Rory McIlroy is riding high on and off the course.
The PGA Tour star won his second career Players Championship on Monday morning, edging out J.J. Spaun in a three-hole playoff after being tied at 12-under following a rain-soaked Sunday final round.
If the $4.5 million prize wasn’t enough to be happy about, McIlroy’s wife, Erica Stoll, and their 4-year-old daughter, Poppy, were spotted celebrating the Northern Irishman’s latest victory on the course.
Last June, McIlroy and Stoll called off their divorce in June 2024, which was initially filed in May, making sweeping headlines ahead of the PGA Championship at Valhalla Golf Club in Louisville, Kentucky.
However, the couple appear to be going strong, as they shared a celebratory kiss at TPC Sawgrass in Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida, following the victory for McIlroy.
In November 2024, McIlroy was very emotional after winning the DP World Tour’s Race to Dubai tournament for the third straight year. Stoll and their daughter were present for that as well, and it clearly hit him after going through a tumultuous season, which included professional and personal turbulence.
RORY MCILROY FILES FOR DIVORCE FROM WIFE, ERICA, AFTER 7 YEARS OF MARRIAGE
“I’ve been through a lot this year – personally, professionally,” he said, via Sky Sports, after his win. “It feels like the fitting end to 2024. Look, I’ve persevered this year a lot, had close calls, wasn’t able to get it done, so to be able to get over the line – I got off to a great start, and then I didn’t have the best around the middle of the round.”
When asked about his family being present for the win, McIlroy responded, “Their support means the world to me.”
“To be able to show Poppy what happened today and maybe some of the reasons why I’m not around all of the time because I’m working or practicing… it’s incredible that they were here with me this week, and I’m excited to go celebrate with them.”
McIlroy told The Guardian in June 2024 that the differences between himself and Stoll were reconciled, saying, “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.”
When news broke about McIlroy filing for divorce, a report surfaced in Us Weekly, which said Stoll was “lonely” in their marriage, and the four-time major champion was “a hard person to be married to” because of his playing career.
But the marriage wasn’t entirely “irretrievably broken” like the divorce filing said last May, and McIlroy and Stoll celebrated once more with their daughter after a huge victory on the PGA Tour.
McIlroy finished his three holes on Monday morning 1-over par, but it was enough to beat Spaun, who was 3-over to finish in second place.
McIlroy, who also won the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am this past month, has his eyes set on The Masters next month at Augusta National Golf Club in Georgia, where he hopes to snap his major-less streak with his last won in 2014.
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