Rory McIlroy‘s 2026 Masters Tournament was one for the history books — from a sweet family moment on the fairway to a historic victory that placed him among golf’s all-time greats.
Us Weekly has a chronological breakdown of the biggest moments from McIlroy’s run at Augusta.
April 7: A Bombshell Biography About Rory McIlroy Drops
Just before the tournament began, author Alan Shipnuck released Rory: The Heartache and Triumph of Golf’s Most Human Superstar, a biography that stirred up conversation about Rory McIlroy’s personal life.
“That there were rumors about McIlroy’s love life wasn’t totally surprising given his ribald streak,” Shipnuck wrote in the book. “It didn’t help that Erica [Stoll] had become a neo-Elin Woods [Tiger Woods’ ex-wife], never doing any interviews and remaining unknown to the golf public.”
The book also claimed that McIlroy and wife Erica began flirting when they first met, while the golfer was still dating tennis star Caroline Wozniacki.
“He was throwing every ounce of game he had at Erica,” a former PGA Tour employee claimed to Shipnuck. “It was not subtle. It became a running joke among a few of us: Has Rory closed the deal yet?”
Neither McIlroy nor Wozniacki have addressed any relationship overlap. McIlroy and Wozniacki were together from 2011 to 2014.
Pro golfer Paul McGinley also weighed in on the challenges of being married to McIlroy.
“It can’t be easy being Rory’s wife,” McGinley wrote in the book. “I’m sure it’s not easy for her because she’s quiet by nature. She kind of keeps her thoughts to herself. She’s had to find where she fits in and where she doesn’t.”
April 8: Family Time at the Par 3 Contest
Despite the swirling headlines, Rory McIlroy and Erica Stoll put on a united front at the Par 3 Contest on April 8, 2026, at Augusta National Golf Club. Their daughter, Poppy, and Stoll served as McIlroy’s caddies, twinning in caddie uniforms featuring McIlroy’s last name on the back. McIlroy even helped Poppy execute a putt on the fairway.
“She is the most unbelievably polite and respectful and well-behaved little girl,” the Irish golfer told reporters. “I really love that she started to get into the game a lot more, and it all stemmed from the putt last year at the Par 3.”
“She made sure that I brought her putter up this year, so she could hit the putt with her putter and not mine,” McIlroy said. “Yeah, that’s been amazing, and as well, just to see her grow up to have her travel the world to see different places, to give her a life that I could only dream about when I was that age, that’s been the coolest thing.”
The family outing came less than two years after Stoll filed for divorce in May 2024, only to dismiss her petition the following month. McIlroy and Stoll began dating in 2015 and married in 2017. They welcomed Poppy in September 2020.
April 12: A Historic Win — and a Viral Celebration
On April 12, 2026, Rory McIlroy held off Scottie Scheffler with a one-shot victory to claim his second consecutive green jacket, making him the first back-to-back Masters champion since Tiger Woods in 2001 and 2002. The feat placed him in the company of Woods, Jack Nicklaus and Nick Faldo.
But it was the celebration afterward that had fans buzzing on social media. Viewers noticed McIlroy had to call over wife Erica Stoll and daughter Poppy to celebrate with him.
“Rory having to call his wife and daughter over to hug him. Tough scene,” one fan wrote via X.
Another added, “Good for Rory but he gave bigger hugs to his private equity guys he has known for 4 months than his wife and daughter. Great to see a back to back winner but out on that dude.”
A third fan described the celebratory hugs as “lukewarm.”
Rory McIlroy’s Trophy Speech Honors His Family
During his trophy presentation on April 12, 2026, Rory McIlroy delivered an emotional speech in which he thanked his wife, daughter and parents.
“First and foremost my wife and daughter, Erica and Poppy, they have to put up with me at home and trust me sometimes that’s a tough thing to do. But they have been my biggest supporters,” he said.
“This has definitely turned into Poppy’s favorite week of the year,” he continued as Poppy hid her face in embarrassment. “I don’t know if it’s because of the Par 3 tournament or it’s the all-you-can-eat ice cream in the player services building.”
McIlroy then turned his attention to his parents, Gerry and Rosie McIlroy, crediting them for his success.
“Mom and dad, I owe everything to you,” he said. “You’re the most wonderful parents and if I could be half the parent as you were to me then I know I’ve done a good job, thank you.”
