irish chat show ‘Late Late’ this week, McIlroy said he had taken the break to rediscover ‘what was really important to me.’
“I think life can get to be a lot sometimes and it can get to be too much,” he said. “A lot has happened this year, golf-wise and obviously personally. I had to take a little break and step away from the game more than anything,” he told Kielty.
‘Golf and the golf business has become everything to me over the last few years and I needed to take some time out to realise what was really important to me. Friends, family, enjoying myself, enjoying the fact that you were this little boy in Holywood and you’ve grown up to be what I am and I need to enjoy that time.’
McIlroy’s attorney Thomas Sasser filed a notice of voluntary dismissal on his behalf in Palm Beach County Superior Court on June 11, after he and Erica allegedly held secret meetings for a month at their $22 million Florida home in an attempt to save their marriage.
The meetings initially focused on how they would jointly raise their daughter Poppy, but the conversations eventually led to them getting back together, according to to Irish outlet RSVP Live.
The shocking turnaround came less than a month after Erica received papers at the couple’s Jupiter, Florida, home informing her that McIlroy wanted to walk out of their marriage.
McIlroy filed for divorce from Stoll in May, just days before the PGA Championship
McIlroy responded to speculation surrounding his relationship status in a statement. The guard – two days before the opening round of the US Open.
“There have been rumors about my personal life lately, which is unfortunate. Responding to every rumor is a fool’s game,” McIlroy said.
“Over the past few weeks, Erica and I have realized that our best future as a family is together. Thankfully, we have resolved our differences and are looking forward to a new beginning.”
McIlroy was in Kentucky preparing for the PGA Championship when his divorce petition was delivered to Erica at their sprawling mansion.
In his petition, he requested joint custody of their daughter and asked a judge to enforce a prenuptial agreement the couple signed before their 2017 wedding.
The Northern Irishman and Stoll married in 2017 (pictured at the 2023 Ryder Cup)
The couple have a three-year-old daughter Poppy, who was born in 2020 (Erica and Poppy pictured in 2021)
McIlroy told Kielty that Poppy, born in 2020, has expressed interest in following in her father’s footsteps.
“We gave her her first real clubs for her birthday this year,” the world No. 3 said when asked if he could imagine his daughter becoming a golfer.
“She’s shown a little bit of interest, if that was the case I would support her 100 percent, but at the same time I wouldn’t mind if she did something else. It’s not just about being an athlete, there’s a lot more to it.
“Especially in this age of social media and all the things you have to deal with. So if it’s your daughter, you try to protect her from that as much as you can.”