Rory McIlroy and Erica Stoll: A Family Vacation After The Open Championship
After a disappointing exit from The Open Championship at Royal Troon, Rory McIlroy and his family took a much-needed break in Portugal. Following his missed cut, McIlroy, his wife Erica Stoll, and their daughter Poppy quickly left Prestwick Airport for Faro. The family headed to Almancil on the Algarve, where they were seen enjoying the…
After a disappointing exit from The Open Championship at Royal Troon, Rory McIlroy and his family took a much-needed break in Portugal. Following his missed cut, McIlroy, his wife Erica Stoll, and their daughter Poppy quickly left Prestwick Airport for Faro. The family headed to Almancil on the Algarve, where they were seen enjoying the beach, with McIlroy relaxing topless after a dip in the sea. Though their daughter Poppy wasn’t seen in the photos, Stoll was spotted holding a child’s hand.
This vacation marked a positive turn for McIlroy and Stoll’s relationship. Just a few months prior, McIlroy had announced their separation after seven years of marriage, citing irreconcilable differences. This announcement came just before the PGA Championship at Valhalla, where McIlroy, a top contender, finished in a tie for 12th place.
However, by the US Open at Pinehurst No. 2, McIlroy confirmed that he and Stoll had reconciled. “Over the past weeks, Erica and I have realised that our best future was as a family together. Thankfully, we have resolved our differences and look forward to a new beginning,” he told The Guardian. Despite his reconciliation, McIlroy faced a heartbreaking second-place finish at the US Open, where he lost a two-shot lead in the final holes to Bryson DeChambeau.
Following this, McIlroy decided to take a three-week break from golf to spend time with his family and regain his focus. Before returning for the Scottish Open, McIlroy and Stoll were seen with Ryder Cup captain Luke Donald and fellow golfers Shane Lowry, Tommy Fleetwood, Tyrrell Hatton, Nicolai Hojgaard, and their partners in a social media post.
McIlroy’s return saw a promising tie for fourth place at the Scottish Open, but his struggle continued with a poor performance at Royal Troon a week later. He now faces an eight-month wait until The Masters for another chance to break his decade-long major drought.
His former agent, Andrew “Chubby” Chandler, recently commented that McIlroy’s personal life might be affecting his performance. Chandler noted that while McIlroy has played excellently over the past decade, he hasn’t capitalized on his chances, attributing this to a potentially “messy” personal life.
Reflecting on his experience at The Open, McIlroy admitted he was already thinking about vacation after a triple bogey on the fourth hole of his second round, effectively ending his hopes of making the cut. “I think once I made the eight on the 4th hole, that was it,” he said. “I knew from then I wasn’t going to shoot 4- or 5-under from there on in to make the cut. It was a pretty meaningless 14 holes after that.”
Despite recent challenges, McIlroy’s vacation with his family underscores his commitment to finding balance and happiness both on and off the golf course.