The Love Story of Erica Stoll and Rory McIlroy

Irish professional golfer Rory McIlroy is one of the most famous sportspersons of the 2010s. Since turning professional in 2007, he has recorded several accomplishments in record time and so much more is expected of him going by his antecedents. His achievements in the world of golf are well known, however, not very much is known about the private life of this former world number one, particularly his love life with his spouse Erica Stoll.

McIlroy was once the subject of a major relationship scandal after ending his engagement with a fellow sports superstar a few weeks to their wedding. Fortunately, he has found a more stable and enduring love life in recent times with his girlfriend-turned-wife Erica Stoll. According to McIlroy, she does not enjoy being in the spotlight, however, she continues to make these appearances for the sake of their union which she values so much. 

How Did They Meet?

These two lovebirds have known each other since the year 2012. McIlroy was participating in the Ryder Cup in Medinah, Illinois while Erica Stoll was an employee of the Professional Golfers Association (PGA) of America at the time. On their very first encounter, the star golfer had missed his alarm and was on the verge of arriving late for his game but for the intervention of Stoll who woke him up.

The duo did not automatically become lovers following this incident but they formed a friendship which continued to blossom as the years rolled by. The duo began to spend more time together in the summer of 2014 following McIlroy's infamous split from his former girlfriend Caroline Wozniacki. Their relationship became exclusive soon afterwards.

In December 2015, the picture-perfect couple took their romance a notch higher when they announced that they had gotten engaged. The engagement took place while the couple went on vacation to Paris, the city of love.

The wedding between Erica Stoll and Rory McIlroy took place on April 22, 2017. They tied the knot at Saint Mary's Church in the grounds of Ashford Castle, in County Mayo, West Ireland. The over 800-year old venue is one of the most exquisite hotels in McIlroy's native country for the festivities of their wedding, the couple booked up the five-star hotel for 5 days.

As expected, the wedding was a star-studded ceremony but it has been kept as private as possible and barely any pictures of it have made its way to the public. The official ceremony was followed by a lavish reception which featured performances from music Ed Sheeran as well as music legend Stevie Wonder who performed with an 18-man band. Irish-born actor Jamie Dornan and One Direction's Niall Horan were also among the celebrities on the guest list.

Erica Stoll's fairytale wedding to Rory McIlroy is estimated to have cost an astonishing €1 million but this comes as no surprise seeing that the latter is one of the highest earning sports stars of our generation. After the ceremonies, the couple headed off to the luxurious Sandy Lane Hotel in Barbados, their first stop on their 10-day honeymoon.

Conclusion

Like they say, behind every successful man is a woman. Erica Stoll is an embodiment of this age-long saying as she is literally seen standing behind (or side by side) with her famous better half at nearly all of his sports tournaments. She is always there to celebrate with him through his wins and to comfort him even on the few occasions where he loses out.