Why Rory McIlroy and Erica Stoll’s Marriage Hit the ‘Breaking Point’: Sourceand Erica Stoll’s Marriage Reaches ‘Breaking Point

Pro golfer Rory McIlroy and Erica Stoll’s divorce was not a surprise to everyone, according to an insider who spoke with Us Weekly. “A point of contention in Rory’s marriage with Erica was that Erica was lonely in their marriage,” the source revealed. “Rory was a hard person to be married to.” McIlroy, 35, filed to end his and Stoll’s seven-year marriage earlier this month. The couple, who married in April 2017, share a 3-year-old daughter, Poppy.

The insider explained that parenthood shifted Stoll’s priorities, especially when it came to being on the road. “She knew what she was getting into with his profession, but once they had Poppy, things really changed, and she had a new perspective,” the source said. “Erica was usually absent for most of his tournaments and was really focused on Poppy.”

Ultimately, 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,” the source added. McIlroy addressed the split on Tuesday, May 14, a day after it became public. “Rory McIlroy’s communications team confirmed today that a divorce has been filed,” a spokeswoman for McIlroy told The Irish Star. “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.”

Stoll and McIlroy met in 2012 at the Ryder Cup while McIlroy was dating tennis player Caroline Wozniacki. McIlroy and Wozniacki were together for three years before he called off their engagement in 2014 and began dating Stoll shortly thereafter. A source close to Wozniacki, 33, told Us Weekly that she “wants no part of his drama.”

“Rory was the last straw for Caroline when it came to men,” the source explained. “She always wanted a nice home and family life. An under-the-radar existence with family. That’s not Rory.” McIlroy did not comment on his divorce as he participated in the PGA Championship days later. At a press conference on May 12, he said, “Getting inside the ropes for that four or five hours or whatever it is a day, it’s a nice escape from everything else that’s going on in the world of golf. I don’t mind it. I’ve always been able to compartmentalize pretty well. I seem to, for whatever reason, play very good golf whenever I have a lot of stuff going on.”

Despite his efforts, McIlroy ultimately lost to Xander Schauffele by a significant margin on Sunday, May 19.