Rory McIlroy and Erica Stoll made bold life decision after wife's preference

Rory McIlroy is set to tackle the Open Championship this week, aiming to exorcise the ghosts of his 2019 nightmare at Royal Portrush. Returning to the famed Northern Ireland course for the first time since buckling under the weight of expectation and missing the cut, McIlroy is determined to make amends.

Recalling his disastrous quadruple-bogey on the opening hole six years ago, which led to an emotional second-round departure, he reflected earlier this week: "The walk to the first tee and then that ovation, I was a little surprised and a little taken aback, like 'Geez, these people really want me to win'.

"I think that brought its own sort of pressure and more internally from myself, not really wanting to let people down. It's just something I didn't mentally prepare for that day or that week."

As he gears up for The Open, McIlroy will be drawing strength from his wife Erica Stoll's unwavering support. The couple, who have recently relocated to a plush Surrey estate after a reported £9million refurbishment, are settling into UK life.

Stoll, originally from New York, reportedly prefers the cooler British climate to the intense heat of their previous home in Jupiter, Florida. She and her Northern Irish beau, along with their daughter Poppy, are poised to embrace their new chapter on British soil.

Last year, McIlroy faced personal challenges as he initiated divorce proceedings, but the couple found their way back to each other later that year. "Straight after Augusta we travelled over to see the house as it was going through the finishing touches," McIlroy said at the time.

"It was fun to see and we could have stayed in it, but we wanted to get over to [McIlroy's hometown] Holywood."

Martin Kaymer, another golfing pro, shared a light-hearted anecdote about Erica Stoll's aversion to her home state's sunny disposition during his Netflix Full Swing feature. "I saw her [Stoll] at a Starbucks once, and she said, 'I really don't like the sun.' I said, 'Your state's called the Sunshine State, right?'"

Yet, it was another Netflix series that played a part in McIlroy's mental preparation ahead of his Masters victory. At 36, McIlroy achieved a career Grand Slam at Augusta, edging out Justin Rose in a play-off to secure the prestigious green jacket.

McIlroy broke his major title drought with a spectacular win at the Masters, and he credited an unexpected source of relaxation before the tournament. Speaking to Jimmy Fallon on The Tonight Show, McIlroy revealed that he decompressed by watching the period drama 'Bridgerton' with his wife.

"The week of the Masters, for me, I'm just trying to distract myself with doing anything," McIlroy admitted. "I'm trying not to watch coverage of the tournament, I'm trying not to watch anything about the golf.

"You try to just not look at the sports news. So, like, read a book, watch a show, watch a movie. So, I was watching 'Bridgerton' with my wife, which was her decision, but I actually got into it... It was good."

In related developments, McIlroy's relocation to Surrey appears to have been in the pipeline for quite some time. JJ Spaun, whom McIlroy bested at the Players Championship, inadvertently let slip McIlroy's UK relocation plans during a conversation on the Fore Play podcast.

"I know he's Northern Irish, but I asked him if he ever hangs out in London," Spaun shared. "Because my wife has got a really good friend that lives out there and loves going there. He said, 'Oh yeah, I'm building a house out there.'"