UPDATE — 4/24/25, 12:33 p.m. ET: Rory McIlroy addressed the speculation that his wife, Erica Stoll, didn’t accompany him on a celebratory trip to Ireland after his Masters victory.
Despite Stoll not being seen in photographs of Rory, 35, and the couple’s 4-year-old daughter, Poppy, exiting a private jet in Belfast on Friday, April 18, the 2025 Masters champion said his wife was indeed along for the European weekend getaway.
“We first went to London with Erica and Poppy to see our new home that we’re building and we made the trip over to Belfast to see a few other people that are important to us,” McIlroy told reporters on Wednesday, April 23. “Just to be with them, to be with Erica and Poppy and my mom and dad.”
McIlroy’s parents, Rosie and Gerry, were not able to be in attendance to see their son finally win his first Masters title on April 13, becoming just the sixth golfer in history to win the career grand slam.
Original story below:
Rory McIlroy carried some important cargo on a celebratory trip to his native Ireland, but another member of the family appeared to be noticeably absent.
McIlroy, 35, held his 4-year-old daughter, Poppy, in his arms as he exited a private jet at George Best Belfast City Airport on Friday, April 18, in pictures obtained by the New York Post.
The trip to Ireland comes five days after McIlroy finally won his first Masters Tournament on Sunday, April 13, becoming just the sixth golfer in history to complete the career grand slam.
While McIlroy’s daughter made the journey, the golfer’s wife, Erica Stoll, did not appear to be on board.
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McIlroy and Stoll, 37, have been married since 2017, though the couple did briefly split last year after McIlroy filed for divorce in May 2024. McIlroy filed to dismiss the divorce filing just one month later.
Stoll and Poppy were both on hand to see McIlroy’s Masters victory at Augusta National Golf Club, posing for pictures as a family after the win.
During a post-tournament interview with CBS Sports’ Amanda Balionis, some viewers noticed that McIlroy failed to mention his wife by name when referencing his “incredible support system the whole way throughout my life.”
McIlroy said he has a “close-knit village” surrounding him, including his childhood friend and caddie, Harry Diamond, and his daughter.
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“To have Poppy there — I want to make her proud,” McIlroy added. “I want her to be able to experience these things. I said on the green during the trophy presentation, I hadn’t given up for 17 years. I think that’s a really good lesson for any young boy or girl who was watching. To never give up on your dreams and to keep fighting for it. If you do the work and you put in the effort that you can achieve anything.”
While it’s not exactly clear why McIlroy and Poppy traveled to Ireland on Friday, the golfer’s parents, Rosie and Gerry, still live in the area and were not in person when their son tasted Masters glory last weekend.
McIlroy is from Holywood, Ireland, a town just outside Belfast.
“As an only child, the support that I had from my parents — they saw some potential in me as a golfer and they gave me every opportunity to try to fulfill that potential,” McIlroy told Balionis, 38. “Talking to them on the phone after I won, my mom probably still hasn’t stopped crying.”
