2022 Travelers Championship: Top 10 Power Rankings at TPC River Highlands
Close but no cigar yet again for Rory McIlroy at a major championship. The four-time major champ is still looking for his first after settling for T-5th at last week’s U.S. Open.
Coming off a captivating win the week prior at the RBC Canadian Open, McIlroy kept the momentum going at The Country Club in Brookline when he was a shot off the lead after a 3-under 67 on Thursday.
He hung around throughout the tournament and had his chances on Sunday before ultimately finishing four shots behind Matt Fitzpatrick.
“I’ll look back at this as another missed opportunity just as Southern Hills was, but missed opportunities are better than not contending at all. So that is a positive,” McIlroy was quoted by ASAP Sports, referencing his eighth-place finish at the PGA Championship. “I have to stay patient at this point because if I just keep putting myself in position, sooner or later it’s going to be my day and I’m going to get one.”
Surprising to no one, McIlroy drove the ball beautifully in Massachusetts. He ranked ninth in strokes gained off the tee (3.56) and was top-20 in approach (3.67). McIlroy’s short game failed him as he wasn’t able to get up and down as often as a U.S. Open champion needs to.
Nonetheless, it was still his sixth straight top-20 and fifth top-10 in that span. His season statistics reflect that type of consistency. The 33-year-old leads the PGA Tour in total strokes gained (2.282) and SG tee to green (1.888).
A course like TPC River Highlands isn’t a perfect fit for him, but clearly, he can perform at any venue.
McIlroy’s short iron game is slowly improving.
He’s eighth in proximity from 125-150 yards (20’10”).
The Northern Irishman comes to TPC River Highlands for the fourth time, all since 2017. He’s improved in each Travelers Championship appearance, taking T-17th (67-73-70-64) in 2017, T-12th (64-69-69-67) in 2018, and T-11th (63-68-69-67) in 2020.
In those 12 rounds, 10 have been in the 60s and 11 at par or better.
“…you can make birdies, you can get on runs, and that’s a nice thing,” McIlroy was quoted by ASAP Sports in 2018. “The golf course sets up well. It’s a nice part of the world to be in this time of year. The weather is always pretty good. Because of that, the course is always in really good shape. It’s just all of that together just makes it a really enjoyable week.”