Getty Rory McIlroy pictured with his wife Erica Stoll prior to the 2018 Ryder Cup Gala.
Rory McIlroy is back to playing like one of the top golfers in the world, but if it was not for his wife, Erica Stoll, he may still be binge-watching Netflix shows. McIlroy had a chance to win the 2018 Masters but ended up coming up short to Patrick Reed. McIlroy admitted that he dealt with the loss by drinking wine and binge-watching shows.
“When I got back home I sort of threw the clubs in a closet and I spent about a week decompressing and trying to get over it,” McIlroy explained to The New York Post. “I was binge-watching a couple of shows, I read a couple of books, drank a few bottles of wine — no, not like that, not all at once! That sounds really bad. It wasn’t that bad.”
McIlroy’s funk had gotten so bad that it required a bit of intervention from his wife. Stoll finally dragged McIlroy out of the house which set things back to their normal state. Now, McIlroy has a chance to win his second straight Arnold Palmer Invitational and will likely be one of the top contenders in Augusta come April.
“But it got to the point where Erica had to drag me out of the house,” Rory noted to the New York Post. “She just said we’re going to go out and do something. And once I got back into my routine, I was fine. Before, there were a few quiet moments when you catch yourself thinking back on the round, even though I was trying to immerse myself in anything but golf.”
Erica Prefers to Stay Out of the Spotlight & Is Absent From Rory’s Social Media Pages
GettyErica Stoll looks on at a 2018 PGA Tour event.
Even though McIlroy is one of the most recognizable golfers in the world, Stoll prefers to stay out of the spotlight. McIlroy’s wife is absent from his Instagram page, but it is not a sign of their relationship status. Stoll just prefers to keep a low profile.
“Erica has been around me quite a lot at tournaments but we have really just tried to keep it low key,” McIlroy told the Independent in a 2015 interview. “She is a very low key person, not the kind to broadcast stuff, but that side of my life is really good just now. We are excited, our parents are excited so it is a really happy time.”
Rory’s Wife Is a Former PGA Employee
GettyRory McIlroy and wife Erica Stoll attending the 2018 Wimbledon tournament.
Stoll formerly worked for the PGA Tour which is how the two met. During the 2012 Ryder Cup, Stoll helped McIlroy avoid missing his tee time, but this was well before the couple was dating.
“The thing I love about it is that we were friends before anything romantic happened,” McIlroy explained to The Independent. “We met when she was working for the PGA of America, and renting a condo in Palm Beach, and I found it refreshing being with someone who was living a normal life rather than, ‘Oh! My jet is 30 minutes late!’”
