ROME, ITALY - SEPTEMBER 28: Rory McIlroy of Team Europe and wife Erica Stoll arrive at the opening ceremony for the 2023 Ryder Cup at Marco Simone Golf Club on September 28, 2023 in Rome, Italy. (Photo by Andrew Redington/Getty Images)
Rory McIlroy reportedly used a private investigator to serve his divorce papers to Erica Stoll 24 hours after he claimed the Wells Fargo Championship.
Rory McIlroy used a private investigator to serve Erica Stoll divorce papers, according to a report.
The revelation came from a Belfast Telegraph report that was published over the weekend as McIlroy took a week-earned break from professional golf in the busy major season.
According to the flight tracker radaratlas2 on X, McIlroy’s private plane was in Italy and the golfer may have attended a wedding but that is yet to be substantiated.
McIlroy filed for divorce from his wife of seven years on 13 May, 24 hours after he claimed his 26th PGA Tour title at the Wells Fargo Championship.
The BT report McIlroy signed the papers digitally on between 9.06pm and 9.08pm EDT on 9 May.
The proceedings were lodged in Palm Beach County Court by Thomas Sasser, the same lawyer who represented Tiger Woods during his divorce to Elin Nordegren after his extramarital affairs were exposed.
Court docs also show Carl Woods served Erica with the summons.
Woods has been a cop since 1987, is a certified homicide investigator and a licensed private investigator.
The BT reported:
“Woods’ filing said he received the divorce papers at 9.58am on May 13 from Sasser’s firm and personally served them on Stoll at the McIlroy family home in the exclusive Jack Nicklaus development The Bear’s Club at 10.30am.
“He described Stoll as being white with blonde hair, aged in her 30s, thin, between 5ft 7in and 5ft 8in in height and not wearing glasses.
“The summons served on Stoll warned her that she had 20 days to file a written response to her husband’s petition with the circuit court clerk.”
Furthermore, the document stated: “A phone call will not protect you. Your written response, including the case number given above and the names of the parties, must be filed if you want the court to hear your side of the case.
“If you do not file your response on time, you may lose the case, and your wages, money and property may thereafter be taken without further warning from the court.
“There are other legal requirements. You may want to call an attorney right away. If you do not know an attorney, you may call an attorney referral service or a legal aid office (listed in the phone book.)”
McIlroy has not spoken publicly about his divorce yet.
And nor does he want to.
He gave one reporter a curt response when he was asked about his private life during the PGA Championship.
Elsewhere, unsubstantiated reports from the DailyMail have suggested the golfer is romantically involved with the CBS golf reporter Amanda Balionis.
McIlroy is due to play his next PGA Tour event this week.
The Northern Irishman, 35, is the red-hot favourite to claim the RBC Canadian Open.
McIlroy won the Canadian Open in 2019 and also in 2022.
