Rory McIlroy and Erica Stoll’s holiday statement after fast Open exit sums up their marriage

After a disappointing performance at The Open Championship at Royal Troon, Rory McIlroy is making up for lost time with his wife Erica Stoll and their daughter, Poppy. Following a missed cut, McIlroy quickly departed from Prestwick Airport, heading to Faro on a private jet and settling in Almancil on the Algarve for a family holiday.

Photographs show McIlroy enjoying the beach, cooling off in the sea, while Stoll is seen holding a child’s hand, presumably their three-year-old daughter Poppy. This family outing signals that McIlroy and Stoll’s marriage is back on track after recent turmoil. In May, McIlroy had announced their impending divorce after seven years of marriage, citing irreconcilable differences.

The divorce news came just before the PGA Championship at Valhalla, where McIlroy, a favorite, ended up tying for 12th place. However, by the time of the US Open at Pinehurst No. 2, McIlroy announced their reconciliation. In a statement to The Guardian, he mentioned, “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.”

Despite finishing second at the US Open after a heartbreaking loss, McIlroy decided to take a break from golf, spending three weeks with his family to recuperate. Before his return at the Scottish Open, a social media post showed McIlroy and Stoll with Ryder Cup captain Luke Donald and teammates.

McIlroy finished fourth at the Scottish Open but faced another setback at Troon. His former agent, Andrew “Chubby” Chandler, recently suggested that McIlroy’s “messy” personal life has affected his performance. Chandler remarked, “Rory’s played fantastically for ten years, he just doesn’t take any chances. Looking from the outside, it seems his life is messy. As a sportsman, you need total focus.”

Reflecting on his performance at Troon, McIlroy admitted that he started thinking about his vacation after a triple bogey on the fourth hole. “Once I made the eight on the 4th hole, that was it. I was thinking about where I’m going to go on vacation next week.”

Now, McIlroy faces an eight-month wait until the next major championship, The Masters, where he hopes to end his decade-long major title drought.