McIlroy friends’ have theory over Stoll divorce U-turn as he’s pictured

World No. 2 Rory McIlroy was seen practicing at the U.S. Open on Wednesday, for the first time since his divorce from wife Erica Stoll was dismissed.

The Northern Irish golfer was all smiles at Pinehurst after reconciling with Stoll, despite filing for divorce just one month ago. Within 24 hours of winning the Wells Fargo Championship on May 12, McIlroy had filed for divorce after claiming his marriage to Stoll was ‘Irretrievably broken’.

But in a stunning U-turn they decided to dismiss the divorce and remain together after resolving their differences, and feel it’s the best situation for three-year-old daughter Poppy. However, friends close to McIlroy believe that the decision may have been financially driven.

The Daily Mail claimed to have received intel from friends close to McIlroy, who believe that the divorce was called off due to the extortionate lawyer fees. McIlroy is one of the richest golfers with a net worth of £200 million, but his friends claim that he was concerned about losing the majority of his fortune through the divorce.

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“Perhaps, The cold realisation of exactly how much the divorce could cost him hit hard,” one friend said. “McIlroy has amassed a fortune of more than £200m and his projected earnings in his career are predicted to be more than double that figure.

“Surely he didn’t want to see all that money he’s accrued diminish. It would have felt like a huge waste if millions ended up in the pockets of lawyers.”

Although it’s possible that McIlroy and Stoll can stay happy together, another friend believes that there is a lot of work to be done. “This doesn’t confirm they have completely reconciled their differences,” another friend added.

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“It’s a cooling off period and the next six months will be telling as to whether they can properly patch up the relationship. There is also their three-year-old daughter Poppy to consider. Rory is a doting dad and he has strong family values.”

It wasn’t just the lawyers fees, as despite signing a prenup before their marriage the divorce could have been extremely expensive for McIlroy. Prenups are not enforceable in Ireland where they tied the knot in 2017, but it’s believed those logistics were organised in Florida.

Regardless of the rumours, McIlroy seems happy and was delighted when delivering the news to The Guardian. “There have been rumours about my personal life recently, which is unfortunate. Responding to each rumour is a fool’s game,” he said.

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