Rory McIlroy hopes this week’s Travelers Championship proves less of a grind as the Masters champion looks to get back into the groove ahead of The Open at Royal Portrush.
It has not been the smoothest of returns to action for the world number two following his Augusta triumph in April, which completed a long-awaited career Grand Slam.
The 36-year-old saw his driver ruled as ‘nonconforming’ ahead of last month’s PGA Championship before he missed the cut at the Canadian Open.
It was also tough going for McIlroy at the US Open over a punishing Oakmont course, where he battled to make it into the weekend before eventually tying for 19th.
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McIlroy, though, played his best golf of the week during Sunday’s final round, where his three-under-par 67 was the joint best of the day.
After playing at the Travelers Championship in Hartford, Connecticut, McIlroy plans to move into his new house in Wentworth in Surrey before the Scottish Open and then mount his challenge for another Open crown on home soil.
With plenty of background noise having again followed him at Oakmont, McIlroy hopes to be able to stay focused on the job in hand at the final PGA Tour signature event of the season.
“I think the weeks after Major championships when you are in contention and you are trying to win them it can feel quite difficult to go play the next week,” McIlroy told a press conference at TPC River Highlands in Cromwell, Connecticut.
“After a week like I had at Oakmont, where you are not quite in the mix but you might feel you find something in your game, you are excited to come back and play again.
“This is the perfect sort of chaser for what Oakmont was last week, and nice to get out on a golf course where you feel you can make quite a few birdies.
“There’s a lot of guys in the field this week where this is their fourth tournament in a row, so they have been put through the wringer the last few weeks.
“This is a welcome set-up where they feel like they can relax a little bit and not have to grind so much for your score.”
McIlroy will tee off alongside American Keegan Bradley on Thursday morning (3.35pm Irish time), while Shane Lowry will play alongside Denny McCarthy, teeing off at 6.05pm Irish time.
World number one Scottie Scheffler will defend his Travelers Championship title and has been paired with newly-crowned US Open champion JJ Spaun for the opening two rounds.
“I didn’t have my best stuff last week but was still able to get a decent finish,” said Scheffler, who tied for seventh at Oakmont.
“I have felt good about my prep work so far this week and I’m excited to get the tournament started.”
