Rory McIlroy and Erica Stoll's holiday statement after fast Open exit sums up their marriage
Rory McIlroy and Erica Stoll have been enjoying some fun in the sun in Portugal after they made a quick getaway from Royal Troon following his missed cut in The Open Championship
Rory McIlroy had a week to forget after missing the cut at The Open Championship at Royal Troon, but he is making up for lost time with his wife Erica Stoll and their daughter, Poppy.
The family jetted out of Prestwick Airport early on Saturday morning after an error-strewn two days on the Ayrshire links, which culminated with McIlroy shooting 11-over-par across 36 holes and missing the cut by six strokes.
His Gulfstream private jet flew to Faro, where they headed for Almancil on the Algarve. The family have been pictured enjoying some fun in the sun, with the Ulsterman, 35, going topless at the beach after a dip in the sea to cool off. Three-year-old Poppy does not appear in the pictures, but Stoll appears to be holding a child's hand.
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McIlroy and Stoll's public appearance as a family in the Algarve is the clearest statement yet that their marriage is firmly back on track after it appeared they would be going their separate ways just a couple of months ago. McIlroy stunned the golf world in May when he announced that he and Stoll were ending their seven years of marriage and seeking a divorce, with their relationship "irretrievably broken".
The news emerged just days before the PGA Championship at Valhalla, where McIlroy was hotly tipped to contend for the Wannamaker Trophy but fell short with a tie for 12th place. Yet by the time he teed it up at the next major on the schedule – the US Open at Pinehurst No. 2 in North Carolina – McIlroy issued a statement confirming the couple had reconciled.
“There have been rumours about my personal life recently, which is unfortunate," he told The Guardian. "Responding to each rumour is a fool’s game.
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“Over the past weeks, Erica and I have realised that our best future was as a family together. Thankfully, we have resolved our differences and look forward to a new beginning.”
McIlroy went on to finish second at the US Open in one of the most heartbreaking moments of his career. He bogeyed three off the final four holes to blow a two-shot lead and Bryson DeChambeau pounced to win his second major title.
The four-time major champion, who has gone a decade without a major title, was devastated as he hastily left the property and headed home. He announced a day later he would be spending three weeks away from the game, spending time with his loved ones and clearing his head.
Ahead of his return at the Scottish Open, a picture of McIlroy and Stoll with Ryder Cup captain Luke Donald and teammates Shane Lowry, Tommy Fleetwood, Tyrrell Hatton, Nicolai Hojgaard and their partners was shared on social media.
McIlroy finished in a tie for fourth at the Scottish Open before his dismal trip to Troon a week later. He now faces an eight-month wait until The Masters for the next chance to end his major drought.
McIlroy's former agent Andrew "Chubby" Chandler said last week that McIlroy's "messy" personal life has cost him victories on the course. He told talkSPORT : “The top, top players obviously play better more often, and then the really top players take their chances. That's all that's happened with Rory. Rory's played fantastically for ten years, he just doesn't take any chances.
“Looking from the outside, and I haven't seen Rory for a couple of years, but to me it looks like his life is messy. You know what it's like as a sportsman, you have to have total focus and keep your mind on what you're doing."
McIlroy admitted he had started dreaming of a holiday after just four holes of his second round at Troon, with his hopes of making the cut ended by a triple bogey eight at the par-five fourth.
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"I think once I made the eight on the 4th hole, that was it," he said. "I was 22 holes into the event and I'm thinking about where I'm going to go on vacation next week. Yeah, that was basically it. I mean, I knew from then I'd sort of resigned myself to the fact that I wasn't going to shoot, whatever it is, 4- or 5-under from there on in to make the cut. It was a pretty meaningless 14 holes after that."
Ahead of the tournament, McIlroy lamented his inability to enjoy his success in recent years. He told The Telegraph: “I need to take a step back and appreciate what I’ve done in my career and in my life and enjoy my success.
"I don’t really enjoy my success – and I haven’t I would say for the last five. I haven’t been on a vacation in probably four or five years. So I think just stepping back and enjoying myself a little bit more away from my game is the thing. Have some fun.”
McIlroy and Stoll first met at the 2012 Ryder Cup where she was working for the PGA of America. They started dating soon after his split from tennis star Caroline Wozniacki in 2014 and he popped the question in Paris the following year. They were married at a lavish ceremony in 2017 at Ashford Castle in County Mayo, Ireland.
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