Who is Rory McIlroy's wife Erica Stoll? Their first meeting, wedding day and family life

Rory McIlroy is divorcing Erica Stoll after seven years of marriage. The Northern Ireland golfer filed papers in Florida just days before the PGA Championship.

The couple married in Ashford Castle in Co Mayo in April 2017 after dating for five years.

But just who is Erica Stoll and how did they meet? Hailing from New York originally, Erica moved to Palm Beach, Florida , as a teenager.

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Her CV boasts a stint with the PGA of America, where she took on the gig as Manager of Championship Volunteer Operations back in 2011, reports Belfast Live .

Despite keeping schtum about their private dealings, it was during Erica's time with the PGA in America and Rory's tour days that their paths first intertwined in 2012.

The Northern Ireland golfer overslept and nearly missed his tee-off time, but sharp-eyed Erica clocked he hadn't set off for the course and woke him up, leading to a police-escorted dash to make it on time.

Rory and Erica were friends before their romance blossomed. Rory previously said: "We were friends for a couple of years and we knew each other sort of from the golf circuit, and in summer 2014, towards the end of the summer, started to spend a bit more time together and it went from there."

The lovebirds got engaged in the City of Love, Paris, in 2015, and fast forward to April 22, 2017, they sealed the deal at the illustrious Ashford Castle in Cong, Co Mayo.

Their wedding was a private event and no photographs were ever made public. In August 2020, the duo celebrated the arrival of their daughter Poppy Kennedy McIlroy.

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Rory shared an intimate moment on social media, posting a picture of baby Poppy's tiny hand wrapped around his finger and captioned it: "Poppy Kennedy McIlroy, born August 31st, 12:15pm."

He said at the time: "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."

McIlroy confirmed he filed divorce papers. A spokeswoman said: "Rory's desire to ensure this difficult time is as respectful and amicable as possible. He will not be making any further comment."

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