Who is Poppy Kennedy McIlroy? All about Rory McIlroy’s daughter

Poppy Kennedy McIlroy is the lone child of Rory McIlroy and his wife Erica Stoll. Poppy was born in 2020 on August 31st at 12:15 pm. This came after a relatively secret pregnancy.

The McIlroy family kept it under wraps, only revealing that they were expecting just a bit before the child was actually born. At the time of his daughter's birth, McIlroy said (via Golfweek):

“It’s amazing. 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.”

Poppy made her big foray into the public eye at The Masters Tournament in 2023. Before the actual contest, there is a Par 3 event which allows golfers to play with their families. Many spouses and children caddie for the golfers, and Poppy was her father's caddie.

The name Poppy has a distinct purpose behind it, too. While thinking of a name, her parents sought inspiration from flora and initially thought of Rose. However, that was too similar to Rosie, McIlroy's mother's name.

Iris was an option, but Alex Noren and McIlroy's good friend Shane Lowry had daughters with the same name. The Irishman and his wife went with Poppy to keep the theme. Speaking to Golfweek, Rory said,

“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.”

McIlroy said the birth of his daughter was a life-changing experience that shifted his focus.

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Rory McIlroy officially files for divorce

The PGA Championship is about to take place, representing Rory McIlroy's next chance at breaking his decade-long major drought. Before that could tee off, he officially filed for divorce from his longtime wife, Erica Stoll.

Rory McIlroy and Erica Stoll are divorcing

According to the Independent, McIlroy’s communications team confirmed that the divorce filing was made on May 14. The report also emphasized the two people's desire to keep this respectful and amicable. They also aim to surround their daughter with love and privacy, and neither McIlroy nor Stoll will be making any further comments.