Rory McIlroy has shared the touching moment he told daughter Poppy that he would soon be listed on a t-shirt of previous Masters champions. The Northern Irishman banished his Augusta demons by winning a tense play-off against Justin Rose with a birdie.
After the second round on Friday, four-year-old Poppy returned from daycare with a t-shirt displaying the names of previous champions. McIlroy has previously revealed that his daughter is starting to recognise that her father is famous. However, she might still not understand the magnitude of his success at the Masters. In a heartwarming moment after he won the play-off, the 35-year-old told Poppy that her t-shirt would bear his name next year.
Asked what he would tell Poppy if she ever asked why winning the Masters was so special, McIlroy told Sky Sports: “I think it’s a story of perseverance, and I think that’s what I would tell her. There was a lot of years that I came here and I wasn’t able to achieve what I wanted to achieve.
“But I never let that discourage me or get me down. I kept coming back and I kept giving it another go. I think that’s the story that I would tell her and why it meant so much to so many people.
“They have the daycare here and she came back with a t-shirt on Friday, and on the back of that t-shirt was all the past champions of the Masters tournament. And she asked me, ‘Daddy, why is your name not on the back of this t-shirt?’.
“So I said to her after today, ‘Poppy, next year my name’s going to be on the t-shirt!’”
McIlroy initially led heading into the final round and seemed to be in control over the first few holes as Bryson DeChambeau – second-placed ahead of Sunday’s action – faltered. However, the now five-time major champion also stuttered midway through the final round and was tied for first with Rose.
In a play-off, he needed only three strokes to Rose’s four to complete a Career Slam, which has been over a decade in the making. McIlroy’s last major triumph was the 2014 PGA Championship and he has endured several near-misses since, including at Augusta.
After winning the Masters on Sunday, McIlroy said: “I really do think this is going to free me up in these things. It has been a long time coming, over 10 years since winning a major championship. And especially doing this; getting the Masters, the career grand slam, the fifth major, getting all that out of the way.
“I think it will allow me to play with a lot more freedom. I can’t wait to go back to Portrush in July. There is still a lot of golf left to play this year. I am excited for all of it and excited with where my game is. I want to enjoy this right now but there is a lot to look forward to.”