Rory McIlroy is seen with his wedding ring BACK ON for the first time since his Erica Stoll divorce U-turn, having ditched it for last month's US Open
- McIlroy is set to compete in his first tournament since his US Open heartbreak
- The star was seen wearing his wedding ring at the Scottish Open Pro-Am event
- McIlroy confirmed last month he had called off his divorce from Erica Stoll
Rory McIlroy was seen wearing his wedding ring at the Scottish Open after calling off his divorce from Erica Stoll last month.
The Northern Ireland star is set to return to competition for the first time since missing out on the US Open title last month.
McIlroy had stepped back from the golfing spotlight, taking time away from the course for the past three weeks following his implosion at Pinehurst and divorce U-turn drama.
The four-time major winner will officially made his return to golf in Scotland in the first tournament before the Open Championship.
McIlroy admitted at a pre-tournament press conference that he had a 'tough few days' after his US Open collapse, ahead of featuring in the Pro-Am event prior to the Scottish Open.
Rory McIlroy featured in the Pro-Am event ahead of the Scottish Open in North Berwick
McIlroy was seen playing with his wedding ring on amid his reconciliation with wife Erica Stoll
McIlroy called off his divorce with Erica Stoll last month ahead of competing at the US Open
The star had been spotted without his wedding ring during the opening round of the US Open
‘I look back on that day just like I look back on some of the toughest moments in my career and I'll learn a lot from it and hopefully put that to good use,' McIlroy said.
‘It's something that's been a bit of a theme throughout my career, I've been able to take those tough moments and turn them into great things not very long after that.
‘The way I'd describe Pinehurst on Sunday was it was a great day until it wasn't.
‘I did things on that Sunday that I haven't been able to do the last couple of years, took control of the golf tournament, held putts when I needed to - well, mostly - made birdies and really got myself in there.
‘It was a tough day, it was a tough few days after that but as you get further away from it happening you start to see the positives and all the good things you did throughout the week.
‘There's learnings in there too. I can vividly remember starting to feel a little uncomfortable waiting for my second putt on 16 and the putt on the last was a really tricky putt and I was very aware of where Bryson was off the tee.
‘I knew I had to hit it really soft. If the one back didn't matter, I would have hit it firmer.
‘Knowing that Bryson had hit it left off the tee, I just sort of wanted to make sure that if there was still a chance at a play-off, that it was at least going to be that.’
McIlroy was seen playing with his wedding ring on at the Renaissance Club, a further indication of his reconciliation with his wife of seven years, Erica Stoll.
On the eve of the US Open, he announced he was calling off the divorce.
It was only a month prior, before the PGA Championship in May, that McIlroy announced that he and Erica were to split due to their marriage being 'irretrievably broken'.
McIlroy had been seen playing without his wedding ring during the tournament.
He addressed the speculation surrounding his relationship status in a statement to The Guardian, saying: 'There have been rumors about my personal life recently, which is unfortunate. Responding to each rumor is a fool's game.
'Over the past weeks, Erica and I have realized that our best future was as a family together. Thankfully, we have resolved our differences and look forward to a new beginning.'
Just weeks after their recoupling, the pair appear to have truly rekindled their romance as they were spotted in a rare public sighting.
The McIlroys enjoyed a date night with the golfer's Ryder Cup teammates and their partners in London Sunday night before presumably heading up to Scotland for this week's event.
McIlroy was a picture of devastation after throwing the US Open away with two shocking putts
McIlroy announced on the eve of the major that he was calling off the divorce from wife, Erica
McIlroy (second back left) and Erica Stoll (fourth back right) enjoyed a night out with his Ryder Cup teammates and their partners in London Sunday night
Diane Donald, the wife of victorious European captain Luke Donald, shared a photo of the group outing to her Instagram story with Sister Sledge's 'We Are Family' playing over the top.
McIlroy has now stepped back into the golf spotlight, three weeks after his implosion at Pinehurst.
Holding a two-shot lead during the final round of last month's major, McIlroy carded three bogeys across the final five holes - missing two putts from a combined distance of seven feet.
He fled the course a matter of minutes after Bryson DeChambeau wrapped up victory and announced less than 24 hours later that he wouldn't be back at a tournament until the Tour descends on Scotland this week.
In a statement on social media after the US Open, McIlroy said: 'Yesterday was a tough day, probably the toughest I've had in my nearly 17 years as a professional golfer.
'Firstly, I'd like to congratulate Bryson. He is a worthy champion and exactly what professional golf needs right now. I think we can all agree on that.
'As I reflect on my week, I'll rue a few things over the course of the tournament, mostly the 2 missed putts on 16 and 18 on the final day. But, as I always try to do, I'll look at the positives of the week that far outweigh the negatives.
McIlroy is returning to competition after three weeks off following his US Open collapse
The star will be hoping to defend his Scottish Open title ahead of the Open Championship
'As I said at the start of the tournament, I feel closer to winning my next major championship than I ever have.
'The one word that I would describe my career as is resilient. I've shown my resilience over and over again in the last 17 years and I will again.
'I'm going to take a few weeks away from the game to process everything and build myself back up for my defence of the Genesis Scottish Open and The Open at Royal Troon.'
McIlroy will look to put the US Open disappointment behind him at the at The Renaissance Club, before he looks to end his in decade-long major victory drought at the Open at Royal Troon.
