- The 35-year-old golf star from Holywood, Northern Ireland, filed for divorce
Shockwaves were sent through the golfing world yesterday when it was revealed the Rory McIlroy has filed for divorce from his wife of seven years, Erica Stoll.
Divorce papers filed in a Florida court did not specify the reason for the split, but said the marriage was ‘irretrievably broken’. They also confirmed the settlement would adhere to the terms of a pre-nuptial agreement signed before the couple tied the knot in 2017 – but the agreement itself was sealed.
In what is surely the biggest split of the year so far in the world of sport, fans may be left wondering about how such a settlement may pan out – particularly considering that the 35-year-old, Holywood-born golfer appeared on the Sunday Times Rich List last year with an estimated net worth of £200 million.
While the terms of the pre-nuptial agreement are sealed, it is understood the couple will share custody of their daughter, Poppy Kennedy, born in 2020.
Rory McIlroy and his wife of seven years, Erica Stoll, are divorcing, according to papers filed by the golf star in a Florida court (pictured shortly after their engagement in Belfast, 2015)
But with Rory known for his love of the finer things in life, how will the pre-nuptial agreement divide the World Number Two’s assets as his split from Erica is finalised?
Rory and Erica married in a lavish €250,000 ceremony at Ashford Castle in County Mayo, Ireland in 2017. The details of the wedding were kept under wraps, but A-list guests who attended included Coldplay’s Chris Martin and One Direction’s Niall Horan.
According to the divorce papers filed by Rory, the couple signed their pre-nup a month before their wedding, in March 2017.
The papers say the pre-nup is ‘valid and enforceable’ and both parties are expected to comply with its terms in the settlement.
Rory sold the sprawling mansion in Florida he shared with his wife Erica in 2018
Rory is known for his love of watches, as one of the faces of Omega – and wore a £30,000 gold watch in the Grand Slam at the Masters in 2020
According to the filing, Rory and Erica wish to share custody of their three-year-old daughter Poppy Kennedy McIlroy
Rory is known for his love of luxury cars and bought this Ferrari F12 (valued at approximately £240,000) from fellow golfer Ian Poulter
It is as yet unknown how the assets will be split between Erica and Rory – however with a net worth of £200 million, there is certainly a lot for the golfer to divvy up.
When fans noticed the pair were engaged in 2015, fans noticed Erica was wearing an enormous diamond ring on her finger as the pair attended a charity ball at Titanic Belfast in December.
Dressed in a black frock as she joined her beau at the fundraiser for autism awareness, Erica flashed the huge rock as she put her hand on her hip to pose for photos.
Although the couple have not spoken about their split or the terms of their settlement, it is likely Erica will hang onto the ring – unless she chooses to return it, of course.
Rory’s stunning former property in the Bear’s Club, Florida, boasts several balconies, a pool, and a cinema room
Rory reportedly paid £8.9 million for the pad after selling his previous mansion in Jupiter for £9.1 million. He sold this property in 2018
The kitchen at the former home where Rory counted Serena Williams and Michael Jordan among his neighbours
During their married life in Florida, Erica, Rory and daughter Poppy, now three, lived in a sprawling mansion in Bear’s Club, a golfing development in the state which is approximately 80 miles north of Miami. A-listers including Serena Williams and Michael Jordan are among his neighbours.
The sprawling, 12,800 sq ft pad was bought by the golf star for $9.5 million in 2013 and he sold it five years later in 2018 for $12.9 million. Its previous owner was Open winner Ernie Els.
The property boasts an enormous seven bedrooms and 10 bathrooms, and also contains a swimming pool, a cinema room, a games room and multiple balconies.
Rory purchased the mansion after selling his home in Jupiter, Florida to J. Christopher Hughes, according to the South Florida Business Journal.
Among the cars Rory owns is a sporting Range Rover, valued at approximately £74,000
At the BMW Championships in 2014, he was given a BMW i8 by the German car manufacturer
Rory pictured with the i8, a hybrid car
Rory has also sported the Northern Irish model of the Omega watch
Last year, the Belfast Telegraph reported that Rory had purchased a home ‘in the London area’ which he had earmarked for his retirement years and where he would settle down into family life as Poppy grows up.
Additionally, despite his move to South Florida, where he has been based for several years, Rory has always retained a home in Holywood, where he grew up.
According to the Belfast Telegraph, the home he currently owns in his hometown was purchased in 2014 – but little is known about it.
Pictured: Rory McIlroy’s former pad in Palm Beach, Florida, where he lived with Caroline Wozniacki
Aside from property, Rory’s other great love is luxury cars. The golfer has been seen driving some of the world’s fastest and most exclusive wheels in the past, from a Ferrari F12 (valued at approximately £240,000) which he bought from golfing pal Ian Poulter, to a BMW i8 – which he was gifted by the German car manufacturer at the 2014 BMW Championships.
He is also known to own a Range Rover Sport (valued at approximately £74,000).
Elsewhere, Rory has a flash collection of watches, as one of the faces of Omega.
The total cost of his watch collection is unknown, but in 2020 he wore a one-off gold Omega watch which is valued at almost £30,000 to play in the major Grand Slam at the Masters.