RORY McIlroy gave a subtle clue his marriage was on the rocks in a Mother’s Day video following his Wells Fargo Championship win.

The top golfer, said to be worth £200 million, filed for divorce from American wife Erica Stoll after submitting documents in Florida on Monday.

The separation came “out of the blue” and “no one saw it coming”, according to one insider.

But the 35-year-old athlete provided a subtle clue that everything was not perfect as he gave an interview on May 12 – which is Mother’s Day in the United States.

After winning his fourth Wells Fargo Championship at Quail Hollow, he said: “My mom, Rosie, is like the sort of rock or the gel that holds our family together, she always has been.

“I said this last night, I’m probably a lot more like my dad than I am my mom, but I wish I was a little more like my mom at times.”

He did not mention his wife Erica in that particular interview.

The Northern Irish star’s divorce comes after the couple tied the knot at a star-studded wedding in 2017.

The three-page divorce petition – lodged with Palm Beach County Court – said the marriage was “irretrievably broken”.

McIlroy’s team this week released a statement that said: “Rory McIlroy’s communications team confirmed today that a divorce has been filed.

“They stressed Rory’s desire to ensure this difficult time is as respectful and amicable as possible.

“He will not be making any further comment.”

A golf source said: “Their split comes right out of the blue and no one saw it coming.

“The timing is very odd with Rory about to take part in a tournament but perhaps he wanted to get things tied up before it started.

“Ironically, Rory is in some of the best form of his life so whatever has been going on behind the scenes has not affected him at all.

“He is on a hot streak so everything in the garden appeared to be rosy. But he will now be the focus of a lot of attention.

“Let’s just hope it doesn’t affect his form in Kentucky and his game in general.

“But hopefully, with the news out there Rory will be able to focus on the tournament.”

McIlroy was yesterday spotted out on the Valhalla driving range in Kentucky.

Documents filed in the US showed that four-time major champion McIlroy 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 their three-year-old daughter Poppy.

Golf world No 2 McIlroy and Erica first met in September 2012 at the Ryder Cup where she helped him get to the course after he overslept.

At the time, McIlroy was dating Danish tennis player Caroline Wozniacki – with the pair getting engaged – before splitting in 2014.

His romance with Erica, 36, blossomed the next year.

Erica – who worked for the US PGA when they met – and McIlroy then wed at a lavish ceremony in County Mayo, Ireland.

Guests included Ed Sheeran, One Direction’s Niall Horan and Coldplay singer Chris Martin.

Erica and Poppy have often been by McIlroy’s side as he starred at tournaments in recent years.

Erica cheered him on at the Ryder Cup in Italy last year and also caddied for him at the Masters Par 3 contest in 2023.

Erica was seen at The Players in March when the PGA Tour shared a heartwarming clip of her and Poppy greeting McIlroy on the 18th green.

The golfer was seen scooping his daughter into his arms for a hug with Erica telling him they had been watching his birdie-birdie finish.

Their split came on the eve of the US PGA Championships in Valhalla, Kentucky, which starts today with McIlroy one of the favourites.

Yesterday afternoon, a rep for the golfing ace confirmed the split to In The Bunker.

They said: “A divorce has been filed.”