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Rory McIlroy spent £10m developing luxury mansion in UK before shock split from wife Erica

SUPERSTAR golfer Rory McIlroy is seen without his wedding ring as he hits the greens for the first time since news of his divorce was revealed.

Rory, 35, looked glum as he practised for today’s US PGA Championship at Valhalla in Kentucky.




Rory McIlroy was spotted without his wedding ring hours after filing for divorce


The pair got married in 2017


McIlroy, pictured without his wedding ring, was shooting a practice round ahead of the PGA Championship

The world number two filed for divorce from 36-year-old Erica Stoll, his wife of seven years and mother of his three-year-old daughter Poppy, on Monday.

But the news came as a “complete bombshell” to his pals — especially as McIlroy, worth around £200million, had bought a plot of land in Wentworth, Surrey.

He is already believed to have a home in the London area and one in Holywood, Northern Ireland, close to where he grew up.

Last night, a source said: “Rory could easily have seen the family’s future at Wentworth and in London — at least up until recently.

“He had spent between £10million and £14million on plans for the home at Wentworth, which he was having built to their specifications.

“Friends of his like the golfers Justin Rose and Ernie Els are based there and it is the home of European golf.

“That’s partly why the news of his divorce was a complete bombshell to people who know Rory.

“Anyone who saw him with Erica at the Players Championship in March would have thought everything was hunky dory — but clearly that was not the case. That is why people have been so blindsided by this.”

McIlroy filed papers with Palm Beach County Court, Florida. The three-page divorce petition did not reveal a reason for the split, but said the marriage was “irretrievably broken”.

Documents filed in the US showed that the four-time major champion and Erica signed a pre-nuptial agreement in March 2017 before they wed in April that year.

They also revealed the couple had agreed to “shared parental responsibility” for Poppy. She was born in Florida — so is likely to be raised in the US.

McIlroy refused to take any questions about his divorce last night.




The divorce news came as a ‘complete bombshell’ to Rory’s pals


Erica and Rory have three-year-old daughter Poppy