Rory McIlroy has returned to golf action at the Canadian Open, starting Thursday morning amid divorce controversy.
The Northern Irishman began his first round in Hamilton, Ontario, at 7:40 a.m. ET, just hours after it was revealed that he hired a police officer to serve his wife Erica Stoll with her divorce papers.
McIlroy received a warm reception from the crowd on the field, and seemed in good spirits as he smiled at the fans, before sending his first shot down the middle of the fairway.
McIlroy, 35, will probably be very happy to return to competition after his off-field marital problems have dominated recent weeks.
The PGA Tour star filed for divorce from Stoll, 36, after seven years of marriage, just 24 hours after winning the Wells Fargo Championship in Charlotte, North Carolina.
Rory McIlroy waits to start his first round at the Canadian Open in Ontario on Thursday.
McIlroy smiled at the fans before sending his first shot down the middle of the fairway.
Mail Sport revealed on Wednesday that it did not serve the documents directly, but instead hired Carl Woods, a Palm Beach police officer, who also runs a process serving the company CW Services & Associates, according to court documents.
Woods showed up unannounced at the McIlroys’ lavish $22 million marital mansion in Jupiter, Florida, at 10:30 a.m. ET on May 13, and handed Stoll a copy of the McIlroy divorce petition.
The four-time major winner signed the divorce papers digitally on May 9 while competing in the Wells Fargo Championship at Quail Hollow, which he won by beating Xander Schauffele by five strokes, according to court records.
Stoll, who shares a three-year-old daughter, Poppy, with the professional golfer, has 20 days to file a written response to the petition with the circuit court clerk from the day he received the notice, according to the documents.
This week in Canada, McIlroy is among the favorites to win the tournament, of which he has already been champion twice, in 2019 and 2022.
McIlroy is currently in the process of divorcing his wife Erica Stoll (pictured May 2021)
The Northern Irishman and Stoll married in 2017 (pictured at the 2023 Ryder Cup)
Stoll was seen filling up her car with gas in Jupiter, Florida, on May 23 in exclusive DailyMail photos.
His 2019 victory was also the last time the competition was held at Hamilton Golf and Country Club, where he shot 22 under par and took home the $1.37 million top prize.
If McIlroy captures a third victory at the Canadian Open on Sunday, he will take home another $1.69 million, a huge amount to help with any divorce proceedings he may face.
So far in 2024, McIlroy has earned $6.96 million from the golf tournaments he has played in.
Since filing for divorce, rumors have begun to circulate about McIlroy’s relationship with CBS Sports reporter Amanda Balionis, as they both ditched their wedding rings.
Meanwhile, another source close to the tour claims McIlroy has been “super focused on golf” as he tries to end his decade-long wait for another major.
“Also, he put his blood, sweat and tears into the PGA’s defense against LIV golf for the last two years and it was basically to no avail,” they told People.
“He’s just trying to find himself, focus and win again,” the source says.
McIlroy and Balionis will reunite in Canada this week, with the CBS host set to air Saturday and Sunday.