Rory McIlroy makes DISASTROUS start to The Open as golf star tees it up at first major since his US Open heartbreak amid Eric Stoll reunion

Rory McIlroy's awesome misery picked up wherever it near disconnected arsenic his trek astir treacherous Troon Thursday greeting was arsenic turbulent arsenic some his master and individual life. 

The Northern Irishman headed to nan 152nd Open Championship astatine Royal Troon pinch nan purpose of brushing disconnected his US Open heartbreak and sealing his first awesome triumph successful 10 years. 

However, McIlroy's opening information of nan last awesome of 2024 did not spell according to scheme pinch a people of seven-over plundering his hopes. 

The 35-year-old, playing successful his first awesome since his little sabbatical amid US Open implosion and divorcement U-turn drama, suffered agony successful Ayrshire. 

McIlroy opened his quest to extremity his awesome drought pinch a bogey 5 - an omen of what was to come. He managed to claw a changeable backmost astatine nan 3rd but disaster struck astatine nan eighth. 

He was 1 of nan early victims of nan infamous Postage Stamp hole, Royal Troon's calling card.  

Despite only playing 123 yards, nan mini greenish astatine nan short par-three is fatal. Miss and you're successful problem - thing McIlroy learnt nan difficult way. 

The four-time awesome victor recovered 1 of nan lethal, steep-sided bunkers to nan correct of nan greenish and paid nan value pinch his first effort to flight uncovering nan putting aboveground - albeit concisely - earlier it trundled each nan measurement backmost to its sandy grave. The correction marked a double bogey for McIlroy and nan opening of nan decease of his round. 

From there, there was nary redemption. The links courses of nan British Open are notorious for seldom offering up shots, and devastatingly harder to claw backmost from. 

Bogeys astatine nan tenth and 15th on pinch different double astatine nan 11th followed, sinking McIlroy further down nan leaderboard. 

More bunker problem astatine nan 18th, this clip successful nan shape of nan sandy traps lining nan fairway, sealed his condemnation of seven-over. 

After falling excruciatingly short to Bryson DeChambeau past month, McIlroy stepped distant from nan spotlight to expel nan achy memories of his Pinehurst nightmare. Yet if his opening information is thing to by, it intelligibly still haunts him. 

Holding a two-shot lead during nan last information of past month's major, McIlroy carded 3 bogeys crossed nan last 5 holes - missing 2 putts from a mixed region of 7 feet.

He fled nan people a matter of minutes after DeChambeau wrapped up triumph successful North Carolina, not to beryllium seen again until he stood connected nan tee astatine The Renaissance Club past week - this clip pinch woman Erica Stoll successful tow. 

McIlroy's US Open heartbreak whitethorn person been soothed by nan rekindling of his romance pinch his briefly-estranged wife. 

On nan eve of nan US Open, he announced he was calling disconnected nan divorcement from his woman of 7 years and mother of his daughter, Poppy. 

It was only a period prior, earlier nan PGA Championship successful May, that McIlroy announced that he and Erica were to split owed to their matrimony being 'irretrievably broken'.

During their short-lived separation, rumors linked nan PGA Tour prima to CBS Sports newsman Amanda Balionis, 38, whom he was seen hugging aft nan brace did an question and reply astatine nan RBC Canadian Open astatine Hamilton Golf and Country Club successful Hamilton, Ontario.

But connected nan Tuesday earlier nan tournament, McIlroy said successful a statement: 'There person been rumors astir my individual life recently, which is unfortunate. Responding to each rumor is simply a fool’s game. 

'Over nan past weeks, Erica and I person realized that our champion early was arsenic a family together. Thankfully, we person resolved our differences and look guardant to a caller beginning.'

McIlroy's lawyer Thomas Sasser revenge a Notice of Voluntary Dismissal connected his behalf connected June 11 successful Palm Beach County Courthouse aft he and Erica reportedly held concealed meetings astatine their $22m Florida location for a period successful a bid to salvage their marriage.

Last week, nan mates were spotted successful a uncommon sighting connected a London meal day pinch his Ryder Cup teammates and their spouses. The meal marked 1 of nan uncommon occasions that McIlroy and Erica person been sighted together since reuniting. 

Yet, while nan four-time awesome victor whitethorn person smoothed retired his marital woes, it hasn't extended to nan play course. 

With Stoll expected to subordinate her hubby astatine a awesome title for nan first clip since nan reunion, she whitethorn find herself offering up a enarthrosis for him to outcry on.