After a tumultuous year that brought his marriage to the brink of collapse, Rory McIlroy is stepping into a new season—both personally and professionally—as he prepares to relocate with his wife Erica Stoll and their daughter Poppy to a new family home in the United Kingdom.

Speaking to Telegraph Sport on Wednesday, the 36-year-old Irish golf star revealed that the family will move into their newly constructed home in Wentworth, England, shortly after he wraps up competition at the U.S. Open in mid-June.

"Straight after Augusta we traveled over to see the house as it was going through the finishing touches," McIlroy shared during an interview at the Philadelphia Cricket Club. "It was fun to see, but we wanted to visit Holywood again first." The town in Northern Ireland is not only McIlroy’s birthplace but also remains a personal anchor in his global journey.

The move marks a major transition from their current base in Florida, where the family has lived for several years. Their new home, which they began planning in 2023, will now serve as their permanent base as McIlroy continues his globe-spanning career.

The Masters champion recently returned to Holywood following his Augusta triumph—an emotional visit that reminded him of the simple, grounding presence of family.

“I tried to keep it as private as possible. I just wanted to see my parents and the people closest to me,” he said. “With my dad, I never get that emotional, but it was great to see him. Then when I saw my mom… yeah, we were both a mess for a few minutes.”

As he reflected on that visit, McIlroy shared a sense of growing appreciation for life’s quieter moments. “As time goes on and I’m getting older, I realize that they’re not going to be around forever. It means even more that they were still around to see me fulfill my dream.”

This fresh chapter comes after a very public low point in McIlroy’s personal life. In May 2024, he filed for divorce from Stoll after seven years of marriage. Just weeks later, the proceedings were quietly withdrawn, and the couple opted to reconcile.

In a statement to The Guardian at the time, McIlroy addressed the intense speculation that followed: “There have been rumours about my personal life recently, which is unfortunate. Over the past weeks, Erica and I have realized that our best future was as a family together. Thankfully, we have resolved our differences and look forward to a new beginning.”

Their reconciliation—and the pressures that nearly unraveled their relationship—were also documented in Season 3 of Netflix’s Full Swing. In one candid moment, McIlroy acknowledged the emotional toll of juggling fatherhood, fame, and a career at the top of global sport.

“I struggled with trying to be the best golfer, the best husband, the best dad,” he admitted. “There’s parts of my life I like to keep as private as possible… but in this line of work, that isn’t always possible.”

Despite the challenges, McIlroy seems poised to rebuild—not just his home life, but his vision for the future—with Erica and four-year-old Poppy by his side in a new country, under a new roof, and with a renewed sense of purpose.


By WafricNews Desk.