Rory McIlroy's showdown with a squirrel on the first tee during the third round of the 2018 Travelers Championship endeared both participants to local golf fans and gave the event another signature social media moment.
McIlroy had addressed his ball when the furry interloper planted himself directly in the path of the four-time major champion's driver. He backed away and chuckled to himself as the gallery erupted in laughter. But the squirrel wasn't done: it skittered across the tee box one more time, as if to stake a claim to the beautifully manicured real estate at TPC River Highlands that gets invaded by PGA Tour pros one week a year.
Undeterred by antagonistic rodentia and with a global pandemic still months away, McIlroy, the top-ranked player in the world, committed to play in the 2020 Travelers way back in August of 2019. He was fresh off a FedEx Cup title and a $15 million payday, but he was already looking ahead to one of his favorite tournaments.
"I really missed playing at TPC River Highlands this year, so I'm looking forward to coming back in 2020," read McIlroy's statement at the time of the announcement. "The Travelers Championship is one of the best events on the PGA Tour, with a tremendous atmosphere, great fans, an awesome practice facility and now a new clubhouse that I can't wait to see."
Boisterous crowds have co-starred in the Travelers Championship's signature moments. So how will Sunday drama look and feel without them? �
Jump ahead into the present, and the circumstances around this year's Travelers will make it look quite different. And there won't be a laugh track backing the next viral video. But that hasn't stopped another stellar field from gracing the state's annual summer showcase.
Here's a look at some of the most notable names in the lineup:
