18 months after ditching fiancee, is golfer Rory engaged again?
HE bounced back from injury to win £3.4million from golfing tournaments this year.
But it would appear that Rory McIlroy had one more thing to do before finishing the year on a high.
The 26-year- old former world number one is reported to have proposed to his American girlfriend Erica Stoll, 29, while on a romantic break in Paris.
It is just over 18 months since McIlroy, from Northern Ireland, broke off his engagement to Danish tennis player Caroline Wozniacki. He split from the 25-year-old days after their wedding invitations had been sent out.
Yesterday McIlroy – worth a reported £280million – posted a picture of the Eiffel Tower lit up in emerald green on Facebook.
It sparked speculation amongst friends that McIlroy had organised for the tower to be illuminated in Irish colours especially for the proposal. He has been dating Miss Stoll for close to a year and friends of McIlroy have described her as ‘a real tonic’ for the sportsman.
He met Miss Stoll, a Professional Golfers’ Association employee, in 2012 when he overslept as Europe played the US in the Ryder Cup.
She came to his rescue before police rushed him to the course with sirens and lights blazing.
Last night a spokesman for the golfer declined to comment, but a well-placed source close to him confirmed the news to the Irish Daily Mail. The source said: ‘They got engaged, yes. Look, when you know you know. She has been a real tonic for Rory. She has been very private about their relationship. She doesn’t court the Press and they have just grown really close in a short space of time.
‘She has met his family and everyone is just really happy for them.’
A close friend added: ‘If you look closely at the picture he posted the Eiffel Tower is lit in green.
‘I wouldn’t be at all surprised if Rory had arranged for that to happen for the proposal. Some people might think that’s a bit cliche but I think she would have loved it.’