Rory McIlroy Masters run turns emotional as he credits Erica Stoll and daughter Poppy, reveals dog headcover story (Image via Getty)
Rory McIlroy is very close to winning another Masters Tournament title, and this time, his family is a big part of the story. The 36-year-old reached 13 under par and held a two-shot lead over Scottie Scheffler and Justin Rose with just two holes left at Augusta National.
But while fans watched his game, many also noticed how often he spoke about his wife and daughter, and even his old dog headcover.
Rory McIlroy opens up on Erica Stoll and daughter Poppy shaping his mindset at Augusta National
McIlroy looked calmer than in past years, and he made it clear why. He said his family changed how he sees both wins and losses. Talking about his daughter Poppy McIlroy, he shared a sweet moment.“I think Poppy, like she’s a mini Erica,” he said, smiling. “It’s like living with two of them, which is great a lot of the time.
She is the most unbelievably polite and respectful and well-behaved little girl.”He also spoke about how she is getting more interested in golf. “She made sure that I brought her putter up this year so she could hit the putt with her putter and not mine.”Then he added something more personal. “Just to see her grow up, to have her travel the world, to give her a life that I could only dream about when I was that age, that’s been the coolest thing.”
McIlroy also shared how he balanced practice with family time. “I did a couple of days where I dropped Poppy to school, flew up here, played, landed back home and had dinner with her, or had dinner with Erica probably.”His wife Erica Stoll has also been a strong support. After a tough phase in 2024 when their relationship faced divorce talks, the couple worked things out. McIlroy later said in December 2025, “Being a dad, it makes the losses a lot easier.
It makes the wins even more special to be able to share that with Erica and Poppy.”
Rory McIlroy explains his long-time dog headcover and emotional connection behind it
Away from family talk, fans also noticed the dog headcover on his driver. It may look simple, but it means a lot to him.“So I’ve had this headcover since I was 14 years old,” McIlroy said. “I’ve always loved dogs, I had a couple of dogs growing up and I’m just a big dog person.”He then added a line that shows how long it has been with him. “This guy has done a lot of air miles, we’ve probably been around the world together 100 times so he’s seen a lot of cool things.”That small detail shows another side of McIlroy. Even in big moments, he carries things that remind him of where he started.
