Rory McIlroy is fully focused on the US Open this week, and he is one of several players still in contention at the halfway stage.
McIlroy is in a tie for 11th place after finishing his first two rounds on even par, seven shots behind leader Wyndham Clark.
But as he was taking on the challenges of Shinnecock Hills on Friday, it emerged that the six-time major winner would not be playing at the Travelers Championship.
And McIlroy has now come under fire for that decision, which means he’ll have missed three of the eight Signature Events on the PGA Tour in 2026.
Rory McIlroy criticized for skipping the Travelers Championship on the PGA Tour
Sharing his frustration at the Northern Irishman’s latest decision, one golf fan commented on X: “Such a joke.”
Another wrote: “Whatever… He’ll have FOMO! Best event of the year! Dude doesn’t care about the PGA Tour anymore and it shows!”
A third fan made reference to the PGA Tour’s proposed two-track system that could come into play from 2028, saying: “Relegate him.”
Meanwhile, others wrote: “Ban,” and “Should be ruled ineligible for FedEx Cup playoffs. One missed siggy should be a hard cutoff.”
There has, however, been some form of defence for McIlroy regarding the timing of the Travelers, with one fan saying: “Quit scheduling Sig events directly after a Major. Simple.”
And another concurred: “The schedule is nonsense. The PGAT are trying to jam the year’s golf into a few months (Mar-Jul) that coincide with the four majors and you can’t play them all and why would he.”
Rory McIlroy missing the Travelers Championship is not a surprise
The last of the eight Signature Events, the Travelers Championship is set to take place immediately after the US Open.
TPC River Highlands in Connecticut plays host to the tournament, which has already suffered a big blow due to the absence of McIlroy.
And while it’s a very disappointing decision for the event and the PGA Tour, it should not exactly come as a surprise.
McIlroy has made no secret of his desire to pick and choose tournaments as and when he wishes, while his absences in 2026 alone prove he is clearly not overly fussed about Signature Events.
He’s already missed the RBC Heritage and the Cadillac Championship, instead only committing to the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am, The Genesis Invitational, the Arnold Palmer Invitational, the Truist Championship and the Memorial Tournament.
In fact, McIlroy is making just his ninth PGA Tour start of the season this week at the US Open.
He’s made all eight of his cuts so far, even with a withdrawal at the Arnold Palmer, claiming his only win when he successfully defended his title at The Masters.
Read more: Rory McIlroy gives his honest thoughts on how the USGA have set Shinnecock up for the US Open
