After Pinehurst Broke His Spirits, Will Rory McIlroy Play in the Travelers Championship?

The 124th US Open has finally concluded! And it was epic, to say the least! After Rory McIlroy, unfortunately, bogeyed the last hole after missing a 3-foot putt, it was Bryson DeChambeau who hit a bunker shot and made par on the last hole to be crowned a winner. Amidst all the celebration, the golf community has also been mentally torn to see Rory McIlroy struggling to win a major this season. At Pinehurst, he missed the chance to end his decade-old drought by only one stroke. Needless to say, the Irish golfer must be heartbroken. After such a close call, will McIlroy participate in the 2024 Travelers Championship this week, starting on June 20th?

Rory McIlroy is definitely eligible and is included in the field for the last signature event of the year at TPC River Highlands. He is listed under the qualifying category of “Top 50 on the prior year’s FedExCup.” Although no finalization of the list has yet been produced, McIlroy’s presence can be assumed based on how well he can overcome his broken spirits following his US Open outcomes.

Rory McIlroy’s quick car drive to the airport after he witnessed DeChambeau’s putt points to the heartbreak he might be going through. Rory McIlroy has won the US Open only once and it was back in 2011. He set a record that year which was later matched by LIV golfer Brooks Koepka for having a score of 16 under par.

Rory McIlroy was in great form. The entire last round, he maintained a close game with DeChambeau. However, things started taking different directions, and he could not save his pars on the two-foot-six-inch 16th and the three-foot-nine-inch 18th. Following the immensely close win, DeChambeau commented on his beaten rival’s plight, “For him to miss that putt [on 18], I would never wish that on anybody.”

While commentating, the 6-time major winner, Nick Faldo, also made a statement that got the whole golf community thinking about what is going to be Rory McIlroy’s next move or whether he is going to be fine and strong-willed for his upcoming golf events, the latest being the 2024 Travelers Championship. Faldo stated, “That’s going to haunt Rory for the rest of his life, those two misses.” But how did the golfer feel about his US Open performance early on?

Rory McIlroy on the 2024 US Open and his play

Rory McIlroy might have won his last major in 2014; however, he knows better about how to approach a game. According to Golf.com, McIlroy has previously noted “embracing what I would have called ‘boring’ back in the day. Explosiveness isn’t going to win a U.S. Open. It’s more methodically building your score over the course of four days and being okay with that. Honestly, it’s just more of a reframing of a mindset than anything else.”

“It [The US Open] tests your chipping. It tests your putting. It obviously tests your mental fortitude more than any other golf tournament,” said Rory McIlroy the night before his last round at Pinehurst No. 2.

McIlroy has won the Zurich Classic of New Orleans and the Wells Fargo Championship for the fourth time in his career this year and has portrayed good spirits even after finishing T22 in the 2024 Masters and T12 at Valhalla. Hence, fans can only hope and wish that McIlroy will be able to pull himself out of this heartbreak and again play at the 2024 Travelers Championship.