Rory McIlroy handed opportunity to boost net worth by £1.1million after £5.5m rejection

Rory McIlroy could boost his already impressive net worth by a cool £1.2million this weekend as he makes a return at the Genesis Scottish Open.

The 35-year-old golfing whizz has been off the scene since his heart-breaking US Open defeat to Bryson DeChambeau last month, narrowly missing out on his first major title in ten years. McIlroy seemed set to grab the trophy at Pinehurst No. 2, entering his final holes of the competition with a comfortable lead on the scorecards.

However, three bogeys in the run-up to the 18th meant that McIlroy could only watch in despair as DeChambeau sunk a putt from around four feet on the final hole to clinch the tournament. After the soul-crushing moment, McIlroy announced via social media that he would be taking a break from the game to reflect and recalibrate, before making a comeback at the Genesis Scottish Open and ultimately, the Open at Royal Troon.

However, this decision has cost him the chance to add millions to his prize money pot for the year. McIlroy missed the Travelers Championship and its hefty £3.1million first-place prize, before also skipping the Rocket Mortgage Classic in Detroit and its £1.3million winner payout.

McIlroy has missed out on a staggering £5.5million in total in recent weeks, having decided to also skip the John Deere Classic last weekend and its £1.1million prize, which was won by Davis Thompson. However, he's hoping his decision to refocus after such a significant loss will aid him in achieving success at this weekend's Genesis Scottish Open.

The tournament boasts a top prize of $1,575,000 (£1.23million), but McIlroy will be up against some tough competition. Golfing giants Jordan Spieth, Tommy Fleetwood, Xander Schauffele, Rickie Fowler and Colin Morikawa