The close bond between Rory McIlroy and Tiger Woods is well known in the golf world, but a new book reveals that the friendship has come with at least one notable downside particularly for McIlroy’s wife, Erica Stoll.
In Rory: The Heartache and Triumph of Golf’s Most Human Superstar, written by Alan Shipnuck, McIlroy opens up about his long friendship with Woods and the unusual hours it sometimes demands. According to the book, Woods has developed a habit of texting McIlroy in the early hours of the morning sometimes as late as 4 a.m. often with messages about working out or simply checking in on what McIlroy is doing.
McIlroy, 36, has spoken candidly about Woods struggles with sleep, which he believes are connected to years of intensive physical training. The golfer described fielding texts from Woods in the middle of the night while his wife lay next to him trying to rest. Stoll, according to McIlroy’s account in the book, grew frustrated with the repeated late night interruptions.
Admiration that started early
McIlroy’s relationship with Woods did not begin as a friendship between equals. Growing up in Northern Ireland, McIlroy idolized Woods, who by then had already become the dominant force in professional golf. The younger golfer shaped much of his early game around studying and emulating the 82-time PGA Tour winner.
Over time, that admiration evolved into something more reciprocal. The two grew closer in recent years, a bond that deepened further when they co-founded TGL, an indoor golf league, in 2022. McIlroy described Woods as a genuinely complex person thoughtful, sharp and capable of showing completely different sides of himself within a single conversation.
Woods leaned on McIlroy through difficult years
The friendship took on a different dimension as Woods worked through a series of serious injuries, multiple surgeries and the physical aftermath of a significant car accident. During that period, McIlroy became one of the people Woods turned to most.
According to the book, Woods sleeplessness became a defining feature of his daily life during recovery filling long nights with reading, research and late messages to those close to him. McIlroy said he occasionally encouraged Woods to slow down.
For his part, Woods has spoken highly of McIlroy’s character and leadership within the sport. In the book, he praised McIlroy’s ability to speak clearly and publicly on important matters while simultaneously competing at the highest level something Woods described as remarkably difficult to do.
A complicated backdrop at Augusta
The timing of the book’s details is particularly notable. McIlroy is currently at Augusta National defending his Masters title, entering the second round tied for first place. Woods, a five-time Masters champion, is not in the field this year.
Two weeks ago, Woods was arrested on a DUI charge and subsequently sought treatment outside the United States. McIlroy has already spoken publicly about intending to acknowledge Woods at the traditional Masters champions dinner, a gesture consistent with the loyalty and respect the two have shown each other throughout their friendship.
More than a rivalry, more than a mentorship
What the book captures is a relationship that defies easy categorization. It is not quite a mentorship, not quite a rivalry and not quite an ordinary friendship. It is something more layered built across years of mutual respect, shared competitive drive and the kind of honesty that apparently includes telling a legend to put his phone down and get some sleep.
For Stoll, the 4 a.m. texts may have been a frustration. For the broader story of golf, they are a small but telling detail in one of the sport’s most genuinely compelling relationships.
