Inside Rory McIlroy’s love life including ‘flirty’ Meghan Markle and two engagements
Rory McIlroy’s love life has been turblent in recent weeks after filing for divorce from his wife Erica Stoll, with whom he shares a three-year-old daughter, and then performing a U-turn and mending the relationship.
Express Sport delves into McIlroy’s romantic history, which includes dating his childhood sweetheart and rumours of a connection with Meghan Markle..
The Northern Irish golfer started seeing his childhood friend Holly Sweeney, now known as Holly Mason, at the tender age of 16. Their relationship spanned roughly eight years, during which Sweeney was a constant presence as McIlroy ascended to the pinnacle of the golfing world.
He expressed his appreciation for her support in 2011, stating: “She knows me better than basically anyone else in this world does, apart from my parents, and someone like that with you is very grounding.”
However, their romance came to an abrupt halt later that year, with McIlroy describing the breakup as ‘amicable’. Sweeney later married hockey player Jeff Mason in 2016, and McIlroy sent well-wishes upon hearing news of her pregnancy, remarking: “I’m happy for her,” and acknowledging: “It’s great to see she’s happy.”
Caroline Wozniacki
Following his split from Sweeney, McIlroy found love with tennis sensation Caroline Wozniacki, whom he reportedly met at a boxing match. Their romance blossomed for three years before they got engaged in 2013.
However, their relationship took a turn for the worse just months later when they announced their split. It was said that McIlroy ended things with Wozniacki in a brief three-minute phone call shortly after they had sent out wedding invitations.
He later clarified that it was his decision to end the relationship, stating: “There is no right way to end a relationship that has been so important to two people.”
He added: “The problem is mine. 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.”
In 2017, McIlroy admitted that dating another sports star was challenging, confessing: “I thought at the time that being with someone that was in a similar position to you was the obvious answer.
