Rory McIlroy has often expressed gratitude to his wife for her support during the ups and downs of his golf career.
After a disappointing Open Championship in 2022, the Northern Irishman shared how he sat with a bottle of wine and vented to Erica Stoll, appreciating her for just “sitting there and listening to it” as he lamented his missed chances.
This week presents another opportunity for McIlroy with The Open being held in his home country at Royal Portrush. He’s among many contenders, including defending champion Xander Schauffele, Scottie Scheffler, and good pal Shane Lowry, but the 36-year-old might channel his frustration from three years prior to fuel his pursuit of triumph.
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In April, McIlroy etched his name into the history books at the Masters by sinking a playoff putt against Justin Rose, becoming the sixth golfer—and the first European—to achieve the career Grand Slam in golf.
He joined the ranks of legends like Tiger Woods, Gary Player, and Jack Nicklaus, having secured all four major titles, with his most recent significant victory before that being over a decade ago in 2014.
That year, McIlroy clinched both the PGA Championship and The Open, yet it wasn’t until 2025 that he topped the leaderboard at another major.
McIlroy has faced his fair share of ups and downs on the course, with setbacks often igniting a golfer’s drive for triumph.
The sting of his near-miss at the 2022 Open Championship might just be the spark he needs to conquer Royal Portrush, and the unwavering support from his wife could prove to be an additional boost.
In a heartfelt chat with the Irish Independent back in 2022, McIlroy opened up about how he leaned on his wife after falling short by a mere two strokes, finishing 18-under-par while Cameron Smith clinched the title at 20-under. Post-tournament, McIlroy found solace in his hotel room, pouring out his frustrations to his wife.
The reigning Masters champ recounted: “I’m sure there was a bit of, ‘I don’t feel like I did that much wrong.’ Because at that point you start to think about things, ‘I could have got it up-and-down on 3. I should have made a birdie on 9. I should have made a birdie on 12.’
“You know, all the s— Erica just doesn’t want to hear. But I give her credit for sitting there and listening to it. I’m sure we tried to watch something on TV to get away from it.”
He further reflected: “It’s our life and how we live, but most of our conversations don’t revolve around golf, or what I want to win, but this was different.
“And it’s amazing because you have the first major of the year, and the last major of the year, with basically the same outcome – second at the Masters, third at the Open – and two completely different reactions.
“And yeah, I mean, what can you say to someone in that position, you know? Erica didn’t need to say anything, she just needed to [be there].”
McIlroy is setting his sights on a different ending for this year’s Open Championship, aiming to hoist the Claret Jug triumphantly alongside his wife Erica and daughter Poppy, rather than revisiting past near-misses.
