Rory McIlroy makes honest admission after spending time with Erica Stoll in new home

Rory McIlroy has revealed that spending more time with his wife Erica Stoll in their new home has injected new hunger into him. In April, the Northern Irishman finally won his fifth major title and completed the career Grand Slam when he won the Masters.

It wasa moment of catharsis for McIlroy, who had gone 11 years without winning a major title. However, his form quickly deteriorated in the months after his triumph.

He could only muster a tied 47th finish at the PGA Championshipand ended the US Open in 19th. While he was competing, work was being carried out on a new property in Wentworth for McIlroy and his family to move into.

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Moving into his new home has not only boosted his morale but also helped him rediscover the hunger and motivation that carried him over the line at the Masters.

At the Renaissance Club in North Berwick, ahead of the Genesis Scottish Open, McIlroy told reporters: "We came back a few weeks ago and moved into our new home in Wentworth and have been trying to settle in. It’s amazing what two weeks of a bit of detachment can do for you.

"Sitting there being with your own thoughts for a while. Yeah, it’s been nice to have this time to reflect and also to rekindle my excitement and enthusiasm for the rest of the year. Obviously we have this week in Scotland and then a massive week next week [for the Open] in Portrush.”

McIlroy would go on to admit that he lost some motivation after completing the Grand Slam. While he was at the US Open, he even admitted that he would not care too much if he failed to make the cut.

However, after spending some time with Justin Rose - the player he pipped to the Masters title in the sudden death play-off - McIlroy realised that he needed to spend some time in the UK to find his drive again. He added: "There's a detachment from the sort of week-in, week-out grind when you get back over here and Justin and I were talking about that.

"You play PGA Tour golf for the first 25, 30 weeks of the year and you need to completely get away from it. This world of golf can become all-encompassing. In this last fortnight, I felt like I could detach and sort of hide in a way. I needed that. My game needed that."

It has been just over a year since McIlroy and Stoll revealed they had both U-turned on their decision to divorce. In May 2024, a matter of days before the PGA Championship, the Holywood star filed for divorce from the American.

A month later, they resolved their differences and opted to abstain from separating. Now they have moved into their new residence in the plush Wentworth Estate, which has been home to the likes of Prince Andrew, former King of Thailand Prajadhipok and, famously, former Chilean dictator Augusto Pinochet.

It's understood that McIlroy bought the estate in 2023 and has spent around £9million on developing the family home, that is described within planning documents as a: "Large, detached dwelling sited centrally within a substantive plot."