“That’s hard core”, “Officer Woods” – Fans react to reports of Rory McIlroy hiring a police officer Carl Woods to serve divorce papers to wife Erica
Fans on social media have reacted to reports from the Daily Mail that Rory McIlroy hired a police officer named Carl Woods to send divorce papers to his wife, Erica Stoll. The Northern Irish golfer split from his wife after seven years earlier this year.
However, he allegedly did not hand the papers directly to Erica, opting instead to hire a private investigator to do the needful.
Rory McIlroy filed for divorce in Palm Beach County while his wife was in their shared home in Jupiter, Florida. He reportedly hired former Palm Beach police officer Woods to serve the papers to Erica on May 13, just hours after winning the Wells Fargo Championship.
Nuclr Golf shared the report on its X (formerly Twitter) account with the caption:
"#NEW: Rory McIlroy reportedly hired a Palm Beach police officer named Carl Woods to serve divorce papers to wife Erica at the family’s home, just hours after winning the Wells Fargo. (Via @DailyMailUK)"
Fans jumped into the comments section, speaking about the officer, who shares the same last name as legendary golfer and McIlroy's good friend, Tiger Woods.
"Officer Woods," wrote a fan.
"That’s hard core," commented another fan.
Another fan suggested that McIlroy should have filed for divorce before winning the Wells Fargo Championship so that the prize money wouldn't have been included in the settlement.
"Should have done it before he won, proceeds would not [have been] included in settlement calculations," a fan commented.
"Hmm Officer Woods you say… I like him a little bit more now!" a fan tweeted.
Here are more fans reactions:
Rory McIlroy has notably hired Thomas Sasser as his divorce lawyer. The Attorney was previously employed by Tiger Woods during his divorce from Elin Nordegren in 2010.
Insider provides alleged reasons behind Rory McIlroy and Erica Stoll's divorce
Rory McIlroy reportedly signed his divorce papers with Erica digitally on May 9 after the first round of the 2024 Wells Fargo Championship. However, the papers were served to Erica on May 13, less than 24 hours after the Irishman won the PGA Tour event at Quail Hollow.
According to Fox News, their marriage was "irretrievably broken," leading to the decision to file for divorce.
The couple, who tied the knot in 2017, have a daughter named Poppy. However, according to US Weekly, Erica felt "lonely" in the marriage, and their differences grew over time. An insider mentioned that after the birth of their daughter, Erica was "really focused" on her.
"[Erica] knew what she was getting into with his profession, but once they had Poppy, things really changed and she had a new perspective. Erica was usually absent for most of his tournaments and was really focused on Poppy," the insider told US Weekly.
On the course, McIlroy is next set to play at this week's RBC Canadian Open at Hamilton Golf and Country Club. The tournament will start with its inaugural round on Thursday, May 30, and will conclude on Sunday, June 2.