With the news of Rory McIlroy filing for divorce from his wife, Erica Stoll, taking the sporting world taken by storm, numerous questions have been raised about the golf star's wife and the reasons behind their split. McIlroy, 35, filed the divorce documents on Monday, May 13, just three days before the start of the PGA Championship.
The Northern Irishman started dating Stoll in 2014 and they got married in 2017. McIlroy and Stoll have a 3-year-old daughter Poppy Kennedy McIlroy. The four-time major winner has requested a respectful and amicable process and privacy. Here's everything to know about Stoll, her life, and her relationship with the PGA Tour star.
An Avid Tennis Player
Stoll, originally from Irondequoit, New York, was an avid tennis player during her high school years. After her graduation, she attended the Rochester Institute of Technology, where she obtained a degree in marketing in 2008, the Democrat and Chronicle reported.
Born on September 10, Stoll shares a birthday with golf legend Arnold Palmer. McIlroy previously acknowledged this shared birthday in an Instagram post in 2019, writing: "September 10th... a special day for 2 very important people in my life. My wife Erica and Arnold Palmer share a birthday today. They never got to have the joint party they talked about having a few years ago."
"Arnold would have been 90 today and Erica is, well... much, much younger! They have both taught me so much and made me a better man. I cherished every moment I got to spend with Arnold and I cherish the life I get to spend with Erica. Happy Birthday guys!!"
After college, Stoll embarked on a career in golf and secured a position with the PGA.
Ahead of the Senior PGA Championship at Oak Hill in Pittsford, just outside of Rochester, the PGA hired Stoll as an on-site office manager.
"The way PGA employees present themselves is so admirable and professional," she told the Democrat and Chronicle in 2008. "That's the kind of job I want, and it's doing something I love.
Stoll's journey with the PGA ultimately led her to serve as a transport official for the tour. It was in this capacity that she and McIlroy first met in 2012.
During the Ryder Cup that year, McIlroy encountered a time zone mix-up and overslept, nearly missing his tee time. Stoll, in her role, organized a police escort to swiftly get McIlroy to the course in Medinah, Illinois.
Official Meeting Sparked Romance
The initial interaction between Stoll and McIlroy was purely platonic, especially given McIlroy's relationship with tennis star Caroline Wozniacki at the time they first met. McIlroy and Wozniacki became engaged on New Year's Eve in 2013 but ended their relationship a few months later.
Stoll and McIlroy began dating in late 2014 but initially kept their relationship a secret. It wasn't until six months into their new romance that McIlroy spoke to the Times of London about his relationship with Stoll.
"I am very happy in my love life,' he said. 'We haven't really been putting it out there. She is from America, which is why I like to spend time in Palm Beach. The past six or seven months have been really nice. That part of my life is going great."
In December 2015, McIlroy and Stoll got engaged, and married in April 2017. The couple married during a ceremony held at Ashford Castle in Ireland.
Their family grew when Stoll and McIlroy welcomed their daughter, Poppy Kennedy, on August 31, 2020, in Jupiter, Florida.
McIlroy filed for divorce in Florida Just a month after celebrating their seventh wedding anniversary. The reasons behind the breakup remain unclear.
Throughout their relationship, Stoll has maintained a low profile, avoiding media attention. Despite having an Instagram account, Stoll has kept her profile private, with only 195 followers.
McIlroy previously spoke about Stoll's preference for privacy, stating in an interview with the Irish Independent: "Erica has been around me quite a lot at tournaments, but we have really just tried to keep it low-key."
"She is a very low-key person, not the kind to broadcast stuff, but that side of my life is really good just now," he continued. "We are excited, our parents are excited so it is a really happy time."
