Rory McIlroy, Erica Stoll Rumors Spark Backlash Before the Masters

It's Masters Week and that means there will be plenty of headlines involving reigning champion Rory McIlroy.

He enters the 2026 tournament as one of the favorites alongside world No. 1 Scottie Scheffler and LIV Golf stars Jon Rahm and Bryson DeChambeau.

While most of the headlines will focus on McIlroy completing the grand slam, his Champions Dinner and Green Jacket defense, one decided to focus on his complicated relationship with wife Erica Stoll.

Rory McIlroy, Erica Stoll Rumors Spark Backlash

The Daily Mail published a column on Monday that took a deep dive into McIlroy's relationship with wife Erica Stoll and comments on his alleged relationship with CBS golf reporter Amanda Balionis – rumors of the relationship were determined to be untrue anyway.

In a social media post, the Daily Mail suggested "the truth" about their relationship was revealed in a new book from golf insider Alan Shipnuck. Fans rushed to social media to call out the tabloid for dropping such a story just days before the start of the Masters.

One person fired back, "read the piece and there zero in there in. Just quotes from Shipnuck’s book that aren’t even that bad. For context Rory has a copy of the book and said he enjoyed it to Shipnuck."

The Rory McIlroy Tracker account was less than pleased.

"So you guys waited until the Monday of Rory’s Masters-defending week to drop an article where you provided absolutely no new info and anything that was provided was completely baseless?" it questioned.

Another suggested, "Absolute disgrace of a story to post to start off Masters Week."

Rory McIlroy Initially Filed for Divorce from Erica Stoll

McIlroy initially filed for divorce from Stoll in May 2024.

Just a month later, though, the pair had a reconciliation as McIlroy announced the couple "resolved" their differences.

“There have been rumors about my personal life recently, which is unfortunate," he said told The Guardian. "Responding to each rumor is a fool’s game. 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."

Just a year later, the couple celebrated McIlroy winning the Masters, completing the grand slam and eventually defeating the United States in the Ryder Cup, where Stoll was a constant presence of support.

Related: Rory McIlroy Gets Honest About Tiger Woods' Absence at the Masters