What is the Travelers Championship? Rory McIlroy commits to play in elevated PGA Tour event in June 2023

Rory McIlroy has confirmed that he will play in the Travelers Championship, which will take place in June 2023.

Travelers Championship Tournament Director Nathan Grube said that hearing about McIlroy's commitment to the 2023 event is a great start and they know that that many more star players will be featured in the event.

"Rory has enjoyed coming to Connecticut, and he's played well at TPC River Highland," Grube said.

"Late June might seem far off, but the excitement for this year's tournament is already building. If you're someone who roots for Rory and appreciates watching the best players in the world, you need to make plans to be part of the action here," he stated.

The Travelers Championship was announced as one of the designated PGA Tour events with an elevated purse size of $20 million. Since PGA Tour players are bound to play in 16 of the 17 designated events, TPC River Highlands can expect the tournament to be star studded.

Travelers Executive Vice President and Chief Administrative Officer, Andy Bessetteat said that Rory McIlroy has been a great friend and has always been supportive of the event.

"Having Rory here competing against the top players in the world will really take this year’s Travelers Championship to the next level. It’s a world-class event that provides meaningful support for our communities and hundreds of local charities," Bessetteat said.

Rory has never won the Travelers Championship. He finished T17 in 2017, T12 in 2018, T11 in 2020, and T19 in 2022 at the TPC River Highlands. Last year, he could only hit 9 under in four rounds.

Xander Schauffele emerged victorious at the Travelers, shooting a final round of 4-under-68. He aggregated 19-under, beating J.T. Poston and Sahith Theegala by a two-stroke margin.

The World No. 1 has continued his good form since last season and won the Hero Dubai Desert Classic last week. He beat Patrick Reed by a one stroke margin. The win over Reed was significant for Rory after what happened before the event. Patrick Reed threw a tee towards Rory after getting ignored by him.

"I am living in reality. I don’t know where he’s [Reed] living. If I were in his shoes, I wouldn’t expect a hello or a handshake," McIlroy had said.

McIlroy was in no mood to have any interaction with Reed given he received a subpoena from the American on Christmas Eve, which was not a good feeling when he was having family time. Rory has always been vocal against LIV Golf and has not been on talking terms with most of the LIV associated players.

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Travelers Championship History

Xander Schauffele won the 2022 Travelers Championship

The Travelers Championship is a professional golf tournament that has been played annually since 1952 in Cromwell, Connecticut. Originally known as the Insurance City Open, the event has been held in the TPC River Highlands since 1984. Prior to that, Wethersfield Country Club used to host the Travelers.

Some of the notable winners of the tournament include Arnold Palmer, Phil Mickelson, Bubba Watson, and Jordan Spieth. Watson has won thrice at the TPC River Highland.