Rory McIlroy breaks silence on Erica Stoll divorce U-turn after realizing 'what's important'

Rory McIlroy has shed more light on why he and his wife, Erica Stoll , decided to scrap their plans for a divorce back in June.

Ahead of this year’s U.S. Open , McIlroy and Stoll announced that they’d opted to each voluntarily dismiss the divorce petition that was filed a month prior at Palm Beach County State Court in Florida. Several days later, the Northern Irishman suffered an agonizing defeat at Pinehurst No. 2 , blowing a two-shot lead over eventual champion Bryson DeChambeau with five holes remaining.

McIlroy promptly announced he’d be momentarily stepping away from golf on the heels of the loss, but returned in time for the Genesis Scottish Open in July, where he tied for fourth place.

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Speaking to Patrick Kielty on the ‘Late Late,’ McIlroy revealed that he took the much-needed break from the sport to help him rediscover “what was actually important to me.”

“I think sometimes life can get a lot and it can get too much,” he said. "There’s been a lot going on this year, golf wise and then obviously personal wise as well. I had to take a little bit of a break and get away from the game more than anything else," he told Kielty.

"Golf and the business of golf had become all consuming for me for the last couple of years and I needed to take a bit of time away to realise what was actually important to me. Friends, family, enjoying myself, enjoying the fact you were this little boy in Holywood and you’ve grown up to be whatever it is that I am and I need to enjoy that time.”

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Turning the attention to Poppy Kennedy McIlroy, who was born in 2020, Kielty asked McIlroy if he could envision his daughter ever becoming a golfer. "We got her her first real clubs for her birthday this year,” the world No. 3 replied.

"She’s taken a little bit of interest, if she did I would be 100pc supportive but at the same time I wouldn't mind if she did something different. It’s not just about being a sportsperson, there's all the rest of it that comes with it.

“Especially in this age of social media and all the stuff you have to deal with. So, if it’s your daughter you’re trying to protect her from that as much as you can.”

Addressing the hearsay surrounding his marriage turmoil back in June, McIlroy told the Guardian: “There have been rumours about my personal life recently, which is unfortunate. Responding to each rumour is a fool’s game.”

The 35-year-old also provided more details as to why he and his wife had a change of heart, adding: “Over the past weeks, Erica and I have realised that our best future was as a family together. Thankfully, we have resolved our differences and look forward to a new beginning.”