Rory McIlroy’s three-word comment to Erica Stoll caught on camera after she was made to cry

Rory McIlroy played a starring role for Team Europe as they upset Team USA on American soil to lift the Ryder Cup, though his wife, Erica Stoll, didn’t have the best of weeks

Rory McIlroy played a pivotal role in Team Europe’s victory over Team USA in the 2025 Ryder Cup. He bagged four points during an action-packed weekend at Bethpage Black.

Following Shane Lowry’s putt that officially clinched the Ryder Cup for the Europeans, McIlroy even turned to his wife, Erica Stoll, and said: “What a year.” The couple then shared a heartfelt embrace.

Without a doubt, 2025 has been McIlroy’s year. The 36-year-old achieved his career grand slam by winning the 2025 Masters just weeks after he claimed the 2025 Players Championship.

The Northern Irishman also began his season with a win at the 2025 AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am, hinting at his future success. McIlroy partnered with Tommy Fleetwood to secure points in both the Friday and Saturday morning foursomes against the American duo of Harris English and Collin Morikawa.

McIlroy managed a half result when paired with Lowry against Patrick Cantlay and Sam Burns in the Friday afternoon four-ball, too, but defeated Justin Thomas and Cameron Young alongside Lowry in the Saturday afternoon four-ball.

READ MORE: Tearful Rory McIlroy shows true colours with emotional message after winning Ryder CupREAD MORE: Shane Lowry makes honest admission after holding nerve to retain Ryder Cup for Europe

However, his weekend ended on a slightly sour note personally, as he lost to a previously winless Scottie Scheffler by a single stroke in the Sunday singles, part of a fierce Team USA resurgence.

The five-time major winner now proudly holds six Ryder Cup victories under his belt, with only two runner-up finishes, making him one of the most successful European players in history.

During the Team Europe post-match press conference, McIlroy was quizzed about how he manages to keep his emotions under control during high-pressure moments.

“Yeah, you have something in your way or something ahead of you, and you just try to,” he responded. “For me, the easiest thing is just to break it down into smaller pieces. So you know, as much of it is a cliché of whether it’s one shot at a time, today, honestly, it was like one foot in front of the other.”

He didn’t mince words when discussing his performance against Scheffler, either, adding: “I felt like I was running on empty today. I gave so much of myself the first two days.

“I tried as hard as I could out there against Scottie. Scottie and I both didn’t have our best,” he admitted. “It was a bit of a pillow fight if I’m honest.”

The competition was not all positive for McIlroy and his other half, however. On Saturday evening, a video surfaced of what appeared to be a fan throwing a drink at Stoll. It was later reported that she was left in tears after the ordeal.

McIlroy opened up about the incident in his Sunday press conference. He admitted: “Erica is fine. She’s a very, very strong woman, you know.

“She handled everything this week with class and poise and dignity like she always has. I love her and we’re going to have a good time celebrating tonight.”