If Rory McIlroy is going to finally land a Masters green jacket this week, he might need some late putting advice from his four year-old daughter Poppy.
The Northern Irishman hit the iconic Augusta course with wife Erica and their child on Wednesday for the hugely popular Par-3 contest alongside his close friend Shane Lowry.
On the ninth hole, McIlroy let Poppy take on a winding putt of around 25 feet after her father and Lowry appeared to explain that the ball only needed a gentle touch.
She duly obliged, with ball snaking left and right before finding its line and running away into the cup.
Lowry immediately sensed the ball was destined for the hole, throwing his hands up into the air with it about five feet from the flag.
McIlroy himself waited until the very end before leaping up with joy as the Augusta crowd erupted in disbeleif.
Poppy McIlroy stole the show on the Par-3 contest at Augusta National on Wednesday
She showed her dad how it is done by draining an astonishing putt on the ninth hole
McIlroy looked amazed while Poppy seemed overwhelmed by all the extra attention
Poppy herself almost seemed overwhelmed by the crowd noise while everyone around her went wild – she even left her dad hanging when he went for a high-five. Eventually, she gave McIlroy a hug instead.
The putt itself also shows to the rest of field competing this week just how brutal the greens are looking on the eve of the tournament.
McIlroy’s long-standing efforts to conquer Augusta and finally win a green jacket have been chronicled all too well this week – and they will be for as long as a Masters title eludes him.
The 35-year-old told ESPN on Wednesday how much the Par-3 competition helps him fend off any last minute nerves.
‘I think every Masters week for me seems to get bigger and bigger each and every year and I think to do something like this, for me at least, allows me to forget about all that for a couple of hours on a Wednesday afternoon,’ he said, speaking before his daughter stole the show.
‘It’s just a really nice way and a relaxed way to go into business end of the week.
‘As time has gone along and Poppy has gotten a little bit bigger, I look forward to this day more and more each and every year.
‘Just to see the excitement on her face this morning knowing it was going to be Par 3 (is great). It is such a fun afternoon.’
McIlroy and wife Erica put on a united front at Augusta after nearly divorcing last year
McIlroy this week is chasing a first major victory in 11 years when he takes on Augusta National this week.
Last year, McIlroy’s bid for a fifth major title was dominated by turbulence in his private life.
He married Stoll in 2017 but the 35-year-old filed for divorce a day before arriving for the 2024 PGA Championship.
Just weeks later, the couple called off the separation days before the US Open at Pinehurst.