McIlroy announces birth of baby girl

Rory McIlroy’s wife Erica has given birth to the couple’s first child, the four-time major winner has revealed.

The Northern Irishman wrote on Instagram that Poppy Kennedy McIlroy was born on Monday and “is the absolute love of our lives”. The 31-year-old also thanked staff at Jupiter Medical Centre in Florida for their “amazing care”. “Mother and baby are doing great,” added McIlroy in his Instagram post.

McIlroy remains in the field for the Tour Championship which starts in Atlanta on Friday. He had said he was willing to withdraw from last week’s BMW Championship or the Tour Championship if Erica went in labour.

The defending Fedex Cup champion is 12th in this season’s standings going into this week’s finale in Atlanta after being without a top-10 finish since the PGA Tour resumed in June.