Erica Stoll was none too happy after a while with Tiger Woods’ late-night texts to her husband, reigning Masters champion Rory McIlroy, according a new book about McIlroy.
In fact, in 2017, McIlroy said his wife got “pissed off” with Woods texting him in the middle of the night. The tidbit comes as part of Alan Shipnuck’s book — “Rory: The Heartache and Triumph of Golf’s Most Human Superstar” — that was published by the Daily Mail.
“He struggles to sleep, which I think is an effect of over-training, so I tell him to calm down sometimes,” McIlroy said in 2017. “He’d be texting me at four o’clock in the morning: ‘Up lifting. What are you doing?’
“Erica actually got pissed off with it. He was texting me in the middle of the night and I was like, ‘Tiger is in the gym.’”
Rory McIlroy of Northern Ireland and Tiger Woods of The United States walk together on the 11th hole during a practice round prior to the 2023 Masters Tournament at Augusta National Golf Club on April 3, 2023 in Augusta, Georgia. Getty Images The tale painted a better picture of the bond that McIlroy and Woods share over the years and how close they had become, with the two helping form TGL in 2022.
Woods and McIlroy are widely considered two of the best players in the sport. McIlroy grew up in Northern Ireland idolizing Woods.
“He has been an idol and a hero of mine over the years, and I feel pretty lucky that I’ve gotten to know him more intimately than some,” McIlroy said in 2022, according to the book. “And he is so passionate about what we’re doing. He realizes that the PGA Tour gave him a platform to build his brand and let him be who he is, and he has tremendous respect for the people who have come before us.
“Having his influence and having his counsel, not just myself but all of the players on the PGA Tour, he’s a great advocate to have, and it’s awesome to be doing these things with him. I have to pinch myself pretty much every day that I’m in this position.”
Woods is not at this year’s Masters after getting into a crash with his Range Rover in Florida and his subsequent DUI arrest at the end of March.
Rory McIlroy of Northern Ireland smiles with his wife Erica Stoll during the Par Three Contest prior to the Masters Tournament at Augusta National Golf Club on April 9, 2025 in Augusta, Georgia. PGA TOUR The famed golfer is reportedly now in Switzerland at a rehab center.
McIlroy, the defending Masters champion, mentioned Woods and Phil Mickelson — also not at this year’s tournament — during the annual Champions Dinner on Tuesday night.
“So many legends of the game there [at the dinner],” McIlroy said Tuesday. “Obviously, there’s two that won’t be with us this year, which is a shame, but hopefully they will be with us in the future, and I’m sure they will be with us in the future.
“I want to make sure that they’re acknowledged. They’ve been two of the greatest champions that the Masters has ever seen.”
