How did Rory McIlroy and Erica Stoll first meet? Soon-to-be divorced couple’s relationship explored

Rory McIlroy and Erica Stoll first met at the 2012 Ryder Cup in Medinah, Illinois, according to People Magazine. McIlroy filed for a divorce with Stoll on May 13, a day after he emerged victorious at the 2024 Wells Fargo Championship.

Recently, the World No. 2 was asked in a post-round press conference if it was refreshing to be back at the golf course after his divorce. McIlroy said (via talkSPORT):

"It's always nice to be inside the ropes."

He was further asked if it was difficult to stay focused while going through the emotional upheaval of a divorce, to which he replied:

"Happy to be here."

When Rory McIlroy met Erica Stoll at the 2012 Ryder Cup, he was in a relationship with Caroline Wozniacki. The duo even got engaged but eventually separated a few months after sending out their marriage invitations.

In 2012, Stoll was working as a transport official on the Tour. Stoll and McIlroy started dating after the latter's split with Wozniacki. The duo got engaged in 2015.

In an interview with The Independent in 2016, McIlroy said:

"The thing I love about it is that we were friends before anything romantic happened. We ended up spending a bit of time together and realized that there was something more there."

In April 2017, McIlroy and Stoll got married in a big ceremony in Ireland. Several celebrity guests, including Niall Horan, Chris Martin, Ed Sheeran and Stevie Wonder, attended and performed at the wedding.

The duo had been married for seven years before they filed for divorce. They share a daughter named Poppy, who was born in 2020.

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Rory McIlroy previously described Erica Stoll as a low-key person

In an interview with the Irish Independent after the engagement in 2015, Rory McIlroy described Erica Stoll as a low-key person. He said (via People):

"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."

Both McIlroy and Stoll ensured that they maintained a low profile with respect to their relationship. The duo even kept their pregnancy under wraps for quite a while.

McIlroy's communication team announced his divorce with Stoll in a statement a week ago. His manager Sean O'Flaherty said in a statement (via ESPN):

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

Rory McIlroy is currently T19 with an overall score of 8-under 205 at the 2024 PGA Championship, seven strokes behind leaders Xander Schauffele and Collin Morikawa. He'll tee off at 12:45 p.m. with Tom Kim on Sunday, May 19, in the final round of the tournament.