“Poppy picked it for me,” Rory McIlroy said, his voice filled with emotion, as he held onto the delicate flower his daughter had given him after his big win. The 35-year-old from Northern Ireland had just topped J.J. Spaun in a three-hole aggregate playoff to claim his second Players Championship title and 28th PGA Tour victory. But it was the tender moment with his daughter that truly made his Monday morning unforgettable.

As he stepped off the green, his wife Erica Stoll and Poppy were waiting for him behind the 18th green, and Poppy handed him the flower with a heartwarming embrace. This moment was especially sweet for McIlroy, who has been navigating the challenges of balancing his PGA Tour career with family life. His daughter Poppy has recently started to realize what her dad does for a living, and McIlroy has been open about the mix of excitement and intimidation she’s experiencing.

As he recalled, “I think after the Players, it was the first time that she sort of realized what I did, um, which was really cool, also a little scary at the same time. But it’s amazing that I can share these things with her and with Erica.” For McIlroy, moments like these make his career even more special, and he’s grateful to have a family that supports him every step of the way.

As Poppy started to grasp the magnitude of her father’s fame, she even faced some unexpected comments from her classmates. McIlroy shared that a couple of kids at school made some remarks about his career, and Poppy came home asking if he was famous. Speaking at the latest Press Conference at Augusta, McIlroy shared that something unexpected happened, “You know, the day after Players, she went into school and, you know, a couple of kids said something, some stuff to her, and she came home to me and said, ‘Daddy, are you famous?’ And I said, ‘It depends who you talk to. A humble yet witty answer, something we can expect from McIlroy.

It’s not only McIlory who thinks fame is a double-edged sword; there are many golfers who share the same sentiment, and Xander Schauffele is one of them.

Xander Schauffele’s take on fame

Xander Schauffele, the two-time major champion, is navigating the complexities of fame with a refreshing dose of humor and humility. Recently, he opened up about how his life has changed since winning his second major. Schauffele joked that his wife talks to him more now, but on a more serious note, he admitted that being in the spotlight isn’t always comfortable for him. “Being on TV and those things are not like a comfort zone,” he said. With his growing popularity and recent recruitment to Tiger Woods’s TGL league, Schauffele is having to adapt to a whole new level of attention.

Despite the challenges, Schauffele is trying to make the most of his fame and enjoy the experiences that come with being a champion golfer. He acknowledged that TGL has brought more recognition his way, but he’s still managing to keep his daily life relatively normal. “I can still go do normal things without being absolutely mobbed,” he said. Schauffele’s down-to-earth personality and willingness to poke fun at himself have endeared him to fans, and it’s clear that he’s still getting used to all the attention. However, he’s grateful for the opportunities that come with it and is focusing on what matters most – his golf game.