Masters winner Rory Mcllroy has been heavily supported by his wife Erica Stoll during his turbulent rise to the top. The Irish professional golfer clinched a career grand slam last week after winning the Masters during a nail-biting finale. At Augusta, McIlroy’s celebrations were boosted by the presence of his wife and their four year old daughter, Poppy. The duo’s romance has been firmly under the public gaze, especially since McIlroy initiated divorce proceedings last May, with the pair thankfully making amends a month later.
Mcllroy has been with American sweetheart Erica since 2015 and just two years later they tied the knot during a secret ceremony in Co Mayo. The couple said ‘I do’ at the luxurious five-star Ashford Castle on April 22, 2017, with celebrity guests like Niall Horan and Padraig Harrington gracing the occasion.
Despite reportedly being offered numerous magazine deals for exclusive coverage of their wedding day – including a whopping $3million offer from a US magazine – the couple chose to keep it an intimate affair. It’s said that the staff at Ashford Castle were even made to sign non-disclosure agreements to be present at the wedding and guests were prohibited from using their mobile phones.
McIlroy is also rumoured to have shelled out around €30,000 ($32,460) on UK anti-drone company, Drone Defence, to prevent any unauthorised photos of their special day. Additionally, he splurged on top-notch security, led by Bono’s bodyguard Brian Murphy, to safeguard the 13th-century castle for five days, according the Irish Star.
Away from the spotlight, the couple live in a sprawling nine-bedroom and 10 bathroom £16.6 million mansion in Jupiter, Florida – a grand 13,000-square-foot estate tucked away in the ultra-exclusive Bear’s Club. Their plush abode boasts deluxe amenities such as an infinity pool, a tennis court, a gym, home theatre, games room and a custom-built recording studio.
A six-car garage houses his collection of high-performance vehicles and the grounds are dotted with palm trees and tropical plants. They also have direct access to a private hole on the Bear’s Club golf course – allowing McIlroy to practice in total privacy.
However, last month, fellow golfer JJ Spaun revealed that McIlroy had shared plans with him of building a home in the UK, specifically in the Cotswolds area. Speaking on the Fore Play podcast, Spaun mentioned: “He’s super cool. We were discussing the UK. Knowing he’s from Northern Ireland, I asked if he ever spends time in London. My wife has a close friend living there and loves visiting, so over the past couple of years, we’ve taken a December vacation to the Cotswolds. I asked him about it, and he said, ‘Oh yeah, I’m building a house out there.'”.
However, as speculation reached a fever pitch, sources confided in the Mirror that such a move wouldn’t be happening “any time soon”. An insider who resides near the McIlroys in Florida revealed: “It is way too premature to think Rory and Erica are moving to the UK.
“Their daughter Poppy is settled, and Rory is committed to the PGA tour in the States. He has no plans to join the European one. You may see him and Erica more in the UK, but for now, as much as he loves Britain, his future is still in Florida. A move back to the UK will not be happening any time soon.”
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