Rory McIlroy celebrated returning to the summit of the world rankings by video calling his two-year-old daughter Poppy.
McIlroy re-established himself as world number one with a 23rd PGA Tour victory at the CJ Cup in South Carolina on Sunday.
The 33-year-old defending champion carded a final-day 67 which included seven birdies to see off the challenge of America’s Kurt Kitayama by a single shot despite bogeying the final two holes.
READ MORE: Rory McIlroy 'enjoying game more than ever' as he returns to top of world rankings
McIlroy picked up shots on the 14th, 15th and 16th holes on his way to a 17-under-par finish at the Congaree Golf Club in South Carolina to take the tournament by the scruff of the neck and give himself insurance against his late wobble.
And little Poppy was one of the first people to congratulate her dad following his win.
A video shared on social media by the PGA Tour showed McIlroy speaking with his daughter and wife Erica after the tournament.
Poppy told her father that he was number one before McIlroy promised to see her for breakfast on Monday morning.
As McIlroy was whisked off to sign his scorecard, be presented with the trophy and fulfil all his obligations, there were dozens of fans waiting for the Down man.
And McIlroy returned to sign hats and pose for photos for all those who waited and was widely praised for the gesture on social media with one fan hailing him as 'a class act'.
Speaking after the win, the Hollywood man said: "It means a lot.
“I’ve worked so hard over the last 12 months to get myself back to this place. I feel like I’m enjoying the game as much as I ever have.
“I absolutely love the game of golf. When I go out there and I play with that joy, it’s definitely shown over these last 12 months.
“It feels awesome. I’m looking forward to celebrating with my team tonight and the next couple of weeks because I think it’s a big achievement. I’m really proud of myself right now and I want to go and enjoy this.”
Asked what in particular he was enjoying about his game, McIlroy added: “Just the journey of trying to get the best out of myself, I think that’s the satisfying thing.
“I never feel like I’ve figured this game out – I don’t think I ever will figure it out – but every day, I wake up trying to get closer.”
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