Rory McIlroy is one of the most recognizable faces in golf, holding a CV that some professional golfers could only dream of. A multiple-time PGA and DP World Tour winner, the Northern Irishman currently boasts four Major championship titles and four Ryder Cups with Team Europe.
And it was at one of those Ryder Cups that McIlroy met Erica Stoll - the woman who would go on to become his wife and the mother of his first child.
McIlroy and Stoll first crossed paths in curious circumstances. On the Sunday of the 2012 Ryder Cup - dubbed 'The Miracle at Medinah' - McIlroy was late for his 11:25am tee time, believing he was actually due to begin at 12:25pm.
As a result, the Northern Irishman required a police escort to the course and arrived no more than 10 minutes before his singles match against Keegan Bradley. Stoll, who hails from New York, was working for the PGA at the time and was the PGA employee who helped rescue him from what would have been a hugely embarrassing episode, with the police completing the rest of the job in getting him to the course.
Fast forward five years from that event and the couple were married, with their wedding taking place on the grounds of Ashford Castle, one of Ireland's finest hotels. It featured a star-studded guest list, including Chris Martin from Coldplay, One Direction's Niall Horan, as well as performances from Stevie Wonder and Ed Sheeran. Meanwhile, McIlroy's caddie Harry Diamond was Best Man.
Their relationship progressed to the next level in 2019 when it was announced the couple were pregnant with their first child. Poppy McIlroy was born on August 31, 2020, with the news being announced on social media by the four-time Major winner.
Sharing a photo of baby Poppy's little hand clutching his finger on Instagram, Rory posted: "Poppy Kennedy McIlroy, born August 31st, 12:15pm. She is the absolute love of our lives.
"Mother and baby are doing great. Massive thank you to all the staff at Jupiter Medical Center and Dr Sasha Melendy for their amazing care." The trio were then pictured at McIlroy's 2021 Wells Fargo Championship victory the following May.
However, after several years of marriage, it appeared as though McIlroy and Stoll were going to get divorced in 2024. The pro golfer reportedly insisted that the marriage was "irretrievably broken" and there was no future for the pair.
Yet, a few months later, the couple reconciled their differences and positively moved forward with their relationship. When McIlroy won his sixth Race To Dubai title in November 2024, the whole family was pictured together smiling for the camera.
Like many partners of professional athletes, very little is known about Stoll - other than she is into sailing and was once a fan of American dating show, The Bachelor. She occasionally follows her husband around the world in a show of support, but she is mostly quite happy to stay out of the limelight and away from the cameras.
Speaking to The Independent prior to getting married, McIlroy said: "Erica has been around me quite a lot at tournaments but we have really just tried to keep it low key. 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."
Prior to meeting Stoll, McIlroy was in a relationship with professional tennis player, Caroline Wozniacki - but sport's most famous couple at the time parted company less than five months after they announced they were to marry.
