Rory McIlroy has disclosed that spending quality time with his wife Erica Stoll in their fresh residence has reignited his competitive fire.
Back in April, the Northern Irish golfer finally secured his fifth major championship and achieved the career Grand Slam by claiming victory at the Masters. The triumph represented a moment of release for Rory, who had endured an 11-year drought without capturing a major title.
Yet his performance rapidly declined in the subsequent months following his breakthrough win. He managed only a tied 47th placement at the PGA Championship and concluded the US Open in 19th position.
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During his competition schedule, construction was underway on a new Wentworth property where McIlroy and his family would relocate. Settling into his fresh residence has not only lifted his spirits but also helped him rediscover the drive and determination that propelled him to Masters glory.
Speaking to reporters at the Renaissance Club in North Berwick before the Genesis Scottish Open, McIlroy shared, “We came back a few weeks ago and moved into our new home in Wentworth and have been trying to settle in. It’s amazing what two weeks of a bit of detachment can do for you.
“Sitting there being with your own thoughts for a while. Yeah, it’s been nice to have this time to reflect and also to rekindle my excitement and enthusiasm for the rest of the year. Obviously we have this week in Scotland and then a massive week next week [for the Open] in Portrush.”
Rory would later confess that he had lost some of his drive after achieving the Grand Slam. During his time at the US Open, he even acknowledged that he wouldn’t be overly concerned if he missed the cut.
But after spending quality time with Justin Rose – the golfer he edged out for the Masters title in that dramatic sudden-death playoff – McIlroy recognized he needed to return to the UK to rediscover his passion for the game, reports the Mirror. He explained, “There’s a detachment from the sort of week-in, week-out grind when you get back over here and Justin and I were talking about that.
“You play PGA Tour golf for the first 25, 30 weeks of the year and you need to completely get away from it. This world of golf can become all-encompassing. In this last fortnight, I felt like I could detach and sort of hide in a way. I needed that. My game needed that.”
It’s been just over a year since McIlroy and Stoll announced they had both reversed their decision to divorce. In May 2024, just days before the PGA Championship, the Holywood native filed for divorce from his American wife.
A month afterward, they worked through their issues and chose to stay together rather than separate. The couple has now settled into their new home on the exclusive Wentworth Estate, which has previously housed notable residents including Prince Andrew, former King of Thailand Prajadhipok and, notably, former Chilean dictator Augusto Pinochet.
It’s believed that McIlroy scooped up the estate in 2023, investing approximately £9 million ($12 million) to transform it into a family home. Planning documents describe the property as a: “Large, detached dwelling sited centrally within a substantive plot.”
