From flirting with Meghan Markle to dumping Caroline Wozniacki: Inside Rory McIlroy's romantic past as he divorces wife Erica Stoll

LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA: The golf world was shocked by Rory McIlroy's divorce filing on Tuesday, May 14, from his wife Erica Stoll. One of the most well-known athletes, Rory, filed for divorce, only a week before the PGA Championship.

As per TMZ Sports, court records show the 35-year-old golfer submitted the documents in Florida on Monday, some seven years after the couple first tied the knot.

Although Rory McIlroy has garnered attention for his remarkable golf career, he has also been in the news for his turbulent romantic history.

After years of dramatic breakups, nasty separations, and rumors of trysts, Rory appeared to have finally found his happily ever after when he married Erica Stoll in 2017.

Rory McIlroy's first romance with childhood sweetheart Holly Sweeney

Rory's first romantic relationship started at the same time as his incredibly successful golf career when he was a teenager.

Just after becoming the youngest-ever winner of the West of Ireland Championship and the Irish Close Championship, Rory began dating his childhood friend Holly Sweeney. They both dated from 2003 until 2011.

But they abruptly broke up in 2011—shortly after Rory met Caroline Wozniacki— after being together for years and with her by his side the entire time as he rose to fame.

Rory claimed in a statement at the time that the breakup was "amicable," but Holly later claimed that the athlete had abandoned her for Danish tennis player Caroline Wozniacki.

"Rory ran away with Caroline. I never thought he would do this to me," Holly remarked at the time.

Rory McIlroy allegedly dumped Caroline Wozniacki over a three-minute phone call

Rory dated Caroline shortly after he broke up with Holly. The two celebrity sports personalities allegedly sat next to one other at a boxing fight in Germany, where they immediately hit it up.

Rory and Caroline dated for three years before he proposed to Caroline on New Year's Eve of 2013. However, things abruptly ended months later, right after they had sent out their wedding invitations.

In May 2014, Rory revealed their breakup, saying "it was mutual" and "both thought it was the best". Reports later surfaced, though, claiming that Rory ended his relationship with Caroline after a tense three-minute phone conversation.

"There is no right way to end a relationship that has been so important to two people. The problem is mine. The wedding invitations issued at the weekend made me realize that I wasn't ready for all that marriage entails," Rory eventually admitted, confessing that he had decided to call it quits on the affair.

Rory McIlroy rumored to be dating Meghan Markle after flirtatious ice bucket challenge

Rory's romantic life has been fraught with scandals—ranging from reports that he flirted with Meghan Markle and partied with college students to claims that he broke up with his fiancee in a three-minute phone call (shortly after they sent out invites to their wedding).

Long before he sparked a romance with Erica, rumors floated that Rory was dating 'Suits' actress Meghan - after they were spotted hanging out in footage shared to Meghan's social media accounts in 2014, per Daily Mail.

In August 2014, speculations of a romance between Rory and Meghan began to circulate after the two appeared flirtatious in a video uploaded on her social media account.

The actress and the golfer took part in the Ice Bucket Challenge at the time, a popular social media movement to raise awareness for ALS.

In the video, Meghan burst into laughter as Rory stepped behind her and dumped a cooler full of ice on top of her head.

They reportedly had supper at Cipriani after having a drink together at the Fitzpatrick Hotel in New York.

In his 2022 book 'Revenge: Meghan, Harry, And The War Between The Windsors,' former BBC journalist and renowned royal analyst Tom Bower stated that Meghan first met Rory on the day he "unexpectedly" nominated her for the ice bucket challenge.

An onlooker described the two as "smitten" after they were observed dining at Dublin's Fade Street Social in October 2014. Tom further claimed that Meghan was "keen to use their close relationship to promote herself".

However, according to the Irish Mirror, Rory and Meghan were "never more than friends."

Rory McIlroy spotted hugging unidentified blonde at college party

In October 2014, while visiting a student party in St Andrews, Rory, then 25 years old, was spotted hugging an unidentified blonde. The two were smiling at the camera in a picture of the golfer with his arm around the woman.

"People were smoking rolled-up cigarettes while drinking their champagne and Rory seemed quite relaxed around it all. But he didn't appear to be concerned at all and immediately after the picture was taken he chatted to the girl for a while," a bystander subsequently told the Daily Record at the time.

Rory McIlroy married Erica Stoll in 2017 and couple welcomed a daughter

Before things got serious, Rory and Erica were friends for a while when they first met in 2012. After being engaged in 2015, they were married in a star-studded ceremony at Ireland's Ashford Castle two years later.

They welcomed  their daughter Poppy in September 2020, and he described her as the "absolute love of their lives".

However, it was recently revealed that the 35-year-old golfer and Erica filed for divorce seven years after getting married, just a few days before the PGA Championship got underway.