Rory McIlroy is set to keep his $22million Florida mansion and most of his golfing fortune as details of his and Erica Stoll’s prenup have emerged amid the end of the couple’s seven-year marriage.
McIlroy stunned fans by filing for divorce from his wife – with whom he has a daughter Poppy, aged four – on the eve of last week’s PGA Championship, with reports claiming his marriage to Stoll had reached ‘breaking point’.
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The 13,000 sq ft property belongs to McIlroy as per the prenup, but he is not expected to stay put, according to the New York Post. It is believed the Co. Down man will hand over the keys to Stoll while he searches for a new pad, to provide a stable home for their daughter.
The couple are said to have been living separate lives for the past two years due to the golf star being away from home for tournaments so often, which put a strain on their relationship.
McIlroy and Stoll, 32, signed a prenuptial agreement when they tied the knot in 2017, and reports suggest the golfer has a right to keep their lavish Florida mansion. The divorce filing reportedly calls for shared custody and a parenting plan.
McIlroy purchased the Jupiter, Florida home inside the guard-gated Bear’s Club golf community for a staggering $11million in 2012. It is now believed to be worth twice that. The home sits on 2.4 acres and is believed to have 10 bathrooms and nine bedrooms.
The house was built in 2002 and McIlroy bought it from the golf legend, former PGA star Ernie Els. The South African golfer is a former World No 1, like McIlroy, and – also like McIlroy – is a four time major champion.
The 13,000 sq ft residence also has a luxury infinity pool, as well as a games room, a tennis court, a home theatre, a recording studio, a state-of-the-art gym and a six-car garage. McIlroy has earned an estimated $87million (€80m) on the PGA Tour during his career.
Florida is not considered a community property state, meaning a judge will decide how to divide marital debt using the state’s equitable distribution laws.
McIlroy’s attorney in the divorce case is listed as Thomas Sasser, the same lawyer who represented Tiger Woods when his ex-wife Elin Nordegren split from him in 2010. Nordegren walked away from her marriage to Woods with $100million (€92m) – just one sixth of his golf fortune.
The divorce comes amid rumours of a potential romance with sports journalist Amanda Balionis. DailyMail.com revealed that McIlroy’s relationship with CBS’s 19th Hole reporter is the talk of the links.
Balion is interviewed McIlroy after the Wells Fargo Championship, in North Carolina, on Mother’s Day. She pointed out he was wearing his ‘Mother’s Day’ pink, and asked him to pay tribute to his mother, Rosie, but did not ask him to pay tribute to Stoll.
Dressed in a blush top that matched McIlroy’s own, Balionis giggled, flirted, and fan-girled her way through the interview. ‘What gear did you have to find to assert your dominance once more over Quail Hollow?’ the 34- year-old asked, as McIlroy beamed back at her.
They stood close as she teased out details of his string of wins. Barely 24 hours later, news broke that he had filed for divorce.
Fans have also been questioning the status of Balionis’s two-year marriage to college football coach-turned tech company account manager Bryn Renner. The sports journalist and the former college quarterback got married in 2022. In recent appearances Balionis has not been wearing her wedding band, with the ring nowhere to be seen on social media in February.
The reporter has also switched her X username from Balionis Renner back to her maiden name of Balionis. McIlroy once declared there was no ‘right way’ to end a relationship. His childhood sweetheart Holly Sweeney told of her devastation after he dumped her ‘out of the blue’ after six years.
She was ditched for tennis ace Caroline Wozniacki, and McIIroy ended their relationship in a three-minute phone call days after the couple had sent out their wedding invitations.
Insiders told MailOnline: ‘He is ruthless on the golf course and in real life and if he sees that his relationship is going wrong he’s not shy about ending it.’
McIlroy, who was once linked to Meghan Markle, has admitted to being ‘a pretty selfish person’
