Rory McIlroy's love life - brutal '3-minute' break-up call and 'refreshing' wife

29 September 2023 , 09:28

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Rory McIlroy and Erica Stoll have been married for six years (Image: AFP/Getty Images)

Rory Mcllroy is continuing to maintain his status as one of the most skilled professional golfers in the world, as he makes his seventh Ryder Cup appearance in Italy at the Marco Simone Golf and Country Club near Rome.

Mcllroy, who is competing alongside Matt Fitzpatrick, Tyrrell Hatton, Viktor Hovland, Robert MacIntyre, and Jon Rahm, has won four out of the six Ryder Cups that he has taken part in, amassing a total of 14 points for Team Europe. Throughout his successful triumphs, the 34-year-old has had the support of his wife, Erica Stoll, 36, by his side - though his love life hasn't always been as smooth sailing as time on the course.

He was formerly in a relationship with Caroline Wozniacki (Getty Images)

Brutal break-up

When McIlroy and Caroline Wozniacki, the former world number one tennis star, announced their engagement in December 2013, it looked like they were on their way to becoming a sporting power couple. The pair had been dating for three years and frequently attended each other's events, with the swimsuit model even occasionally acting as her partner's caddy.

However, just months after getting down on one knee on New Year's Eve, McIlroy suddenly called it off - reportedly even after the wedding invites had been sent out. According to The Times, McIlroy phoned his fiancée to inform her of his intentions with a three-minute call that the Dane initially thought was a joke.

Five days later, he went out and won the BMW PGA Championship, but his comments later about the break-up proved the start of a bitter war of words between the estranged pair. Speaking to the Irish Independent in 2017, he said: "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."

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Finding love

Happily for McIlroy, he moved on months after breaking off the engagement - finding love with Erical, whom he first met in 2012. While she was working for the PGA in America, the golfer famously overslept and was going to be late for his tee-off at the 2012 Ryder Cup at Medinah. However, Erica noticed that he had not left for the course and woke him up, ensuring he got a police escort to rush him to the course on time.

Five years after the narrow escape, the couple were walking down the aisle in Ashworth Castle, one of Ireland's top hotels. The star-studded guest list included Chris Martin from Coldplay and One Direction's Niall Horan, while there were also performances from Stevie Wonder and Ed Sheeran.

Rory has praised his wife for being 'refreshing' and non-judgemental (Getty Images)

In August 2020, Erica gave birth to her and McIlroy's first child, Poppy Kennedy McIlroy. Speaking to the Irish Independent, the sportsman opened up about Erica's admirable lack of "judgement" - and appeared to take a dig at his ex once more.

He explained: "We met when she was working for the PGA of America, and renting a condo in Palm Beach, and I found it refreshing being with someone who was living a normal life rather than, 'Oh! My jet is 30 minutes late!' I could speak to her about anything, we ended up spending a bit of time together and realised that there was something more there. I love that she knows everything about me, and there was no judgement there. There was no judgement from day one, which is huge, because that's very hard to find for someone in my position."

Luxurious lifestyle

A few months after tying the knot, McIlroy bought a giant mansion in the golfer's paradise of Jupiter, Florida. The incredible £8.5million pad boasts 12,800 square feet of space, seven bedrooms and no less than 10 bathrooms. Sitting within The Bear's Club, a community founded by fellow golf legend Jack Nicklaus, the property was previously owned by another, Ernie Els.

The exclusive community is also home to some of the world's biggest sports stars, including basketball icon Michael Jordan and tennis stars Serena and Venus Williams. If he wants to forget about a bad day on the course, McIlroy can retire to his home cinema - while there's also a games room and a recording studio.

Outside, he can practise his serves against the Williams sisters on his private tennis court, or take a dip in the massive swimming pool, which has its own mini waterfall. The stunning estate is certainly a far cry from the star's childhood home in Holyrood, Northern Ireland - but if anything his old house is even more interesting.

Beginning his professional career back in 2007, McIlroy was a sporting prodigy and his parents, Gerry and Rosie, did everything they could to help him reach the top. This included turning their lawn into a giant putting green and installing a massive golf simulator in the garage.

Nowadays, McIlroy's garage is most likely full with a different toy, after the motorhead splashed out on a Ferrari F12 he bought from fellow pro Ian Poulter. And p erhaps to ensure he doesn't sleep through any more matches, the Irishman is sponsored by luxury watch brand Omega, and has showed off some seriously pricey timepieces.

Nia Dalton