Rory McIlroy was supported by his wife Erica Stoll and daughter Poppy at the Players Championship as he clinched his second title at TPC Sawgrass in Florida
Rory McIlroy had a rollercoaster 2024, with four major titles to his name, he hit the headlines with a highly public split from his wife, Erica Stoll.
However, fast forward to 2025, and after a backtrack on their initial move to divorce, Stoll and their little one, Poppy, were right there rooting for McIlroy as he clinched victory over J. J. Spaun in a nail-biting playoff, bagging his second Players Championship trophy.
The news of McIlroy’s divorce drama with Stoll erupted just as the PGA Championship was kicking off last year, but by June 2024, they were back on.
Since then, the pair have been patching things up, culminating in a smooch that spoke volumes about their rekindled romance following McIlroy’s latest triumph.
Stoll was on standby with Poppy, who made waves by handing her old man a red flower after his win, a gesture that didn’t slip by unnoticed, reports the Irish Star.
A chuffed McIlroy said: “Poppy picked it for me. She gave it to me just after I won. I think there was one more flower in it but it disintegrated in my back pocket. But she, she gave it to me.”
In a thrilling three-hole playoff, McIlroy notched up a score of 14 against Spaun’s 17, etching this win as the illustrious golfer’s 28th PGA Tour victory.
“I am unbelievably proud and happy to win my second Players,” he beamed. “It’s the third time I’ve won on St Patrick’s Day. It’s been a good luck charm for me.”
The world’s second-ranked golfer could have avoided the playoff if he hadn’t followed a birdie on the 16th with bogeys on the last two holes.
“Standing over that tee shot on 16 this morning is the most nervous I’ve been in a long time,” McIlroy admitted.
“So feeling like that and being able to hit the shots that I needed, while your stomach is sort of not feeling great and your legs are a little shaky and your heart rate is racing…
“To have to go through that, it’s nice to have that in recent memory for some of the tournaments coming up.”
McIlroy is now setting his sights on the Masters, which is set for April 7-13. The 35 year old placed 22nd at Augusta last year and failed to make the cut in 2023.
He is yet to win the coveted green jacket.