The golf world is fresh off the highs of the 2025 U.S. Open, and it’s already heading towards the last signature event on the PGA Tour’s list. Yes, you read that right. The eighth and last signature event on the Tour will kick off at TPC River Highlands, starting June 19. In its previous years, the Travelers Championship has featured victories by prominent players such as Scottie Scheffler, Rory McIlroy, Ludvig Aberg, and Justin Thomas.
The heavy hitters are gearing up—imagine Scottie Scheffler, Collin Morikawa, Rory McIlroy, and Xander Schauffele all ready to bring their best! With such a stellar lineup, the competition is wide open for the total purse of $20 M. However, there are a few big names that will miss out on this event. Here are the top 5 players missing from this year’s Travelers Championship:
Sahith Theegala
Sahith Theegala’s problems started with his neck injury. He withdrew just before the PGA Championship in early May due to a neck injury, having previously left the Truist Championship after three rounds for the same issue. Although he participated in the Memorial Tournament, he did not make the cut after shooting in the 70s.
He also pulled out of the RBC Canadian Open and remarked, “Doctors have advised me to put the clubs away for a little while, as I get treatment and some rest for an injury I’ve been battling the last few weeks, so this one stings.” After that, he missed the U.S. Open at Oakmont and is now missing the 2025 Travelers Championship for (likely) the same reason. In his last two Travelers Championship starts, Theegala finished T48 in 2024 and T52 in 2023.
Billy Horschel
Billy Horschel is another athlete dealing with an injury. The American first withdrew from the course at the 2025 Zurich Classic due to a lower-body injury. After this missed appearance, he announced in May, “After consulting with doctors and my team, I have decided to have right hip surgery early next week out in Colorado.” As a result, he missed the 2025 PGA Championship, the U.S. Open, and now the Travelers Championship.
According to his latest update, he is likely to return “to the course this fall.” This situation means he will probably miss his chance at the 2025 Ryder Cup, as it would be too late for Horschel to qualify for Bethpage. The fans are likely to miss Horschel during his absence, even though he hasn’t performed well at the Travelers Championship in the last two seasons. He finished T55 and missed the cut at the 2024 and 2023 Travelers Championships, respectively.
Corey Conners
Corey Conners sustained a right wrist injury while taking a bunker shot during Thursday’s opening round at the 2025 U.S. Open and aggravated it on Saturday. He recorded a 3-under 32 on the front nine in the third round, placing him on the leaderboard, but re-injured his wrist while hitting a bunker shot on the 11th hole. As a result, he withdrew from the event shortly before Sunday’s final round due to the wrist injury.
Corey Conners is a WD from the Travelers Championship and replaced by Jhonattan Vegas.
— PGA TOUR Communications (@PGATOURComms) June 17, 2025
Given this recent setback, he has also withdrawn from the 2025 Travelers Championship. At last year’s Travelers Championship, Conners posted back-to-back rounds of 66 over the weekend, ultimately finishing in a tie for 27th. In 2023, the Canadian finished T9.
Justin Rose
According to the latest update from the PGA Tour, Justin Rose has chosen not to play in the 2025 Travelers Championship. Although he hasn’t provided a reason, it is likely due to his illness or preparation for the 2025 Open Championship. The 2025 Masters runner-up faced an illness ahead of the 2025 Truist Championship and decided to withdraw from it. In a May health update, Justin Rose mentioned that he had been “progressively ill over the past few days” and added, “I am not in a state to compete, and it’s best for me to focus on a quick recovery prior to next week.”
In the events following the 2025 Masters, Rose participated in 6 events, including the 2025 PGA Championship and the U.S. Open. He eventually missed the cut at three events, including the U.S. Open, the RBC Canadian Open, and the PGA Championship. Aside from that, in his last outing at the 2024 Travelers Championship, he finished T68.
Chris Kirk
This marks the second Signature Event this season that Chris Kirk has chosen not to enter after The Genesis Invitational. Before that, Kirk registered a T12 finish at the U.S. Open as his best result of the season. He currently ranks 100th in the FedExCup standings and is fully exempt as a winner through next season. So far this season, he has achieved only three top-15 finishes, including the one at Oakmont. At the 2024 Travelers Championship, he placed T63. However, fans may not miss him, as he has not recorded a top-55 finish at TPC River Highlands.
Well, we are certainly missing out on some big names this season!
The post 2025 Travelers Championship: 5 Biggest Names Missing From $20M PGA Tour Event appeared first on EssentiallySports.
