Rory McIlroy's wife Erica gets last laugh after vile abuse and cruel jokes about divorce
Erica Stoll remained dignified and stoic in the face of vile abuse being hurled in her direction at the 2025 Ryder Cup. But the mother-of-one has had the last laugh...
The Ryder Cup is one of the most fiercely contended golf competitions in the calendar, but no-one was prepared for the unprecedented levels of abuse thrown at Team Europe - in particular, Rory McIlroy.
And it wasn't just the pro who faced cruel jokes and taunting from US fans - so, too, did his wife Erica Stoll, who turned out to support her husband in the three-day tournament. But, as it turns out, the 38-year-old has had the last laugh.
Erica had beer thrown at her and was repeatedly the focus of the New York crowd's jokes, who even mocked McIlroy's decision to call off filing for divorce from Erica in June last year. At one point, she was reduced to tears by the vitriol being levelled at her, with McIlroy stepping in to tell the crowd to 'shut the f*** up'.
Ultimately the jeers and taunts proved fruitless; Team Europe claimed a 15-13 victory in a nerve-shredding final day at Bethpage Black on Sunday.
And footage of their celebrations showed Erica's telling response to her critics. One clip filmed by Justin Rose's caddie, Mark Fulcher, showed players on the team bus performing their version of 'Zombie' by The Cranberries.
They can be heard singing, "He's in your head, in your head.... Rory, Rory, Rory" in unison as they gather around McIlroy and his wife, sitting by his side. Erica can be seen beaming and singing along to the refrain, all the while holding her glass of champagne.
Members of Team Europe, meanwhile, have spoken out in praise of Erica and the way she handled the vitriol being directed her way.
"I actually had no idea that Erica had a beer thrown at her yesterday, so fair play to Erica, she didn't bring that to the team room, we didn't make that a big deal," Justin Rose said. "It's news to me, which says a lot about the strength of Erica and everybody in this team today."
Shane Lowry added: "I was out there for two days with Erica McIlroy and the amount of abuse that she received was astonishing.The way she was out there supporting her husband and supporting her team was unbelievable and kudos to her for that."
Rory has also hailed his wife Erica for her "class and dignity" after a USA fan threw a drink over her before Europe's famous Ryder Cup victory.
"Erica is fine. She's a very, very strong woman. You know, she handled everything this week with class and poise and dignity like she always has. I love her and we're going to have a good time celebrating tonight," he said.
The Northern Ireland native first met New Yorker Erica at the same event 13 years earlier in 2012. They got married in 2017 and welcomed a daughter, Poppy Kennedy, three years later.
In May 2024, the pair hit a rough patch when the professional golfer filed for divorce. But one month later, he announced they'd decided to stay together.