Rory McIlroy and his wife Erica Stoll are preparing for a huge family move that will uproot their life in Florida.
The Masters champion and Erica will soon be busy acclimatizing their daughter, Poppy, to a new way of life after they relocate from Jupiter to the UK.
Rory and Erica have built a house near the exclusive Wentworth Club in Surrey after purchasing a plot last year, and in just a few weeks, it will become their permanent place of residence.
The couple and their daughter will finally move into the home after Rory competes in the US Open in June, although their south Florida mansion, which he bought from Ernie Els in 2017, will remain their base whilst he is playing on the PGA Tour.
© Getty ImagesRory revealed that their new abode was the first place he visited after his grand slam victory at Augusta in April.
"Straight after Augusta we travelled over to see the house as it was going through the finishing touches," he told Telegraph Sport.
"It was fun to see, and we could have stayed in it, but we wanted to get over to Holywood," he added, referring to his hometown in Belfast.
© Getty ImagesDespite the disruption to Poppy, who will no doubt be attending a new school and making new friends, Erica should be delighted with the move after making her distaste for the South Florida heat known.
Rory revealed that the native New Yorker wanted to spend more time in the UK during a conversation with German golfer Martin Kaymer on the Netflix docuseries Full Swing.
Martin recalled the time he bumped into Erica, who expressed her frustration with the scorching climate.
© Getty Images"I saw her [Erica] at a Starbucks once, and she said, 'I really don't like the sun.' I said, 'Your state's called the Sunshine State, right?'"
Rory added: "If it was up to her [Erica], she wouldn't move to England straightaway, but she definitely wants to spend more time there."
Rory and Erica started dating in 2015, getting engaged in December that year, and they wed at Ashford Castle in County Mayo in 2017.
© Getty ImagesPoppy was born on August 31, 2020, with proud dad Rory sharing the happy news on his social media.
He wrote: "Poppy Kennedy McIlroy, born August 31st, 12:15pm. She is the absolute love of our lives. Mother and baby are doing great.
"Massive thank you to all the staff at Jupiter Medical Center and Dr Sasha Melendy for their amazing care."
© Getty ImagesFollowing the birth, Rory opened up about becoming a father, telling Golf Week: "It's amazing. You see other people having kids and babies, and you’ll say congratulations and you’re happy for them, but you don’t really know how it feels."
He added: "It's probably the best part of being a human being, and I’m glad that I got to experience it."
© Getty ImagesRory and Erica hit a rough patch last year, and on May 13, 2024, he filed for divorce. However, just one month later, the golfer filed a notice of voluntary dismissal of the divorce in Palm Beach County Court.
He told The Guardian of his decision: "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."
