Rory McIlroy's prolonged friendship which led to romance with 'normal' Erica Stoll

once said that one of the things he loved most about his relationship with Erica Stoll is the fact that they were friends first before starting a life together. The married couple have endured a rocky time and the new champion filed for divorce just over a year ago, before withdrawing that filing and stating: "We have resolved our differences and look forward to a new beginning."

McIlroy and Stoll first met at the 2012 , while McIlroy was still . He became engaged to the Dane in December 2012 before calling off their relationship a few months later. "The problem is mine," the golfer explained. "The wedding invitations issued at the weekend made me realise that I wasn't ready for all that marriage entails. I wish Caroline all the happiness she deserves and thank her for the great times we've had."

The following year, he struck up a romance with Stoll after she had already aided him at the Ryder Cup. While working as a transport official, Stoll helped her husband-to-be make his tee time after he overslept.

"I am very happy in my love life... The past six or seven months have been really nice. That part of my life is going great," he enthused in May 2015.

In December, McIlroy popped the question on a romantic Paris getaway. Leading up to their wedding at Ashford Castle in Cong, County Mayo, the Northern Irishman explained that he was overjoyed at the idea of first being friends with Stoll and then dating.

"The thing I love about it is that we were friends before anything romantic happened," McIlroy said in January 2017. "We met when she was working for the PGA of America and renting a condo in Palm Beach, and I found it refreshing being with someone who was living a normal life rather than: 'Oh! My jet is 30 minutes late.'"

At the BMW Championship, McIlroy revealed that Stoll was due to give birth "any day now" and their daughter Poppy was born in August 2020. and one of the first people he went over to after beating Justin Rose in a dramatic play-off.

Stoll was also by his side, a year after divorce was filed in Florida. Their marriage was described as "irretrievably broken" in court documents and McIlroy competed at the PGA Championship without his wedding ring on.

Then, a week after Stoll missed the deadline to contest their divorce petition, McIlroy filed a voluntary dismissal of his court documents.

"Over the past weeks, Erica and I have realised that our best future was as a family together," McIlroy said in a statement. "Thankfully, we have resolved our differences and look forward to a new beginning."

Stoll returned to his side at golf tournaments and celebrated his career Grand Slam together, completed by a famous Augusta victory.