Who Is Rory McIlroy’s Wife?

Rory McIlroy is one of the most recognizable faces in golf, holding a CV that some professional golfers could only dream of. A multiple-time PGA and DP World Tour winner, the Northern Irishman currently boasts four Major championship titles and six Ryder Cup appearances, winning four with Team Europe.

At one of those Ryder Cups, McIlroy gained a bit more than a trophy, meeting his future wife, Erica Stoll, at the 2012 tournament in Medinah.

The pair first met at the 2012 Ryder Cup on the Sunday of the Miracle at Medinah. This was when McIlroy believed that he was off at 12.25pm, instead of 11.25am. Because he slept in, he required a police escort to the course, arriving no more than 10 minutes before his match with Keegan Bradley.

Stoll, who hails from New York, was working for the PGA at the time and was the PGA employee who helped rescue him from what would have been a hugely embarrassing episode, with the police completing the rest of the job in getting him to the course.

Fast forward five years from that event and the couple were married, with their wedding taking place on the grounds of Ashford Castle, one of Ireland's finest hotels. It featured a star-studded guest list, including Chris Martin from Coldplay, One Direction's Niall Horan, as well as performances from Stevie Wonder and Ed Sheeran. Meanwhile, Harry Diamond, his caddie, was Best Man. 

A few facts we know about Stoll: she's into sailing and enjoys watching The Bachelor, the American dating show. However, despite racking up the miles following her husband as he competes around the world, she's quite happy to stay out of the limelight and away from the cameras.

Speaking to The Independent prior to getting married, McIlroy said: "Erica has been around me quite a lot at tournaments but we have really just tried to keep it low key. She is a very low key person, not the kind to broadcast stuff, but that side of my life is really good just now. We are excited, our parents are excited, so it is a really happy time."

Three years after tying the knot, McIlroy and Stoll announced the birth of their daughter, Poppy Kennedy McIlroy, born on the 31 August 2020. Sharing a photo of baby Poppy's little hand clutching his finger on Instagram, Rory posted: "Poppy Kennedy McIlroy, born August 31st, 12:15pm. She is the absolute love of our lives. 

"Mother and baby are doing great. Massive thank you to all the staff at Jupiter Medical Center and Dr Sasha Melendy for their amazing care." The trio were pictured at McIlroy's victory at the 2021 Wells Fargo Championship in May.

Prior to meeting Stoll, McIlroy was in a relationship with professional tennis player, Caroline Wozniacki - but sport's most famous couple at the time parted company less than five months after they announced they were to marry.