Getty Rory McIlroy with his wife, Erica.
A friend of pro golfer Rory McIlroy’s estranged wife has revealed the “breaking point” that led to the couple’s pending divorce.
The friend, who was anonymous, made the comments in a May 20 article in US Weekly.
“A point of contention in Rory’s marriage with Erica was that Erica was lonely in their marriage,” the source told Us. “Rory was a hard person to be married to.”
Rory McIlroy filed for divorce on March 13 from his wife Erica McIlroy in Florida, according to Palm Beach County court records.
The Source Says Erica McIlroy Changed After the Couple Had Their Daughter, Poppy
GettyRory McIlroy, Erica McIlroy and their daughter Poppy.
The US Weekly article is the first time a source, albeit an anonymous one, gave the public a glimpse into Erica McIlroy’s side of the story.
The friend told US that becoming a mother to the couple’s daughter, Poppy, now 3, altered the couple’s marriage as Erica focused on the child and traveled less on the road to her husband’s tournaments.
“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 told US. “Erica was usually absent for most of his tournaments and was really focused on Poppy.”
The source also told US that the couple “were living very different lives the last two years with him being on the road, and eventually she had a breaking point.”
Rory McIlroy Made a Statement After the Divorce Filing, Saying He Hopes to Keep the Divorce Amicable
Palm Beach County CourtsRory McIlroy divorce document.
Rory McIlroy hasn’t said much publicly about the reasons behind the couple’s divorce, although he did release a statement, saying he hoped that the situation remained amicable.
In the divorce petition, published in full by The New York Post, Rory McIlroy asks for a prenuptial agreement to be enforced.
“Rory McIlroy’s communications team confirmed today that a divorce has been filed. They stressed Rory’s desire to ensure this difficult time is as respectful and amicable as possible,” his manager, Sean O’Flaherty, told The New York Post.
Public records give an address for McIlroy in Jupiter, Florida. Real estate records show the estate is worth more than $22 million. Jupiter is located in Palm Beach County.
The couple was married for seven years, The New York Post reported.
The divorce records through Palm Beach County list Rory McIlroy as the “plaintiff/petitioner” and Erica McIlroy as the “defendant/respondent.”
The petition was filed on May 13. The court entry for the petition reads, “FOR DISSOLUTION OF MARRIAGE AND RELATED RELIEF (WITH MINOR CHILDREN . . .).” There was also a “notice of confidential filing” listed, and the filing of a social security number. The case was assigned to Family North County, the records show.
The documents say the pair married on April 21, 2017, in Ireland, and their marriage is “irretrievably broken.”
One minor child was born of the marriage, the petition says. Poppy, 3, is referred to in the documents as P.K.M., who was born in 2020.
“It is in the best interests of the minor child that the parties have shared parental responsibility,” the documents say, asking for a “parenting plan” that “contains a timesharing schedule providing for frequent and continuing contact with both parties. It is in the best interest of the minor child to have equal timesharing with each parent.”