
Iconic golfer Rory McIlroy allegedly disclosed details of a new UK property just one month after admitting his wife, Erica Stoll, would prefer to spend more time in England rather than the US.
McIlroy and Stoll, whose relationship has been tumultuous over the last 12 months, are thought to spend most of their time in Florida. However, the Monroe County-born Stoll told her partner, whom she married in 2017, that she would prefer to head to the UK more often to avoid the Sunshine State’s heat.
Now, J.J. Spaun, who took McIlroy to a nail-biting playoff before the North Irish iconic claimed his second Players Championship title last week, has shed light on a conversation the pair had on-course at TPC Sawgrass – where details of a new property were apparently leaked.
Last month on Netflix’s Full Swing, McIlroy admitted that his wife often wants to spend more time in the UK, as he said: “If it was up to her, she wouldn’t move to England straightaway, but she definitely wants to spend more time there.”
The dialogue continued when McIlroy conversed with German golfer Martin Kaymer about how his other half often dislikes the searing Floridian temperatures.
“I saw her at a Starbucks once, and she said, ‘I really don’t like the sun,’” Kaymer revealed. “I said, ‘Your state’s called the Sunshine State, right?’”.
Four weeks on from these revelations, Spaun came clean on the Fore Play podcast, suggesting that a new property back in England is being constructed by McIlroy – though the four-time major winner has not publicly confirmed that this is the case.
“He’s super cool. We were talking about the UK. I know he’s Northern Irish, but I asked him if he ever hangs out in London,” Spaun began.
“Because my wife has got a really good friend that lives out there and loves going there so over the last couple of years, we go on this little vacation in December to the Cotswolds. Little quaint villages that are really old, and they have pubs from like the 1700s. It is just a really cool vibe to hang out during the holidays.
“I asked him about that, and he said, ‘Oh yeah, I’m building a house out there.’ He kept it really friendly and light, and then we chatted a lot until the back nine, and that was it!” McIlroy’s team have been approached for comment.
McIlroy and Stoll’s relationship hit a snag in 2024 when they filed for divorce, though this act was later reversed. The couple has been married since April 2017, tying the knot five years after they first met in 2012.
After the decision to U-turn on the divorce, McIlroy admitted in a statement: “There have been rumors about my personal life recently, which is unfortunate.
“Responding to each rumor is a fool’s game. 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.”