Rory McIlroy has dinner with wife and Ryder Cup team-mates ahead of golf return

Rory McIlroy is ready to make his return to competition following his US Open meltdown after accompanying wife Erica to a dinner with his Ryder Cup team-mates in London on Sunday.

The world No 2 took a break from the game in the wake of bogeying three of the last four holes – courtesy of two missed short putts, including on the 18th – to hand last month’s major to Bryson DeChambeau. However, as defending champion of the Scottish Open, he will tee it up at the $9 million (£7 million) event that starts at the Renaissance Club near North Berwick on Thursday.

Judging from the relaxed pictures posted to the social media accounts of Luke Donald’s wife, Diane, 35-year-old McIlroy has enjoyed the time away and managed to not only to put his Pinehurst misery behind him, but also the family turmoil that saw him file for divorce in May before withdrawing the court papers a few days before the season’s third major last month.

The game was stunned when he announced the split from his wife of seven years, with whom he has a three-year-old daughter, Poppy. The hasty reconciliation was universally welcomed on the fairways. “Over the past weeks, Erica and I have realised that our best future was as a family together,” McIlroy said. “Thankfully, we have resolved our differences and look forward to a new beginning.”

The couple are having a house built in Wentworth and had planned to move to Surrey on a permanent basis when their daughter is ready to attend secondary school. That switch from their mansion in Florida is presumably back on.

His apparent good mood is clearly great news for his many admirers with next week’s Open Championship at Troon looming. That will be his last chance to avoid going a full decade without adding to his four-strong major haul.

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