Rory McIlroy has made U-turn for Erica Stoll after being forced to sell £2m dream home

Rory McIlroy has made U-turn for Erica Stoll after being forced to sell £2m dream home

Rory McIlroy has returned to live in the UK more than a decade after he packed his bags to move to Florida, where he lived with his wife Erica Stoll and their daughter until recently

Rory McIlroy and Erica Stoll have moved to the UK (Image: Andrew Redington/Getty Images )

Rory McIlroy has made a stunning U-turn by returning to the UK for his wife Erica Stoll, having sold his dream house over a decade ago to move to Florida.

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Prior to winning his first two major titles, McIlroy had his ideal mansion built in 2006 in his hometown of Holywood, Northern Ireland. The property, which sat on 14 acres of land, boasted a gym, tennis court, driving range, and, crucially, a practice area at the back of his garden.

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But because he was spending too much time away from his home on the PGA Tour, McIlroy put the property on the market in 2012 and sold it to former TV presenter Gary McCausland for less than the £2million asking price the following year.

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The recent Masters winner upgraded by moving into a luxurious home in Palm Beach, Florida, in 2017, which was worth three times more than his previous home on the Northern Irish coast. The plush mansion formerly belonged to Ernie Els and was located within the exclusive confines of the Bear's Club golf community.

McIlroy said of the decision: "My life is here. I have an American wife. I live in America. Honestly, I enjoy it here more. The way of life is easier. The weather. The convenience."

Rory McIlroy's former home in Holywood, Northern Ireland (Image: Photopress Belfast )

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However, the 36-year-old, Erica and their four-year-old daughter have now returned to the UK, moving into a huge Wentworth property in Surrey, England, following the US Open last month. McIlroy had previously spoken about his wife's desire to move to the UK to escape the Florida heat.

He reportedly spent £9m on the property, which sits close to London and Heathrow Airport, as well as one of the tees on the three courses at the famed Wentworth golf course, where the Ryder Cup was born almost a century ago. Now that the property is finished, McIlroy and Stoll have moved into the huge estate.

There had been some delays with the move, including the well-documented difficulties in his marriage, before the pair halted divorce proceedings and reconciled last year.

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Rory McIlroy upgraded on his first house by moving into a Florida mansion with a swimming pool and tennis court (Image: PGA Tour )

While McIlroy is expected to switch between his Florida mansion and Surrey for the time being, spending time at the new property has not only been a huge relief for the pair but has also reignited the fire in McIlroy's belly.

Speaking at the Renaissance Club in North Berwick ahead of the recent Genesis Scottish Open, McIlroy said: "We came back a few weeks ago and moved into our new home in Wentworth and have been trying to settle in. It's amazing what two weeks of a bit of detachment can do for you.

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"Sitting there being with your own thoughts for a while. Yeah, it's been nice to have this time to reflect and also to rekindle my excitement and enthusiasm for the rest of the year. Obviously, we have this week in Scotland and then a massive week next week [for the Open] in Portrush."

McIlroy's form took a notable dip after he ended an 11-year major drought by sealing the career Grand Slam with a victory at the Masters in April, which took a huge amount of pressure off his shoulders. But he went on to tie for 47th at the PGA Championship and clinched only a 19th-place finish at the US Open.

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