All About Rory McIlroy's Daughter Poppy McIlroy

Rory McIlroy may be a well-decorated athlete, but his most coveted title is being Poppy Kennedy McIlroy’s father.

The Irish golfer shares a daughter with his estranged wife, Erica Stoll. In May 2024, McIlroy filed for divorce from Stoll after more than seven years of marriage.

The former couple tied the knot in 2017, and in 2020, their family became a party of three with the addition of Poppy. A newly minted father, Rory told Golfweek that becoming a dad has been a surreal experience. “It’s amazing,” he told the outlet. “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.”

"You feel like you get to know your baby while she’s still in her mother’s belly, but to go from not having met this person to having unconditional love for them from one minute to the next, there’s nothing like it in the world," he said.

The golfer continued, “It’s probably the best part of being a human being, and I’m glad that I got to experience it.”

From the inspiration behind her name to her sweetest moments supporting her dad, here's everything to know about Rory McIlroy's daughter, Poppy.

Rory and Erica kept the news of their pregnancy a secret for many months

Fans didn’t learn that Rory and Erica were expecting until days before their baby girl was born. During a post-round interview, Rory confirmed that he was going to be a father “any day now” and was “just waiting for a phone call.”

“We’re about to be parents very soon, so we’re obviously super excited. Yeah, we’ve been sharing the news with friends and family, obviously, but I didn’t think it was something that I really particularly needed to share out here,” Rory said, per Golfweek. “It’s a private matter, but we’re really excited and can’t wait for her to get here.

As soon as the phone does ring, Rory added, “I’m out of here.”

Poppy is a Virgo

Poppy Kennedy McIlroy was born on Aug. 31, 2020, in Jupiter, Florida. Rory shared the happy news on Instagram alongside a black-and-white photo of the newborn holding his pinky finger. "Poppy Kennedy McIlroy, born August 31st, 12:15pm. She is the absolute love of our lives,” he captioned it. 

Rory assured that “mother and baby are doing great” and wished a “massive thank you” to the medical staff at Jupiter Medical Center.

Rory and Erica always knew they wanted to name their daughter after a flower

In a Golfweek interview, Rory revealed that he and Erica sought inspiration from nature, specifically flowers, while brainstorming potential baby names for their daughter. Rose and Iris were strong contenders, but throughout the process, they couldn’t shake the name Poppy. “We really liked [Poppy]. I have a cousin of mine; her daughter is named Poppy. We know a few other Poppies. And we just really love the name,” he said.

Rory explained that Rose was ruled out after they realized it was too similar to his mother’s name, Rosie. A few of his pro golf buddies, including Alex Noran and Shane Lowry, also have daughters named Iris, and so they decided on 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 said.

Rory said it was hard to go back to work after Poppy’s birth

Four days after becoming a dad, Rory returned to the golf course to compete in the FedEx Cup finale. Speaking to Golfweek about his whirlwind of a week. The golfer admitted that he was struggling with being apart from Erica and their newborn, who had only left the hospital 24 hours prior.

“We got her home yesterday. It’s nice in the hospital. You’ve got so much help and all the nurses are around and they did a phenomenal job,” he explained.

The first-time dad jokingly added that the hospital doesn’t hand you “an instruction manual” on your way out, and that he and Erica were trying to settle into their new normal. Though they were blessed with a strong support system, Rory said getting back to the fairway was rough.

“I didn’t want to leave. It was just hard to leave, really hard to leave. But at the end of the day life doesn’t stop. Life moves on. I know that Erica is surrounded by her family, and my mom and dad are just around the corner, so she’s got all the help she needs, so I felt a little more comfortable being able to go,” he said.

Poppy served as her dad’s caddy at the Masters Par 3 Contest in 2023

Rory was joined by Poppy on the green during the 2023 Masters Par 3 Contest in Augusta, Georgia. The round is known to be a family event with spouses, children and other relatives stepping in as caddies. Rory’s team was rounded out by the addition of Stoll and their daughter, who donned matching white jumpsuits with “McIlroy” printed on the back.

Sharing a highlight reel of cute daddy-daughter moments from their time on the green, Rory wrote, “Always one of the best days of the year.” In one clip, Poppy can be heard asking her dad if they can go play in the bunker, after which the video jumps to a shot of Poppy using Rory’s tee to draw in the sand.

Rory said becoming a dad has put his career in perspective

Since the birth of his daughter, Rory has had a shift in perspective when it comes to his career and future in golf. In a candid conversation with Golfweek, Rory admitted that in the past, he struggled to maintain a healthy boundary between his home life and work life. However, since Poppy’s arrival, he’s been better at drawing a line.

“It just puts things in perspective a little bit,” he said on the topic of Poppy. “[My career] matters to me and I care about it very much, but at the same time, it makes the hard days a little easier to get over, right.”

He continued, “When I say it’s not the be-all and end-all, it’s a major championship and I’ve grown up my whole life dreaming of winning these tournaments, and that’s not going to change, but if it doesn’t quite happen, I can live with that and go home and be very happy and leave what’s happened at the golf course at the golf course.”

Poppy is the star of her dad’s golf tournaments

Poppy already has her own fanbase. At tournaments, she's become known for her McIlroy-emblemed golf apparel and funny commentary on her dad’s golf fame. At the 2023 Scottish Open, Poppy was even hilariously caught cheering for her dad’s competitor!

In a clip posted to X from the PGA Tour’s account, Erica and Poppy are seen eagerly waiting to congratulate Rory following his big win. Albeit, Poppy has her eyes set on saying hi to another player.

"Say 'Well done, Dada,' " Erica told her daughter in the video. Poppy then shimmies her way out of her mom’s arms and begins to walk away as Erica explains to Rory that, “She wants to give Tommy [Fleetwood] a hug.”

“We all need a hug,” Rory laughed in response.

At the Players Championship in 2024, Poppy was once again on hand to congratulate her father after his triple-birdie finish. When Rory finished the round, she ran into her father's arms.