Rory McIlroy was overcome with tears of joy as he embraced his wife Erica Stoll and daughter Poppy in emotionally-charged scenes after finally winning the Masters.
McIlroy, 35, finally slayed his demons at Augusta National to complete the career Grand Slam after 11 torturous years of trying Sunday, pipping Justin Rose to the Green Jacket in a dramatic playoff.
Following a turbulent year off the course, he emerged from a chaotic final round of the 2025 Masters a champion and the Irishman toasted the long-awaited end to his Masters drought with Erica, 37, and Poppy.
After his winning birdie putt dropped to seal the victory over his Ryder Cup teammate, McIlroy collapsed to the ground with his head in hands as his shoulders wracked with sobs.
Rising to his feet, he clung to caddie, Harry Diamond, who has been by McIlroy’s side through thick and thin for over seven years. The pair shared a tearful moment before the 2025 Masters winner acknowledged his dueling partner Rose and rushed off the putting surface to where Stoll and four-year-old Poppy were waiting.
McIlroy went straight to his wife of eight years, who wowed in an all-white ensemble and dramatic wide-brimmed hat, and pulled her into an embrace.
The Irishman then knelt down to hug Poppy, who looked overwhelmed by the occasion, before scooping her into his arms as the tears continued to spill over.
The freshly-crowned five-time major winner later paid tribute to his family during his Green Jacket ceremony.
‘Last but not least, over to my left, my family, my team,’ he said, trailing off as the tears threatened to spill again.
‘They’ve been on this journey with me the whole way through. They know the burden that I’ve carried to come here every year and try and try and try again,’ he continued after recomposing himself.
‘The one thing I would say to my daughter Poppy, never give up on your dreams. Never ever give up on your dreams. Keep coming back. Keep working hard.’
McIlroy and Stoll have put on a united front all week at Augusta National – almost one year on from the beginning of their bombshell divorce drama.
The player sent shockwaves through the golfing world when he filed for divorce from his wife of seven years last May – just days before the beginning of the PGA Championship, the second major championship of the golfing calendar.
The PGA Tour icon left golfing fans further shocked when he performed a U-turn just a month later, calling off his divorce from Stoll ahead of last year’s US Open.
But on the eve of his maiden Masters victory, McIlroy shared an adorable insight into how Stoll and their daughter Poppy helped him prepare for glory.
McIlroy, who made Augusta National history by starting with six consecutive threes Saturday, said he prepared for round three by taking in 2016 comedy Zootopia with his four-year-old daughter.
‘I watched a little bit of Premier League football this morning, and then I actually watched “Zootopia” with Poppy,’ he explained. (It’s a) very, very good movie if anyone’s interested.’
Earlier in the week, he had revealed that Stoll had finally convinced him to cave to the ‘Bridgerton’ craze, admitting he had been sneaking in a few episodes between rounds.
While last year’s bid for a fifth major was dominated by his turbulent love life, this year’s was the perfect example of a serene family life.
On Wednesday, Stoll acted as caddie for McIlroy, who was seen wearing his wedding ring as he prepared for the first major of the year.
The couple were joined by Poppy for the Par-3 competition at Augusta, which is traditionally held the day before the opening round of the Masters.
Stoll, who has been married to the PGA Tour star since 2017, has been supporting her husband at courses around the world over the past nine months after he called off their shock split.
McIlroy won his second Players Championship in March, six years on from his maiden triumph, and was joined by Stoll and Poppy at TPC Sawgrass.
After holing the winning putt, McIlroy strolled up to his family before scooping Poppy into his arms for a big hug. He doted on his daughter as she adorably gifted him a flower to congratulate him on his triumph.
He then leaned in for a celebratory kiss with his wife as the New York native congratulated him on the victory.
‘Yeah, look, it definitely makes the lows a little easier to take,’ he said of sharing those moments with his family, Poppy in particular, ahead of this week’s tournament.
‘The highs are going to be high anyway, but it’s amazing — I think especially after The Players, I think it was the first time that she sort of realized what I did, which was really cool. Also a little scary at the same time.’
McIlroy’s family were also in Dubai to watch his season-ending success at the DP World Championships last November, which clinched a sixth Race to Dubai title.
He continued: ‘Yeah, look, it’s amazing that I can share these things with her and with Erica and, the day after The Players, she went into school and there was a couple of kids that had said some stuff to her, and she came home to me that day and said, “Daddy, are you famous?”
‘I said: “It depends who you talk to!” It’s a bit of a double-edged sword. You have to temper the expectations sometimes. As everyone knows that’s had children, it’s an amazing addition to life, and it’s great that she’s here this week.’
Poppy upstaged her father during the hugely popular par-three contest at Augusta on Wednesday after the world No 2 let her take on a winding putt of around 25 feet on the ninth hole.
McIlroy’s attorney Thomas Sasser had filed a Notice of Voluntary Dismissal on his behalf on June 11 in Palm Beach County Courthouse after he and Erica reportedly held secret meetings at their $22m Florida home for a month in a bid to salvage their marriage.
The meetings were initially focused on how they would co-parent their daughter Poppy, but the conversations eventually led to them reuniting, according to Irish outlet RSVP Live .
McIlroy addressed the speculation surrounding his relationship status in a statement to The Guardian – two days before the opening round of the US Open.
‘There have been rumors about my personal life recently, which is unfortunate. Responding to each rumor is a fool’s game,’ McIlroy said.
‘Over the past weeks, Erica and I have realized that our best future was as a family together. Thankfully, we have resolved our differences and look forward to a new beginning.
