Rory McIlroy flirted with Meghan Markle and dumped fiancee by phone before Erica Stoll divorce
Rory McIlroy has filed for divorce from wife Erica Stoll after seven years of marriage, with the golfing icon’s love life now back in the spotlight following the split on the eve of the 2024 US PGA Championship
Rory McIlroy’s love life is back in the headlines after he filed for divorce from wife Erica Stoll after seven years of marriage.
The golf star and current world No.2 is spitting from his wife, mother of their three year-old daughter, after divorce papers were submitted at Palm Beach County State Court in Florida on Monday.
McIlroy didn’t attend the PGA Championship champions dinner on Tuesday night after news of his pending divorce broke. A statement from his team read: “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 will not be making any further comment.”
This is not the first time that the Ulsterman has been involved in a high-profile romance. Over the years, McIlroy’s romantic escapades have been a hot topic, including his early relationship with childhood sweetheart Holly Sweeney and rumours of a fling with Meghan Markle.
Rory dated her from when he was just 16, and she was a significant presence in his life as he rose to golfing fame. They were together for about eight years, and Rory once expressed deep appreciation for her support in 2011: “She knows me better than basically anyone else in this world does, apart from my parents, and someone like that with you is very grounding.”
However, their relationship ended abruptly later that year, though Rory described the breakup as ‘amicable’.
Holly went on to marry hockey player Jeff Mason in 2016, and Rory was all smiles, sending his best when she announced her pregnancy: “I’m happy for her,” he said. “It’s great to see she’s happy.”
The pair enjoyed a three-year romance before getting engaged in 2013, but their relationship took a turn for the worse just months later when they announced their split. It was reported that McIlroy ended things with Wozniacki in a brief three-minute phone call shortly after their wedding invitations had been sent out.
When he cancelled his engagement with Caroline Wozniacki on the eve of the 2014 BMW PGA after the wedding invites had gone out, he won the tournament.
He later opened up about his decision to end the relationship, stating: “There is no right way to end a relationship that has been so important to two people.”
He added: “The problem is mine. The wedding invitations issued at the weekend made me realise that I wasn’t ready for all that marriage entails. I wish Caroline all the happiness she deserves and thank her for the great times we’ve had.”
In 2017, McIlroy admitted that dating another sports star was challenging, confessing: “I thought at the time that being with someone that was in a similar position to you was the obvious answer. But it isn’t, because you can never get away from it.
“You can never detach yourself and try to come back to the real world.”
Rory McIlroy and Meghan Markle were rumoured to be an item in 2014 after they flirted on social media. The golfer and future Duchess of Sussex helped the then-Suits star take part in the Ice Bucket Challenge, a viral craze to raise ALS funds.
Later, Markle penned a glowing tribute to McIlroy on her blog, The Tig, writing: “He is a force who has the propensity to actually work hard and play hard, relishing intense practices to substantiate his title, embracing nights of sipping Opus One (his bold and impressive choice of wine) and indulging in group dinners at Cipriani for the balance, of course.”
“The most endearing quality of this man is his character, as real and honest as they come, appreciating a simple smile, never shunning a fan photo, enjoying a plate of pasta with veal ragu, and expressing a love for his parents that is rarely seen in men his age. Or at any age, to be honest.
“He is not just the real deal… he is real. And perhaps that is what makes him even more cherished.”
Dating rumours were dismissed in 2018 however, with claims that the pair were ‘never more than friends.’
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Rory McIlroy, the golf sensation, has been happily married to his wife Erica Stoll since 2017, after first meeting her in 2012. The couple, who were friends before romance blossomed, celebrated their union with a lavish ceremony featuring performances by Ed Sheeran, Stevie Wonder, and Coldplay’s Chris Martin.
In an interview with the Irish Independent, McIlroy shared, “The thing I love about it is that we were friends before anything romantic happened.”
He recounted how they met while she was working for the PGA of America, appreciating her grounded nature compared to the elite circles he often encounters: “I found it refreshing being with someone who was living a normal life rather than: ‘Oh! My jet is 30 minutes late’.”
McIlroy expressed his contentment, saying, “I feel in such a good place now. I don’t feel Erica wants to change me in any way. I can be myself around her. There’s no bulls**t, no acting, no show.”
The couple welcomed their daughter Poppy in 2018, who McIlroy describes as the ‘absolute love of their lives’.
