Golf legend Rory McIlroy is known for his sporting achievements, and away from his life in the spotlight, the Irish-born star is a devoted father.
Rory, 35, shares a daughter, three-year-old Poppy, with his wife, Erica Stoll, also 35, who is a former PGA of America employee. The couple started dating in 2015, getting engaged in December that year and they wed at Ashford Castle in County Mayo in 2017.
© Ramsey CardyUntil this week, Rory and Erica had been estranged and headed for divorce, however the golfing champion dramatically reversed his decision to divorce, so it looks like the couple could be reconciling.
Poppy was born in December 2020, with proud dad Rory sharing the happy news on his social media.
He wrote: "Poppy Kennedy McIlroy, born August 31st, 12:15pm. She is the absolute love of our lives. Mother and baby are doing great.
"Massive thank you to all the staff at Jupiter Medical Center and Dr Sasha Melendy for their amazing care."
© Getty ImagesFollowing the birth, Rory opened up about becoming a father, telling Golf Week: "It’s amazing. You see other people having kids and babies, and you’ll say congratulations and you’re happy for them, but you don’t really know how it feels."
He added: “It’s probably the best part of being a human being, and I’m glad that I got to experience it.”
© Getty ImagesThe former world golfing number one also shared the story behind choosing his daughter's name, explaining that they went through the names of flowers before they settled on the moniker Poppy.
"We wanted to go with something that was pretty unique, maybe more common back where I’m from, but we landed on Poppy and we loved it," he explained.
In 2023, fans of Rory's saw the golfer joined by his little girl during the Masters Par 3 contest in Augusta. Poppy looked so adorable dressed in a matching white caddy outfit to her mum with McIlroy printed on her back in green.
