Rory McIlroy files for divorce from wife, Erica, after seven years of marriage

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Professional golfer Rory McIlroy recently applied for a legal separation from his spouse Erica Stoll, following a span of seven years during which they were married.

On Monday, TMZ Sports reported that McIlroy had submitted the legal documents for his divorce in Palm Beach, Florida.

Representatives for the 35-year-old golfer have confirmed to The Independent that he has filed for divorce. They emphasized Rory's wish to make this challenging period as peaceful and agreeable as possible and stated that he would not provide additional comments.

In 2012, the two individuals crossed paths: Ms. Stoll was a transport official for PGA while Mr. McIlroy was in the golf industry. Their romantic relationship started in 2014, shortly after Mr. McIlroy terminated his engagement with tennis icon Caroline Wozniacki, which even included sending out their wedding invitations.

In the year 2017, they tied the knot and presently have a child named Poppy Kennedy McIlroy, who is three years old.

Mr McIlroy, who represents Northern Ireland in competitions, submitted the divorce papers one day after winning the Wells Fargo Championship and a few days before the PGA Championship. On Tuesday morning, he was spotted training at the Valhalla Golf Club in Louisville, Kentucky.

After the four-day tournament, the player ranked second in the world informed Sky Sports News that he was feeling confident for the upcoming PGA Championship.

At the start of the week, I feel confident and ready to play golf on a course that I am familiar with. My swing feels better than before and I am excited to compete at a venue where I have won in the past. It seems like everything is falling into place, but I am aware that there are many talented players that I have to compete against. There is still a lot of golf to play, and I will try my best to beat the competition.

On Sunday, he expressed his confidence in feeling great going into the upcoming major event.

The end of the couple's relationship happens during a turbulent time in the world of golf, caused by the introduction of LIV Golf, a tour backed by funding from Saudi Arabia. McIlroy has been a prominent figure in this drama for the past two years, initially condemning LIV harshly, but subsequently modifying his stance and advocating for some sort of reconciliation.

In November of last year, he stepped down from the PGA Tour's board of directors. Later, he was part of an effort to regain his seat on the board by taking over the position of US golf pro Webb Simpson, who had won the PGA Tour seven times.

The decision was not favored by some player directors who opposed it. Instead, McIlroy was chosen to be part of a group that is in talks with the Public Investment Fund of Saudi Arabia to explore the possibility of them investing as a minor shareholder.