Rory McIlroy enjoyed one of the best days of his career by winning the Masters at Augusta last week but there were eyebrows raised after he failed to pay tribute to wife Erica Stoll when naming his “support system”
Rory McIlroy has clarified that his wife Erica Stoll was present with him during his trip to Belfast to celebrate his Masters triumph, after speculation she didn’t accompany him. The 35-year-old sealed the biggest win of his golfing career by claiming the iconic green jacket following a play-off win over Justin Rose at Augusta earlier this month.
It ended a run of 11 years without a Major and he now joins an elite group of six players who have managed to get their hands on all four of golf’s most sought-after titles, alongside Tiger Woods, Gene Sarazen, Ben Hogan, Gary Player and Jack Nicklaus
McIlroy jetted off to Northern Ireland on Friday, but there were question marks over the absence of wife Stoll after she was not pictured with him as he left his private jet with his daughter at Belfast City airport.
But now McIlroy has set the record straight by insisting Erica was indeed with him for the trip – which started with a stop-off in London before he made the journey over to Belfast along with four-year-old daughter Poppy. He flew over to see his parents, who could not be present to witness his Masters win.
“It’s been an amazing few days after and to be able to reflect on it and everything that happened and the magnitude of everything,” he said. “The big thing for me is how the whole journey is how it resonated with people. It’s not every day you get to fulfil one of your lifelong goals and dreams.
We started by traveling to London with Erica and Poppy to visit the new house we’re building. From there, we went to Belfast to reconnect with a few people who mean a lot to us. It was really about spending time with Erica, Poppy, and my parents.
I also had the chance to catch up with Michael Bannon, my longtime coach, and spend more time with Harry (Diamond) and his wife. Celebrating with the people who’ve been part of my journey throughout my career was really special. I did pick up a bit of a cold along the way, so I’m feeling a little rough, but it’s been an incredible few days.
Previously, McIlroy raised some eyebrows for not mentioning Erica when talking about the close circle that helped drive him to his Masters win.
In an interview with CBS Sports’ Amanda Balionis, he highlighted several key figures, including his caddie Harry Diamond, but left out Erica by name.
He said: “I’ve had amazing support all my life, especially as an only child—my parents always believed in me and gave me every chance to chase my golfing dreams.
“Having Harry on the bag has been huge. I really do have a tight-knit circle, a small group, but everyone in it means the world to me. And having Poppy there too—being able to share these moments with her, wanting her to be proud of me—that’s really meaningful.”
