Advertisement
Rory McIlroy just pulled off one of golf’s biggest feats—winning the Masters and completing a career Grand Slam. The 35-year-old pro sealed the deal after a nail-biting playoff against Justin Rose on Sunday, April 13, finally snagging the one major title that had eluded him.
What should’ve been an all-around celebration got a bit awkward, though. While fans cheered his victory and melted at the sight of him hugging his wife, Erica Stoll, and their 4-year-old daughter, Poppy, after the win—his victory speech had people doing a double take.
Why? Because he didn’t mention Erica at all.
Despite battling through a tense final stretch—complete with a missed putt on the 18th hole that almost cost him the win—Rory pulled it together and came out on top. He was clearly emotional, thanking his “family” in his post-win speech and giving a heartfelt shoutout to Poppy about never giving up. Sweet, right?
But the internet noticed something was off. He praised his daughter and vaguely mentioned “family,” but completely left out Erica’s name—even though she was right there supporting him. Cue social media side-eye.
One fan posted on X, “Weird that not once in the entire post-round interviews did he mention his wife by name.” Another added, “No direct mention of his wife?” And a third didn’t hold back: “Isn’t this the guy who tried to divorce his wife while playing in a tournament?? COWARD!”
To be fair, Rory and Erica’s marriage hasn’t been smooth sailing. The couple did file for divorce briefly in 2024 but later reconciled, and by all appearances, they were in a good place during the Masters. Just days before the final round, the pair shared a sweet moment on the green with Poppy, showing PDA and looking united.
Not everyone was throwing shade, though. Plenty of fans were just thrilled for Rory. One wrote, “So happy for Rory. What a great Masters. Here’s to a calendar year Grand Slam!” Another gushed, “What a great message for his little girl! So happy for him and his family!!”
So while Rory’s performance on the green was legendary, his speech? Maybe not a hole-in-one for everyone.