Rory McIlroy Set For 'Home' Game At 2023 PGA Championship
The Northern Irishman is a member at Oak Hill and is now connected to the city of Rochester through his wife
Rory McIlroy might just have an edge on the field at the 2023 PGA Championship as he'll look to end his eight-plus-year Major drought in a city that "feels like almost like a second home" to him.
The Northern Irishman confirmed he is still a "current member of Oak Hill" earlier in 2023, with the 34-year-old now linked to the northern New York State city through his wife, Erica Stoll.
The four-time Major winner said his "connection to Rochester's got a lot stronger" since the 2013 PGA Championship at Oak Hill Country Club after marrying Rochester native Stoll in 2017.
Erica was born in the northern Rochester suburb of Irondequoit and graduated from the Rochester Institute of Technology with a marketing degree. She found her way into the golf industry with the PGA of America and worked at the 2013 PGA Championship at Oak Hill in Rochester.
The pair famously met at the 2012 Ryder Cup, where she helped arranged a police car to transport McIlroy to Medinah on the final day after he got his time zones mixed up and eventually arrived 10 minutes before his tee time.
“Erica that week was always the one that was checking us in and out. She was there at transportation, so she was always in the car park over there [the clubhouse],” McIlroy said at the 2019 BMW Championship at Medinah, scene of the historic 2012 Ryder Cup. “But yeah, it’s still cool to look around and think about that week, and obviously everything that’s happened since then. It’s pretty cool.”
Rory and Erica got married in Ireland in April 2017 and McIlroy has since been connected to Rochester. He clearly visits the city from time to time as he's a member of Oak Hill Country Club, the venue for the 2023 PGA Championship, where he'll be sure to get plenty of support from the locals.
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"I'm looking forward to it," he said of the 2023 PGA Championship at Oak Hill. "I think Andrew Green's done a really good job. I think the renovation has hopefully restored the East Course back to its former glory, I would say. I'm just hoping for a good weather week. I think that's what everyone's hoping for up there in May.
"But excited to go back to Oak Hill. From the last time I was there or we were all there my connection to Rochester's got a lot stronger. So I'm excited to go and play a Major championship in what feels like almost like a second home to me."
McIlroy is a member at many clubs, with his primary venue being the Bear's Club in Jupiter, Florida, which is also where he lives. He is also a member of Ohoopee Match Club in Georgia and is thought to be a member at Queenwood Golf Club in Surrey, England.
The World No.3 may be boosted by the crowds at Oak Hill as he looks to win his fifth Major after a disappointing March and April that saw him miss the cut at both the Players Championship and The Masters.
Elliott Heath is our News Editor and has been with Golf Monthly since early 2016 after graduating with a degree in Sports Journalism. He manages the Golf Monthly news team as well as our large Facebook, Twitter and Instagram pages. He covered the 2022 Masters from Augusta National as well as five Open Championships on-site including the 150th at St Andrews. His first Open was in 2017 at Royal Birkdale, when he walked inside the ropes with Jordan Spieth during the Texan's memorable Claret Jug triumph. He has played 35 of our Top 100 golf courses, with his favourites being both Sunningdales, Woodhall Spa, Western Gailes, Old Head and Turnberry. He has been obsessed with the sport since the age of 8 and currently plays off of a six handicap. His golfing highlights are making albatross on the 9th hole on the Hotchkin Course at Woodhall Spa, shooting an under-par round, playing in the Aramco Team Series on the Ladies European Tour and making his one and only hole-in-one at the age of 15 - a long time ago now!
Elliott is currently playing:
Driver: Titleist TSR4
3 wood: Titleist TSi2
Hybrids: Titleist 816 H1
Irons: Mizuno MP5 5-PW
Wedges: Cleveland RTX ZipCore 50, 54, 58
Putter: Odyssey White Hot OG #5
Ball: Srixon Z Star XV
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