Rory McIlroy reveals he missed five-year-old daughter’s first day of school as star gives rare insight into family life

RORY MCILROY revealed he missed his daughter’s first day of school as he gave a rare insight into his family life. The back-to-back Masters champion, 37, has one child with his wife Erica Stoll. Rory McIlroy’s daughter Poppy started school this week but he could not be there Credit: Getty Poppy, five, often steals the show at the Masters Par 3 event Credit: Getty And this was a big week for the family as Poppy, five, started school. However, her Grand Slam-winning dad was unable to be there to see her off or pick her up. Sign up for the Sport newsletter Thank you! Dream Team is back, free, and there’s £100,000 up for grabs! That is because McIlroy was preparing for this week’s BMW Championship in St Louis. And speaking on Wednesday ahead of the tournament getting underway on Thursday, the world No2 lamented having to be away from Erica and Poppy on such a momentous day. But he did vow to find a way to focus more on life at home than his job on the golf course. McIlroy said: “I am in a different spot in my life… trying to find that balance and then trying to be home enough – it’s Poppy’s first day of school today. “I would have loved to have been home for that, but I’m here, so it’s just stuff like that, things I didn’t have ten years ago that I have these days. CASINO SPECIAL – BEST CASINO BONUSES FROM £10 DEPOSITS McIlroy wants to prioritise more time with his family, including wife Erica Credit: Getty “As the years go on, life happens and things that you didn’t have in your mid-20s you have in your mid-30s that you prioritise over golf, right. Most read in Golf “Prioritise things with your family or things that you don’t want to miss. That’s the stage of life where I’m at. “Where not all my eggs are in the golf basket. “[There are] other things that I want to do and other things I feel like I have to do. It’s a balance. “Some years I’ll maybe play more, some years I’ll maybe play where it’s a little bit lighter. “But it’s just that balance of making sure that you play enough to stay sharp, but then also I guess having balance in your life that you feel like you’re not missing out on other things that you want to do.” It comes two years after McIlroy and Stoll filed for divorce – before resolving their differences and making a U-turn to stick together. The Northern Irishman has cut down how many tournaments he plays in recent years, teeing it up at 12 events so far in 2026. But the BMW marked the start of a busy period in the calendar with events in five of the six weeks due to him featuring on both the PGA and DP World Tours. Comment now