Golf megastar Rory McIlroy and his wife Erica are divorcing. The decision came “out of the blue,” as they say.
Golf star Rory McIlroy (35) and his wife, Erica Stoll (35), are unexpectedly getting divorced. , the sports professional is said to have submitted the papers on Monday in his adopted home of Palm Beach County in Florida. Spokespeople for the golfer confirmed the news in a statement on Tuesday. But there was no personal statement.
On Sunday, McIlroy was photographed with his wedding ring on his finger while presenting a golf trophy, the Wells Fargo Championship trophy.
Memories of separation from Caroline Wozniacki
His decision to end the marriage shortly before a major golf tournament is reminiscent of his separation from tennis player Caroline Wozniacki (33) in 2014 shortly before the PGA Championship, which he then won.
There is speculation that he wants to get rid of personal pressure so that he can concentrate on the 2024 PGA Championship, which is about to begin. A source told The Sun: “Their split came out of the blue and no one saw it coming. The timing is very strange as Rory is currently competing in a tournament, but perhaps he wanted to wrap things up before things started.”
McIlroy is also following the example of his divorced golf colleague Tiger Woods (48) by hiring lawyer Thomas Sasser to file his divorce papers. Sasser represented Woods when his wife, Elin Nordegren, 44, divorced him in 2010.
Meanwhile, Rory McIlroy plays without a wedding ring
McIlroy, who is worth £200 million according to the Sunday Times Rich List and has earned almost £69 million in his career, looked relaxed as he hit the green for training at Valhalla Golf Club after filing for divorce on Tuesday. The four-time major winner came to the club’s driving range in Louisville, Kentucky with his caddie Harry Diamond. McIlroy was no longer wearing his wedding ring when he entered the driving range.
Diamond was McIlroy’s best man at his wedding to Stoll in 2017 at Ashford Castle in County Mayo, Ireland.
Rory McIlroy and Erica are parents to a daughter
The Northern Irishman met Erica, from upstate New York, during a 2012 Ryder Cup tournament in Illinois where she was working for the PGA. They only became a couple later. McIlroy and Stoll married in 2017. Their now three-year-old daughter, Poppy Kennedy, was born in 2020.
Source: Stern
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