Rory McIlroy’s divorce from Erica Stoll shines a light on ‘hard life’ of Golf WAGs with stars surrounded by ‘hangers on and beautiful women’

The realities of life as a golf WAG have been laid bare following Rory McIlroy’s divorce from Erica Stoll.

McIlroy, 35, filed to end his marriage to Stoll, 36, on May 13. It came seven years after they tied the knot and just a few days before the PGA Championship. 

It was recently claimed that the couple reached ‘breaking point’ after Stoll threw herself into motherhood while McIlroy was on the road playing on the tour.

‘A point of contention in Rory’s marriage with Erica was that Erica was lonely in their marriage,’ an insider told Us Weekly . ‘Rory was a hard person to be married to.’

Now, another insider has revealed the challenges faced by every partner of a player on the tour.  

McIlroy with the ‘Mac Pack’, who have been rallying around the Northern Irishman recently

‘It’s a hard life being a golfer’s wife,’ they told People. ‘They’re always away at tournaments and practicing, there has to be a lot of trust.’

According to the insider, players are often flanked by ‘hangers-on’ and ‘beautiful women’ while playing tournaments. 

‘You either have to join them on tour and go with it or just have trust in them, it’s impossible to expect them to be home and able to help with the kids.’

McIlroy met Stoll back in 2012, back when she was working as a transport official for PGA of America. The Northern Irishman was dating tennis star Caroline Wozniacki at the time. They got engaged in 2013, only for McIlroy to end the relationship shortly after.

McIlroy and Stoll at the Spanish Steps in Rome prior to the 2023 Ryder Cup in Italy

Since filing from divorce, rumors have begun circling about McIlroy’s relationship with CBS Sports reporter Amanda Balionis as they both ditched their wedding rings. 

Another source close to the tour, meanwhile, claims that McIlroy has been ‘super focused on golf’ as he attempts to end his decade-long wait for another major.

‘Plus, he put his blood, sweat and tears into defending the PGA against LIV golf the last two years and it was basically for nothing,’ they told People.

‘He’s just trying to find himself, focus and get back to winning,’ the source says.

McIlroy and Stoll share a three-year-old daughter Poppy Kennedy, who was born in 2020.