Why Tiger Woods Upset Rory McIlroy's Wife, Erica Stoll
Golfing legend Tiger Woods and Masters champ Rory McIlroy have a close friendship, but one action Woods took upset McIlroy's wife, Erica Stoll.
That's according to a new book called Rory: The Heartache and Triumph of Golf's Most Human Superstar by golf journalist Alan Shipnuck. According to Daily Mail, the book "details Woods's bizarre messages to McIlroy in the middle of the night."
Woods is not playing in the Masters this year after he was arrested following a rollover crash in Florida. McIlroy is competing at the Masters, which he won in 2025.
Rory McIlroy Revealed That Tiger Woods Would Call Him at 4 a.m.
According to Daily Mail, McIlroy made the comments about Woods in 2017. He indicated that the golfing legend has trouble sleeping.
"He struggles to sleep, which I think is an effect of over-training, so I tell him to calm down sometimes," McIlroy said, according to Daily Mail's recounting of the book. "He'd be texting me at four o'clock in the morning: 'Up lifting. What are you doing?'"
(Photo by David Cannon/Getty Images)
Added McIlroy: "Erica actually got p***ed off with it. He was texting me in the middle of the night and I was like, "Tiger is in the gym."' Erica is a reference to McIlroy's wife, Erica Stoll.
The younger McIlroy idolized Woods while growing up, Daily Mail reported. "He's an intriguing character because you could spend two hours in his company and see four different sides to him," McIlroy said of Woods, according to Daily Mail.
"He's thoughtful. He's smart. He can't sleep so that's all he does - he reads stuff and educates himself on everything."
Erica Stoll Turned Heads in a White Dress at the Masters
About last night #TheMasters pic.twitter.com/CemuA4LsAd
— Rory McIlroy Tracker (@RMTracker) April 8, 2026
Stoll turned heads by donning a white dress to accompany McIlroy to a Masters dinner.
The pair famously had an active divorce filing at one point, but they repaired their relationship and seemed in good spirits at the dinner, according to photos.
According to The New York Post, Stoll was "all smiles" as she and their daughter, Poppy, accompanied McIlroy at the Masters during family day. At one point, she was seen carrying a bag for him.
The same book alleged that Stoll flirted with McIlroy "at the 2012 Ryder Cup, which derailed the golfer’s engagement to tennis star Caroline Wozniacki," The New York Post reported.
“I think what I’ve realized is, if you can just really find enjoyment in the journey, that’s the big thing, because honestly I felt like the career Grand Slam was my destination, and I got there and then I realized it wasn’t the destination,” McIlroy told reporters, according to The Post.
As for Woods, he announced after the crash that he is seeking treatment, and he may be in Switzerland, according to CNN. The golfing legend is not attending the Masters this year.
“What would I tell him? I tell him I love him and things can always get better,” golfer Fred Couples said of Woods, CNN reported.
Woods had been attempting a comeback, although he was already struggling with injuries.