Netflix’s Full Swing is all about the professional golf circuit, but Rory McIlroy’s marital issues with Erica Stoll appear to be a big focus for season 3.
“I’ve struggled with trying to be the best golfer, the best husband, the best dad,” McIlroy, 35, confessed in the season 3 trailer for the docuseries.
In the video, which dropped on Wednesday, February 12, fans get a glimpse into the exact moment McIlroy’s divorce was released to the press.
“Everyone’s phones start blowing up,” a voice said in the trailer, as reporters looked down at their devices. “Rory’s divorce,” another voice explained.
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The cameras then flip to McIlroy as he is getting his gear from his car. “The Netflix cameras are following me right now, so …” he said while turning his back away from the cameras after the story made headlines.
Us Weekly confirmed in May 2024 that the Irish golfer filed for divorce from Stoll, 37, after seven years of marriage. According to court documents obtained by Us, McIlroy said the marriage was “irretrievably broken.”
“Rory McIlroy’s communications team confirmed today that a divorce has been filed,” a spokeswoman for McIlroy told the Irish Star that same month. “They stressed 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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While the news shocked the golf community, it wasn’t a total surprise to everyone. “A point of contention in Rory’s marriage with Erica was that Erica was lonely in their marriage,” a source exclusively told Us in May 2024, claiming, “Rory was a hard person to be married to.”
The insider said that for Stoll, the birth of her and McIlroy’s daughter, Poppy, in August 2020, shifted her priorities.
“She knew what she was getting into with his profession, but once they had Poppy, things really changed and she had a new perspective,” the source said, noting that Stoll no longer wanted to be constantly on the road. “Erica was usually absent for most of his tournaments and was really focused on Poppy.”
Shortly after news of the divorce broke, McIlroy was seen without his wedding ring while playing at the 2024 PGA Championship in Louisville.
McIlroy and Stoll’s separation, however, was short-lived. The professional golfer filed a notice of voluntary dismissal in June 2024, negating their divorce proceedings.
“Over the past weeks, Erica and I have realized that our best future was as a family together,” McIlroy told The Guardian in a statement at the time. “Thankfully, we have resolved our differences and look forward to a new beginning.”
Stoll was later spotted supporting her husband at several golf tournaments through the end of 2024, including the Genesis Scottish Open in North Berwick, Scotland, that July. Both Stoll and daughter Poppy were on hand in India when McIlroy won the Race to Dubai tournament in November 2024.
While McIlroy’s career and personal life will be featured during season 3 of Full Swing, it’s not the only drama that will unfold.
The new season — which follows Scottie Scheffler’s road to being named the PGA Player of the Year — will also highlight one of Scheffler’s lower moments of 2024: his arrest.
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“Scottie Scheffler is the champion,” an announcer said in the trailer, before news coverage of his arrest flashed across the screen.
Scheffler, 28, became a father in May 2024, welcoming his and wife Meredith Scudder’s first baby, son Bennett. That same month, he was arrested after trying to drive into the Valhalla Golf Club parking lot for the PDA Championship and avoiding police direction.
Prior to his arrest, a pedestrian was struck and killed by a shuttle bus nearby, which resulted in a traffic redirect. Scheffler allegedly “refused to comply” to police instructions and “accelerated forward, dragging Detective Gillis to the ground,” according to a police report.
Scheffler was released from jail without bail and was able to make it back for the tournament. The charges were eventually dropped and Scheffler maintained that it was “an unfortunate misunderstanding.”
Full Swing season 3 premieres on Netflix Tuesday, February 25.
