Rory McIlroy’s US Open tilt is well underway from Shinnecock Hills but it has been confirmed that the Northern Irishman has pulled out of an event
Rory McIlroy has pulled out of an event(Image: Getty)
Rory McIlroy will not compete at the 2026 Travelers Championship, the final signature event of the PGA Tour’s season. This will be the third event of this nature he has skipped in 2026 as he competes at the US Open.
The six-time major champion has featured in just nine PGA Tour or Tour-sanctioned events this campaign. He revealed he would be more selective with his schedule as his list of achievements continues to grow in 2025, though the 15-event minimum now comes into focus.
Playing in too few events carries its own repercussions. To retain voting status on Tour, members must meet the 15-event minimum and attend a mandatory meeting, or face being downgraded to nonvoting status, which affects participation in the Deferred Compensation Player Retirement Plan, according to the PGA Tour handbook.
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That said, McIlroy holds a lifetime membership on the PGA Tour, having earned the distinction following his 20th career PGA Tour victory at the 2021 CJ Cup, subsequently completing his 15 years of active participation.
His withdrawal does not come as a great shock, with the World No. 2 having already signalled his intention to scale back his schedule while remaining focused on picking up victories.
“I just played way too much last year,” he said in 2025. “I want to be home more. I want to be a little more rested and fresh for bigger events.”
He went on to stress the importance of striking the right balance, having completed the career grand slam last year and adding another Masters title this year.
“Look, it’s a balance. When we’re growing up dreaming of professional golfers and trying to get the best out of ourselves, the last thing on our mind is being an entertainer,” he said.
“We’re competitive people at the end of the day; we want to play against the best players in the world and we want to try to come out on top.
“I think that in itself should be entertaining to people, but I think in this day and age, it’s become a hobby to bash golf and where golf is and is it entertaining, is it not entertaining.”
Last August, he revealed he was shaping his schedule more around his personal life. He added: “I’ll always look at the schedule at the start of the year and see what best fits me and my life, and everything else that I do with family or other opportunities that I’m pursuing outside of golf.
“This year that meant skipping a few signature events. (Next year) I might skip less, I might skip the same amount. The luxury of being a PGA Tour player is we’re free to pick and choose our own schedule for the most part. I took advantage of that this year and I’ll continue to take advantage of that for as long as I can.”
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