Roy McIlroy and his wife Erica Stoll are new parents. On Thursday, the pro golfer took to social media to announce Stoll gave birth to a baby girl on Monday. The infant’s name is Poppy Kennedy McIlroy, and Roy McIlroy wrote she is the “love of our lives.” He also posted a photo of the sweet newborn holding onto his finger.
McIlroy’s announced comes right before the Tour Championships gets underway Friday. Last week when talking to reporters McIlroy said if the baby didn’t arrive before the Tour Championship, he would leave the course in Atlanta if he needed to. But now that the baby is born, it’s likely McIlroy will be able to compete despite not taking part in the pre-tournament press conference.
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Poppy Kennedy McIlroy, born August 31st, 12:15pm. She is the absolute love of our lives. Mother and baby are doing great. Massive thank you to all the staff at Jupiter Medical Center and Dr Sasha Melendy for their amazing care ❤️❤️❤️ pic.twitter.com/IwFeGf8rod
— Rory McIlroy (@McIlroyRory) September 3, 2020
“Yeah, for sure. Yeah, definitely, just depending on what happens,” McIlroy said about leaving the event for the birth of his child. “I’m going to play in many more Tour Championships and it’s only going to be the birth of your first child once. That trumps anything else.” McIlroy, 31 married Stoll in Ireland in April 2017. According to the New York Post at the time, the couple was trying to keep the ceremony under wraps.
“They are trying to keep the big day as private as they can, even with all the A-listers invited,” an insider told the New York Post at the time. The insider then said Coldplay was set to perform as they are McIlroy’s favorite band. Shortly before the wedding, McIlroy talked about taking the next step in his life.
“It’s a great time in our lives, and it’s all about that over the next couple of weeks. And I’ll come back at the Players refreshed and a married man and start a new chapter.” The couple met when McIlroy was dating tennis star Carolina Wozniacki back in 2012. Stoll was working fro the PGA of America and is credited for saving him from being disqualified from the Ryder Cup that year when he was running late. The two began dating after McIlroy’s split with Wozniacki.
McIlroy is one of the top golfers in the world. He a four-time major champion, winning the 2011 U.S. Open, 2012 PGA Championship, 2014 Open Championship and 2014 PGA Championship. He is one of just three players in golf history to win four majors by the age of 25. His best finish in the Masters was in 2015 when he came in fourth place.
