IRRETRIEVABLY BROKEN’: New details emerge in Rory McIlroy’s divorce from Erica Stoll
New details have emerged in the divorce proceedings between golf superstar Rory McIlroy and his estranged wife, Erica Stoll. According to court documents obtained by The Belfast Telegraph, McIlroy hired a private investigator to serve Stoll with divorce papers at their family home in a members-only development in Jupiter, Florida, on May 13. The documents…
New details have emerged in the divorce proceedings between golf superstar Rory McIlroy and his estranged wife, Erica Stoll. According to court documents obtained by The Belfast Telegraph, McIlroy hired a private investigator to serve Stoll with divorce papers at their family home in a members-only development in Jupiter, Florida, on May 13.
The documents were served by Carl Woods, a former Palm Beach police officer who now runs a private practice, at 10:30 a.m., according to the summons. McIlroy had digitally signed the divorce papers on May 9 while competing in the Wells Fargo Championship at Quail Hollow in North Carolina, which he subsequently won.
In the divorce papers, McIlroy described the seven-year marriage as “irretrievably broken” and noted that the couple has a prenuptial agreement. The Northern Irishman filed the papers in Palm Beach County Court through his attorney, Thomas Sasser, who also represented Tiger Woods in his 2010 divorce from Elin Nordegren.
The summons issued to Stoll included a stark warning: “A phone call will not protect you. Your written response, including the case number and the names of the parties, must be filed if you want the court to hear your side of the case. If you do not file your response on time, you may lose the case, and your wages, money, and property may thereafter be taken without further warning from the court. There are other legal requirements. You may want to call an attorney right away. If you do not know an attorney, you may call an attorney referral service or a legal aid office.”
Stoll has 20 days to file a written response to McIlroy’s petition from the day she was served but had yet to respond as of May 26, when the report was published. The couple is seeking split custody of their three-year-old daughter, Poppy.
Reports suggest that Stoll reached a “breaking point” before the divorce papers were filed. According to a source quoted by Us Weekly, “A point of contention in Rory’s marriage with Erica was that Erica was lonely. Rory was a hard person to be married to.” The source added that McIlroy and Stoll “were living very different lives the last two years with him being on the road, and eventually she had a breaking point.”
Rumors have also surfaced about McIlroy’s relationship with CBS sports journalist Amanda Balionis. Speculation increased after McIlroy’s victory at the recent PGA Championship, with some noticing their close relationship at events. Balionis and former NFL quarterback Bryn Renner have not officially announced a split, but Balionis changed her user name on social media from Balionis Renner back to her maiden name earlier this year. Fans also noted in February that she had stopped wearing her wedding ring on TV and in social media posts. Rumors about McIlroy and Balionis began at the Wells Fargo Championship, which he won.