Rory McIlroy has revealed he and his wife Erica Stoll have finally got themselves settled in their Surrey home after her desire to escape Florida’s baking temperatures. News of the six-time major winner making the move back to the UK was first leaked by fellow PGA Tour star J.J. Spaun, who claimed that McIlroy told him of his intention to buy his new home.
The 37-year-old splashed out a hefty sum on the Wentworth property and is said to have spent up to £14million on renovations, according to a source speaking to The Sun. The pair battled it out at the Players Championship last year, with McIlroy edging the victory in a play-off.
Discussing his mid-round discussions with McIlroy on the Fore Play podcast, Spaun said: “He’s super cool. We were talking about the UK. I know he’s Northern Irish, but I asked him if he ever hangs out in London.
“I asked him about that, and he said, ‘Oh yeah, I’m building a house out there’. He kept it really friendly and light, and then we chatted a lot until the back nine, and that was it!” The two-time Masters champion had spent more than a decade living in the Sunshine State and made it his base alongside Erica and their five year old daughter Poppy.
However, the family chose to up sticks last year with Erica wanting to spend more time in the UK. And McIlroy has made that happen during his latest break from competition.
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After giving The CJ Cup Byron Nelson a miss, McIlroy has made his comeback at the Memorial Tournament this week, and on Wednesday disclosed his family are now properly moved into their UK residence.
The Northern Irishman said: “I feel like a part-timer these days. Yeah, had a couple of weeks off, we got ourselves settled into our house in London for the summer. So, it was nice to be in there for the last 10 days.
View 3 ImagesRory McIlroy relocated to the UK because of his wife’s dislike of Florida’s sweltering heat(Image: Andrew Redington, Getty Images)
“A little bit of practice, stopped off at Shinnecock on the way here on Monday, scouted it a little bit, and played. Excited for a nice, good tournament here, I missed this one last year, so it’s good to be back. The course is as hard as ever, so looking forward to the challenge this week.”
McIlroy’s Palm Beach mansion is certainly an extravagant property, but Erica has long made clear her preference for spending more time in the UK. Her husband discussed it during the Netflix documentary series Full Swing.
He said: “If it was up to her [Erica], she wouldn’t move to England straightaway, but she definitely wants to spend more time there.” Erica’s aversion to the sweltering heat in Florida was well known, as PGA Tour star Martin Kaymer revealed she had confided in him: ”I really don’t like the sun [in Florida].”
View 3 ImagesJ.J. Spaun first revealed McIlroy’s plans for a new home in the UK(Image: Brian Spurlock/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
The German golfer jokingly replied: “Your state’s called the Sunshine State, right?” Poised to spend more time in the UK, McIlroy’s calendar has been scaled back, owing to placing greater emphasis on the majors.
After the Memorial, the two-time Masters champion is anticipated to miss the Canadian Open in order to gear up for the U.S. Open – the first major he claimed 15 years ago.
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