Warren Little/Getty Graeme McDowell and his wife, Kristin Stape McDowell, pose for a photo during the Team Europe Gala Dinner prior to the 43rd Ryder Cup at The American Club on September 22, 2021, in Kohler, Wisconsin.
Kristin Stape is the wife of European golfer Graeme McDowell, a Ryder Cup veteran and major championship winner who joined LIV Golf in 2022 after playing on the European Tour and the PGA Tour.
Here’s what you need to know about Graeme McDowell’s wife Kristin Stape McDowell:
1. Kristin Stape & Graeme McDowell Have Been Married Since 2013
GettyGraeme and Kristin McDowell at The Masters in 2013.
Stape and McDowell were married in a quiet, low-key ceremony in the Bahamas on September 28, 2013, according to The Daily Mail.
McDowell proposed in October 2012 atop the helipad at the Burg Al rab hotel in Dubai, according to the Belfast Telegraph. The couple met in 2010 when McDowell hired Stape, an interior designer by trade, to do some work on his Lake Nona, Florida, home, the Telegraph reported.
“I did it properly, getting down on one knee,” Graeme McDowell told the Belfast Telegraph. She had no idea what was going on and was shocked and stunned. I even found myself getting a little bit emotional.”
2. Graeme & Kristin McDowell Have 2 Children Together
Ross Kinnaird/Getty Graeme and Kristin McDowell in 2012.
Graeme and Kristin McDowell have two children together, according to Graeme McDowell’s Instagram page. Their daughter, Vale Esme McDowell, was born in 2014.
The couple’s second child, a son named Wills Edson McDowell, was born on August 29, 2016, according to an Instagram photo posted by McDowell. He wrote in the caption, “Baby Wills Edson McDowell born Monday at 9lbs 1oz. Momma and baby doing great and Dada very proud. #life #blessed.”
3. She Is a Florida Native Who Attended the University of Florida
Andrew Redington/GettyWendy Honner, Shane Lowry of Ireland and team Europe, vice-captain Graeme McDowell of Northern Ireland and team Europe, and wife Kristin Stape attend the opening ceremony for the 43rd Ryder Cup at Whistling Straits on September 23, 2021 in Kohler, Wisconsin.
Stape is an Orlando, Florida, native while her husband is from Northern Ireland. According to her LinkedIn profile, Stape graduated from the University of Florida with a degree in interior design.
McDowell, though, has been in the United States for about 15 years. He was a standout collegiate golfer at the University of Alabama-Birmingham and in 2002 as a senior garnered national player of the year honors.
He then moved to Florida, settling in Lake Nona, which is a community in Orlando. The McDowells are part-owners of a restaurant, Nona Blue, according to the eatery’s website.
4. Kristin McDowell Ran Her Own Interior Design Firm in Orlando
Harry How/GettyKristin Stape in 2012.
According to her LinkedIn profile, Kristin McDowell ran her own interior design company, Kristin Stape Design, which was based in Orlando. Her design firm’s website no longer appears to be active.
On her now-deleted Twitter biography, she wrote that she is a “Fashionista for the home, eternal optimist, foodie, sports enthusiast, wannabe MacGyver, and most fun of all… a mother.”
5. Graeme McDowell Called His Wife His ‘Rock’ During a Tumultuous Move From the PGA Tour to LIV Golf
Andrew Redington/Getty Graeme and Kristin McDowell in 2013.
In 2022, Graeme McDowell was one of the pro golfers to move from the European Tour to LIV Golf. Golf Week wrote in July 2022, “McDowell praised his wife, Kristin, for being his rock over the last few months. She reads every article written about LIV and her husband, but she doesn’t always pass that info along, which he says is for the best.”
Graeme McDowell told Golf Week about the controversy surrounding his move to LIV, which is funded by Saudi Arabia, “Yeah, it still bothers me because I’m not disciplined enough to stay off my social media. Haters are gonna hate. Keyboard warriors are always going to be there and that is what it is. I’m not used to it. And like I said, I haven’t done a good job staying away from it.”