As Rory McIlroy stepped onto the course Sunday at the Masters with a two-shot lead and the chance to complete golf’s elusive Grand Slam, there was a very special presence in the crowd: his wife, Erica Stoll, and their four-year-old daughter, Poppy.
Beyond the suspense of the tournament, the story of McIlroy and Stoll has also been marked by emotional highs and lows. The Northern Irish golfer filed for divorce in May 2024 after seven years of marriage. Yet, in a surprising – and perhaps more touching than any championship round – twist, the couple withdrew the filing just a month later, deciding to give their marriage another chance.
The sweetest moment of the tournament came during the Masters’ Par 3 Contest, when little Poppy stunned everyone by sinking an impressive putt – as if she had inherited her father’s talent. But behind that viral moment, many are asking: who exactly is Erica Stoll, the woman who has been a steady force through McIlroy’s triumphs and challenges?
From New York to Augusta
Erica Stoll, 37, grew up in Irondequoit, a suburb in upstate New York. She graduated high school in 2003 and went on to earn a degree in marketing from the Rochester Institute of Technology in 2008.
Far from being a public figure or influencer, Stoll built her career in golf from behind the scenes. She joined the PGA of America, where she worked as a championship volunteer operations manager and office coordinator – a role that would eventually lead to one of the most fateful encounters of her life.
The Day She Saved McIlroy
At the 2012 Ryder Cup, Stoll was working as a PGA transport official. That year, McIlroy nearly missed his tee time after mixing up the schedule. It was Stoll who, calm and efficient, arranged a police escort that got him to the course just in time. The incident ended with McIlroy feeling thankful… and eventually, smitten.
At the time, the two were just friends. McIlroy was still engaged to tennis star Caroline Wozniacki. But after that engagement ended in May 2014, he and Stoll grew closer. By the end of 2014, they were a couple, although they kept their relationship private until 2015.
The couple married in 2017 in a private ceremony at Ashford Castle in Ireland. Three years later, their daughter Poppy Kennedy McIlroy was born on August 31, 2020. Since then, Erica has kept a low profile, choosing to focus on her family and life away from the spotlight.
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