Rory McIlroy files for divorce from wife of seven years

Rory McIlroy first crossed paths with Erica Stoll at the 2012 Ryder Cup, and they started a relationship in 2014. The couple tied the knot in 2017. They welcomed their daughter, Poppy, in September 2020.

On the brink of the PGA Championship, Rory McIlroy has initiated divorce proceedings from his wife, Erica Stoll, after seven years of marriage.

Court documents from Palm Beach County, Florida, reveal that the pair, who first met at the 2012 Ryder Cup, are now parting ways.

They started their relationship two years after meeting and tied the knot in 2017. They welcomed their daughter, Poppy, in September 2020.

The initial divorce filing occurred on Monday, with Rory McIlroy's manager, Sean O'Flaherty, officially confirming the separation.

He stated: "Rory McIlroy's communications team confirmed today that a divorce has been filed."

"They stressed Rory's desire to ensure this difficult time is as respectful and amicable as possible."

He said there would be no further comment.

TMZ was the first to report the filing, noting that McIlroy's legal representation is Thomas Sasser, who also represented Tiger Woods during his 2010 divorce.

The report surfaced as McIlroy reached the Valhalla Golf Club, the venue for this year's PGA Championship, on Tuesday.

It has been ten years since McIlroy last won a major, with his most recent victory at the PGA Championship in 2014. He is scheduled to speak at a pre-tournament news conference on Wednesday.

McIlroy and Stoll first met at the 2012 Ryder Cup at Medinah in the Chicago suburbs, where she was working for the PGA of America. During the event, McIlroy nearly missed his match due to a time zone mix-up. Thanks to Stoll arranging a police escort, he made it just in time to win his match against Keegan Bradley, contributing to Europe's comeback victory.

At that time, McIlroy was involved with tennis star Caroline Wozniacki and they got engaged a little over a year later. However, McIlroy ended the engagement via a phone call and later started dating Stoll that same year. The couple got engaged in 2015.

The divorce filing emerges as golf faces turmoil with the introduction of the Saudi-funded LIV Golf.

Over the past two years, McIlroy has been a prominent voice, initially criticizing LIV Golf sharply, then shifting his stance towards advocating for some form of reconciliation within the sport.