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Rory McIlroy had his wife, Erica Stollby his side when he won his second consecutive Masters title in April 2026. During his victory speech, the golf superstar joked that Erica and their daughter, Poppy, have had to “put up with [him] at home,” before adding, “And trust me, sometimes that’s a tough thing to do. But they have been my biggest supporters.”
Although it was a sweet family moment for the McIlroys, fans couldn’t help but remember the time when Rory shockingly filed for divorce from Erica. After they reconciled, many wondered the reason why the couple had split in the first place.
Here, we’re looking back at Rory and Erica’s brief separation and their relationship now.
How Long Have Rory McIlroy & Wife Erica Been Married?
Rory and Erica tied the knot in April 2017. As of 2026, they’ve been married for nine years.
After watching their son win the Masters from home in Holywood, Northern Ireland a year ago, Rory McIlroy’s parents were greenside Sunday at Augusta National to watch him win a second Green Jacket.pic.twitter.com/o7CUe0XuaN
— Front Office Sports (@FOS) April 12, 2026
Why Did Rory McIlroy & Wife Erica Stoll Divorce? His Reason
Rory and his wife, Erica, separated in May 2024, with the golf pro filing for divorce. In his petition, Rory noted that his and Erica’s marriage was “irretrievably broken” and asked that a prenuptial agreement signed before their 2017 wedding would be enforced, according to the Associated Press. The details of their prenup were sealed.
According to Us WeeklyRory and Erica had reached a “breaking point” in their marriage.
“A point of contention in Rory’s marriage with Erica was that Erica was lonely in their marriage,” a source told the outlet at the time, adding that Rory was “a hard person to be married to.”
The insider went on to say that Erica and Rory “were living very different lives the last two years with him being on the road, and eventually she had a breaking point.”
Rory briefly touched on his and Erica’s separation in the Netflix docuseries Full Swing, seemingly pointing to his public lifestyle as a strain on his personal life.
“There’s parts of my life that I like to keep as private as possible,” Rory said. “Unfortunately, in this line of work, that isn’t always possible. I’ve always tried to be protective of my loved ones from people that have ill intentions. … I think it was a wake-up call for me to say, ‘Let’s just focus on the golf for a little bit.’”
Does Rory McIlroy Have Kids?
Yes, Rory shares his daughter, Poppy, with Erica. They welcomed her in August 2020.
When Did Rory McIlroy & Erica Reconcile?
Just one month after filing for divorce, Rory retracted the filing in June 2024.
“There have been rumours about my personal life recently, which is unfortunate,” Rory said at the time. “Responding to each rumor is a fool’s game. Over the past weeks, Erica and I have realized that our best future was as a family together. Thankfully, we have resolved our differences and look forward to a new beginning.”
