Rory McIlroy's career in golf has seen him victorious at the US Open, the PGA Championship, and at The Open Championship. But one thing many people may not know is that his playing also scored him a romantic win too.
The 34-year-old Northern Irishman met his wife, Erica Stoll, while he was playing at the 2012 PGA Championship.
While the golf star may have recently filed for divorce, here's all you need to know about Erica.
Who is Erica Stoll?
Erica Stoll is an American sports administrator. The New York state-born woman keeps the majority of her personal life private, but over the years details have emerged about her life before and after she met the four-time golf major champion.
Erica was born in Irondequoit, on September 10. In a birthday tribute to his wife posted on Instagram in 2019, Rory explained that the date was significant to him for two reasons. "September 10th... a special day for 2 very important people in my life," he wrote, before revealing that Erica shares a birthday with the late golfing legend and one of Rory's heroes, Arnold Palmer.
"I cherished every moment I got to spend with Arnold and I cherish the life I get to spend with Erica. Happy Birthday guys!!" his joint tribute post ended.
What does Erica do for a living?
Because Erica prefers to keep out of the spotlight, it's unknown exactly what the 35-year-old is doing for a living today. When she met Rory in 2012, Erica was working for the Professional Golfers Association of America.
She is a graduate of the Rochester Institute of Technology, and got involved with the world of golf after taking a role as an office manager for the PGA in 2008 when the Senior PGA Championship was based near Rochester.
In an interview which she did at the time with the Democrat and Chronicle about her enthusiasm for her profession, Erica said: "The way PGA employees present themselves is so admirable and professional… That's the kind of job I want, and it's doing something I love."
How did the couple meet?
Little did Erica know that as well as doing a job she loved, working for the PGA would also lead her to the man she loves too. The couple met during a dramatic mishap which occurred to the former world number one golfer during the 2012 Ryder Cup.
Known by golfing fans and the media as Rory's 'Miracle and Medinah', the golfer narrowly escaped getting disqualified from the competition (which his European team went on to win) when a misunderstanding involving time zones meant he almost missed his tee-off time. Erica was the PGA worker who alerted teams on-site to Rory's absence, and was key in getting the delayed golfer a police escort in order for him to reach the course on time.
The two became friends from then on, but it was only in late-2014 that the pair began dating. They got engaged in Paris after a year together, and then in April 2017 tied the knot at an exclusive wedding which was held at Ashford Castle in Ireland. Their marriage ceremony was attended by guests including Chris Martin and Jamie Dornan, and the five-day long celebration featured performances from Ed Sheeran and Stevie Wonder.
Do they have any children?
Yes, the couple share a daughter, Poppy Kennedy, who was born in August 2020. As with the rest of their personal lives, Rory and Erica have chosen to keep their young one mostly away from the media, although the pro golfer did take to Instagram to announce his baby's birth.
"She is the absolute love of our lives," he wrote, before adding: "Mother and baby are doing great. Massive thank you to all the staff at Jupiter Medical Center and Dr Sasha Melendy for their amazing care." Poppy has also made some appearances alongside her mom to cheer on her father at various golfing championships.
In an interview with the Irish Independent in December 2015, Rory opened up about his then fiancée's desire to avoid too much press attention. "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 said.
Their divorce
Rory filed for divorce on May 13 2024 in a Florida court, weeks after the couple marked their seventh wedding anniversary.
A statement from the golfer's team said: "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."
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