Rory McIlroy is optimistic about a return to form after he “found a feeling” while finishing inside the top 20 in last week’s US Open at Oakmont.
McIlroy clinched the career Grand Slam by winning The Masters in April but ended in a share of 47th place at the PGA Championship in May and refused to speak to the media throughout after reports of his driver being deemed non-conforming became public.
The world No 2 then missed the cut at the Canadian Open the week prior to the US Open, before fighting hard to reach the weekend on the taxing Pennsylvania course and once again opting out of post-round interviews across the opening two days.
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McIlroy closed out the third men’s major of the year with a three-under 67 and will now tee it up at the latest Signature Event of the PGA Tour season – The Travelers Championship at TPC at River Highlands in Connecticut, live on Sky Sports – with confidence.
He said on Wednesday: “I don’t think it’s one shot, it’s the repeatability of shots. If I can see something or have a feeling that is very repeatable… I think proof is in the pudding.
“I definitely found a feeling last week, especially off the tee, that was repeatable. That was working well. I led strokes gained off the tee last week which was a big thing for me. I thought I drove the ball well all week last week.
“I think the weeks after major championships sometimes when you’re in contention and you’re trying to win them, it can feel quite difficult to go play the next week.
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“After a week like I had at Oakmont, where you’re not quite in the mix but you might feel you find something in your game, you’re excited to come back and play.”
McIlroy: Players have been put through the wringer recently
World No 1 Scottie Scheffler emerged victorious at the Travelers Championship in 2024, claiming the 12th of what is now 16 PGA Tour titles in a little over three years.
Scheffler beat Tom Kim in a play-off after both players ended up locked on 22 under in regulation play.
McIlroy says he is excited about returning to a venue offering ample birdie chances with players having been forced to “grind” out scores in tournaments over recent weeks.
The Northern Irishman added: “There’s a lot of guys in the field this week where this is their fourth tournament in a row. They’ve been put through the wringer.
“So this is a welcome set-up where they feel like they can relax a bit and not have to grind so much for your score.”
Scheffler – who finished in a share of seventh place at the US Open, five strokes behind winner J.J. Spaun – added when asked whether the set-up at the Travelers Championship could be too easy: “I think sometimes, especially in this day and age, people get way too caught up in the winning score being what is a proper test.
“I think a proper test is good shots being rewarded and bad shots being punished. This is one of the best golf courses for that. There’s opportunity and also punishment.
“Across the board, the way we get tested in professional golf is very good. We play different types of courses, different types of grass, we different types of winning scores. We see different tests and I think not one is better than the other.
“The most frustrating thing for me when I play a golf tournament is when you see good shots not getting rewarded and bad shots not being punished properly. That’s all we look for.
“Do we care if 22-under wins this week? No.”
Watch The Travelers Championship live on Sky Sports from Thursday or stream without a contract on NOW. Early coverage of day one begins at 12.30pm on Sky Sports Golf, Sky Sports Main Event and Sky Sports+.
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