Rory McIlroy was brought to tears of joy as he embraced with his wife, Erica Stoll, and their daughter, Poppy, in an emotional celebration after his Masters win. The Northern Irishman won his first green jacket and completed the career grand slam with a dramatic win over England's Justin Rose in a one-hole playoff at Augusta National during the 2025 Masters.
He and Erica—who reunited last summer following McIlroy's divorce filing in May 2024—shared a touching embrace as they celebrated the victory. The newly crowned five-time major winner was visibly emotional after ending an 11-year title drought, with his last championship coming in 2014 at the PGA Championship.
Love Sealed with Emotional Embrace
After sinking the winning birdie putt to beat his Ryder Cup teammate, McIlroy collapsed to the ground, burying his head in his hands as he was overcome with emotion, his shoulders shaking with sobs.
Once he stood up, he turned to his longtime caddie, Harry Diamond—who has stood by him for more than seven years—and the two shared an emotional hug. After acknowledging his playoff opponent, Rose, McIlroy quickly made his way off the green to where his wife, Erica, and their daughter, Poppy, were waiting.
He went straight to Erica, his wife of eight years, who looked stunning in an all-white outfit and a striking wide-brimmed hat, and wrapped her in a heartfelt embrace.
McIlroy then crouched down to hug Poppy, who appeared a bit overwhelmed by the moment, before lifting her into his arms as tears continued to stream down his face.
"My family, my team, they've been on this journey with me the whole way through," an emotional McIlroy said while wearing the green jacket for the first time. "...The one thing I would say to my daughter Poppy, who is sitting over there, never, ever give up on your dreams."
Not an Easy Win
McIlroy's hard-fought win didn't come without challenges. He missed a crucial putt on the par-4 18th hole, resulting in a bogey that pushed the tournament into a playoff. Rose had mounted an impressive comeback, rebounding from a 3-over 75 on Saturday to fire a 6-under 66 on Sunday, finishing the weekend at 11-under.
Rose, the 2013 U.S. Open champion, had previously lost a playoff to Sergio Garcia at the 2017 Masters, where the LIV Golf standout secured the win.
McIlroy also faced several obstacles throughout the tournament, starting with a shaky opening round on Thursday, where he double-bogeyed two of the last four holes and ended with an even-par 72.
He made a solid recovery on Friday with a bogey-free round of 66, a score he matched on Saturday, highlighted by an impressive stretch of six straight 3s to begin the third round. On Sunday, he shot a 1-over 73, finishing the weekend at 11-under.
Prior to this tournament, McIlroy's best result at the Masters was a second-place finish in 2022 behind Scottie Scheffler.
Ahead of the Masters, McIlroy enjoyed some quality family time with Erica and Poppy during the traditional Par 3 contest, where Poppy impressed the crowd with her putting abilities. The past year has been a whirlwind for McIlroy and Erica, who called off their divorce in June just before the 2024 U.S. Open.
"Over the past weeks, Erica and I have realised that our best future was as a family together. Thankfully, we have resolved our differences and look forward to a new beginning," he said in a statement to The Guardian.
McIlroy tied the knot with Erica in 2017.
