Rory McIlroy a ‘hard person to be married to’ and left wife Erica Stoll ‘lonely’

Claims have emerged that Rory McIlroy’s lifestyle as a professional golfer had taken its toll on ‘lonely’ Erica Stoll, contributing to the breakdown of the couple’s seven-year marriage

Rory McIlroy was “a hard person to be married to” and Erica Stoll felt “lonely” in their relationship, it has been claimed in the wake of the world No. 2 filing for divorce last week.

The 35-year-old submitted divorce papers at Palm Beach County State Court in Florida on May 13, with the couple’s seven-year marriage described as “irretrievably broken”. The filing called for a co-parenting agreement to be reached, with McIlroy and Stoll sharing custody of their three-year-old daughter, Poppy.

McIlroy’s communications team confirmed the split last week, adding the four-time major champion’s “desire is to ensure this difficult time is as respectful and amicable as possible.”

McIlroy declined to answer questions about his personal life at the PGA Championship last week and it was unclear what had caused his romance with Stoll to fizzle out. However, a source close to the couple told Us Weekly that his lifestyle as a professional golfer had taken its toll on his wife.

“A point of contention in Rory’s marriage with Erica was that Erica was lonely in their marriage,” the source said. “Rory was a hard person to be married to.

“She knew what she was getting into with his profession, but once they had Poppy, things really changed and she had a new perspective. Erica was usually absent for most of his tournaments and was really focused on Poppy.

The source added 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.”

McIlroy and New York native Stoll first met at the 2012 Ryder Cup at Medinah, where she was working for the PGA of America. The Northern Irishman was dating tennis star Caroline Wozniacki at the time.

But after a brutal breakup from the Dane in 2014, McIlroy and Stoll grew close and got engaged in 2015. They tied the knot at a lavish ceremony at Ashford Castle in Ireland two yeas later, with a star-studded guest list including Ed Sheeran, Chris Martin and Stevie Wonder.