Rory McIlroy puts Erica Stoll marital woes aside to return to the golf course at the Canadian Open

Rory McIlroy has returned to golf action at the Canadian Open, teeing off against a backdrop of divorce controversy on Thursday morning.

The Northern Irishman kicked off his first round in Hamilton, Ontario at 7:40 a.m. ET, just hours after it emerged he had hired a police officer to serve his wife Erica Stoll their divorce papers.

McIlroy was warmly welcomed by the crowd on course and he appeared cheerful as he smiled at the fans – before sending his opening shot into the middle of the fairway.

McIlroy, 35, is likely to be very happy to return to the competition after his off-field marital problems have dominated in 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.

McIlroy smiled at the fans before sending his first shot into the middle of the fairway

Mail Sport revealed on Wednesday that he did not hand her the papers directly, but instead hired Carl Woods – a Palm Beach police officer who, according to court documents, is also leading a lawsuit on behalf of the company CW Services & Associates.

Woods showed up unannounced at the McIlroys’ lavish $22 million mansion in Jupiter, Florida, on May 13 at 10:30 a.m. ET and presented Stoll with a copy of McIlroy’s divorce petition.

The four-time major winner digitally signed divorce papers on May 9 while competing in the Wells Fargo Championship at Quail Hollow, which he went on to win by defeating Xander Schauffele by five shots, 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 clerk of court from the day she was served, the documents show.

In Canada, McIlroy is one of the favorites this week to win the tournament, of which he has already become champion twice, in 2019 and 2022.

McIlroy is currently in the process of divorcing his wife Erica Stoll (pictured in May 2021)

The Northern Irishman and Stoll married in 2017 (pictured at the 2023 Ryder Cup)

In exclusive DailyMail photos, Stoll was seen filling up her car in Jupiter, Florida on May 23

His 2019 victory also marked the last time the competition was held at Hamilton Golf and Country Club, where he shot 22 under par to take home the $1.37 million top prize.

If McIlroy earns a third victory at the Canadian Open next Sunday, he will take home another $1.69 million – a huge sum that will help with any upcoming divorce proceedings he may face.

So far in 2024, McIlroy has earned $6.96 million from golf tournaments he has played in.

Since filing for divorce, rumors have swirled about McIlroy’s relationship with CBS Sports reporter Amanda Balionis, as they both left behind their wedding rings.

Meanwhile, another source close to the tour claims McIlroy is ‘super focused on golf’ as he tries to end his decade-long wait for a new major.

“Additionally, he has spent the last two years putting his blood, sweat and tears into defending the PGA against LIV golf, and it was basically for nothing,” they told People.

“He’s trying to find himself, focus and start winning again,” the source said.

McIlroy and Balionis will reunite this week in Canada, with the CBS host scheduled to be on air Saturday and Sunday.