Rory McIlroy has opened up about life with his young daughter, Poppy, while discussing Scottie Scheffler’s recent battle with hand, foot and mouth disease. The illness affected Scheffler during the BMW Championship, making it difficult for the world No. 1 to grip his clubs before he finished tied for 12th.
McIlroy, who is also a father, said children can bring illnesses home from school or daycare and parents can end up catching them. The comments came as McIlroy and Scheffler prepared for the Tour Championship at East Lake Golf Club, where the 30-player field is competing for the FedExCup and a $10 million winner’s prize.
Rory McIlroy Opens Up on Life With Daughter Poppy
GettyRory McIlroy poses with his daughter, Poppy and wife, Erica Stroll
McIlroy was asked about Scheffler’s illness after seeing the American in Atlanta. The two golfers are among the leading players at the Tour Championship, and McIlroy said his first interaction with Scheffler was focused on his health.
“I was getting lunch yesterday and the first person I saw that was putting food on his plate beside me was Scottie, so I was like: Are you okay? Are you fine? Are you feeling better?” McIlroy said.
Scheffler had revealed after the BMW Championship that he played the tournament while dealing with hand, foot, and mouth disease. The illness caused painful blisters on his hands and throat and affected his ability to grip a golf club.
“To start the week it was pretty painful to grip the club,” Scheffler said. “If I was smarter maybe I would have pulled out, but I was playing so good I felt like if I could knock it out quickly and just get through the first couple rounds I would still have a chance.”
McIlroy said the experience was familiar to parents with young children.
“Yeah, kids bring stuff home from school. They bring stuff home from day care out here. I think anyone that’s had children, it’s a part of it,” he said.
McIlroy and his wife, Erica Stoll, have a daughter, Poppy, who was born in 2020. The golfer said parents can often catch the viruses their children bring home.
“That’s the only way that they’re going to build up their own immunities. Unfortunately the parents fall foul of that at times,” McIlroy said. “But that’s part of life. You’re going to get little viruses and little things that happen.”
McIlroy added that Scheffler appeared to improve as the BMW Championship progressed.
“It obviously affected Scottie for the first couple days last week, but he seemed to play and feel a bit better at the weekend,” McIlroy said. “Hopefully he feels back 100 percent this week.”
Scottie Scheffler Pushes Through BMW Championship Illness
Scheffler ultimately finished tied for 12th at the BMW Championship, 10 shots behind Wyndham Clark. He said after the tournament that he still was not completely recovered, although his hands had returned to normal.
The illness came at an important point in the FedExCup Playoffs. Scheffler chose to remain in the BMW Championship despite difficulty gripping the club.
“I think that’s part of my stubbornness, probably,” Scheffler said. “That’s probably a strength of mine and a weakness at times.”
Gary Woodland also discussed Scheffler’s decision to play through the illness. Woodland said his own children, Jaxson, Maddox, and Lennox, had experienced hand, foot, and mouth disease twice.
“It is awful,” Woodland said of the illness.
Woodland also praised Scheffler for competing despite the blisters on his hands.
“That’s the stubbornness that Scottie has, to fight through it last week and play,” Woodland said. “That just shows you how dang good he is to show up and finish 12th or however he finished last week. It’s impressive.”
Scheffler entered the Tour Championship as the world’s No. 1 player, while McIlroy arrived at East Lake seeking another FedExCup victory. The season-ending event carries a $40 million purse, with $10 million going to the winner.
For McIlroy, the conversation also offered a reminder of the realities of raising a young child while competing on the PGA Tour.
Rory McIlroy Makes Personal Admission on Parenting After Scottie Scheffler Illness