Rory McIlroy's Divorce Surprises His Fla. Community: 'People Are Wondering What Happened' (Exclusive Sources)
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A source close to the pro golfer tells PEOPLE McIlroy is "so private that there wasn't a lot of speculation concerning his family life"
Rory McIlroy's split from Erica Stoll has left members of his Florida community surprised, sources close to the pro golfer tell PEOPLE.
McIlroy, 35, and Stoll, 36, were married for seven years before he filed a petition to dissolve their marriage on May 13 in Florida.
“Rory is fairly down to earth for such a big star,” a source tells PEOPLE.
“However, he is very private and can be nice to be around but he just does NOT love the limelight," the insider adds.
A second source tells PEOPLE that members in the exclusive Bear's Club golf course, where McIlroy plays in Jupiter, Fla., “are talking about this and wondering what happened.”
McIlroy is "so private that there wasn't a lot of speculation concerning his family life," the source explains, adding, “We are wondering what happened.”
PEOPLE confirmed that McIlroy filed for divorce on May 13. The couple share one daughter, Poppy, who they welcomed on Aug. 31, 2020.
Days after the filing, McIlroy noticeably ditched his wedding ring while competing in the PGA Championship on May 16 at the Valhalla Golf Club.
Keyur Khamar/PGA TOUR via Getty Images
Rory McIlroy of Northern Ireland during the first round of the 106th PGA ChampionshipThat same day, Stoll was spotted without her engagement ring during an outing in Jupiter.
The couple met during the 2012 Ryder Cup when Stoll was working as a transport official for the tour, but kept their relationship platonic until 2014.
Related: Who Is Rory McIlroy's Wife? All About Erica Stoll
McIlroy had been dating tennis player Caroline Wozniacki when he met Stoll in 2012. McIlroy and Wozniacki got engaged on New Year's Eve in 2013 but he broke things off a few months later after they sent out their wedding invitations.
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In a 2016 interview with The Independent, the golfer said maintaining his friendship with Stoll helped their eventual romance. "The thing I love about it is that we were friends before anything romantic happened," he said, adding that he "found it refreshing" to be with someone "who was living a normal life."
"We ended up spending a bit of time together and realized that there was something more there," McIlroy said of Stoll at the time.
Despite her relationship with the golf star, Stoll has largely stayed out of the spotlight. She keeps her Instagram account set to private and McIlroy has spoken about her preference to keep her personal life away from the public.
During an interview with the Irish Independent shortly after the couple got engaged, McIlroy said, "Erica has been around me quite a lot at tournaments but we have really just tried to keep it low-key. She is a very low-key person, not the kind to broadcast stuff, but that side of my life is really good just now."
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