BlogTravelers Championship Preview and Picks

The Buzz:

Just about everything on last week was pretty great.  The Country Club couldn’t look better, the faculties that are over 130 years old worked, and the fact that the location with homes all around it worked.  The USGA did one of their greatest jobs in setting up a course, I didn’t hear one complaint from any player.  The championship had a lot of excitement, the top-five in the world ranking was on top of the leaderboard and they couldn’t have had a better winner than Matt Fitzpatrick.

Unfortunately, one player not in the Travelers field is U.S. Open champion Fitzpatrick.  He made his first PGA Tour victory special winning the U.S. Open.  It’s been a bit since someone made his first PGA Tour victory a major, the last one to do it was Englishman Danny Willett at the Masters in 2016.  The last time a U.S. Open accomplished this feat was in 2010 when Irishman Graeme McDowell won at Pebble Beach in 2010.

Fitzpatrick became just the second man to win the U.S. Amateur and U.S. Open at the same course. Jack Nicklaus won both titles at Pebble Beach, getting his second U.S. Amateur there in 1961, and his third U.S. Open title 11 years later.  What many will remember of Fitzpatrick’s win is that he hit 17 of 18 greens on Sunday.  The one he missed was the 10th hole.  In historical reference, we only know of David Graham in the 1981 U.S. Open doing better when he hit 18 of 18 greens in the final round.

Now we talked about how Willett and McDowell made a major their first PGA Tour victory.  Both of those wins did come out of left field, nobody thought of both winning.  That wasn’t the same with Fitzpatrick as he was one of the favorites at 22 to 1 going into the week.  In DraftKings million-dollar game, 21.5% of the players made Fitzpatrick one of their six picks, so it wasn’t a surprise that he won.  In 15 starts on the PGA Tour in 2021-22, it was his eighth top-ten finish.  The big question is if Fitzpatrick has any chance of catching Scottie Scheffler as player of the year.  Despite the great year Fitzpatrick is having, the odds are against him catching Scheffler who was runner-up at The Country Club.  Of course, anything is possible, if Fitzpatrick wins the British Open that would make people think twice about their choice.

Of those playing at the Travelers, who did well at the U.S. Open, of course, we must look at Scheffler as the cream of the crop. But his record at TPC River Highlands is not good, he was T-47th last year and missed the cut in 2020.  Now Rory McIlroy, who again played well finishing T-5th at Brookline has played a bit better at the Travelers finishing T-11th in 2020, T-12th in 2018, and T-17th in 2017.  Another person to think about is Keegan Bradley, who was T-7th at Brookline and finished T-2nd at the Travelers in 2019.

A good cheat sheet is this list of odds from the top bookmakers in England.

Another cheat sheet is this list of odds from the top bookmaker in Las Vegas.

Tournament information:

This is the 71st annual Travelers Championship. The United States Junior Chambers founded the tournament in 1952 after an attempt to raise money from a turtle race the previous year failed. The Cromwell, Connecticut-based tournament was initially known as the Insurance City Open. The chief goal of the tournament since its inception has been to raise funds for the USJC’s philanthropic endeavors. In the inaugural tournament, war-hero Ted Kroll captured the crown, the second of his career. Four years later, the Insurance City Open served as a launching pad for Arnold Palmer as he notched his second win on the PGA Tour and the first on American soil in the 1956 Insurance City Open.

The Insurance City Open underwent a name change in 1967 when it became the Greater Hartford Open. The tournament’s original goal was given a boost when, in 1971, defending champion Bob Murphy donated $20,000 of his 1970 winnings to start the Greater Hartford Chapter of the “Jaycees.” The year 1973 was momentous for the Greater Hartford Open. To further boost tournament notoriety, entertainer Sammy Davis Jr., who frequently participated in the Pro-Am events, lent his name to Greater Hartford Open. Also in 1973, Billy Casper won his record fourth and final Greater Hartford Open. In 1985, the first major corporate sponsor for the event surfaced in the form of Canon USA.

Starting in 1985 the event added Canon to its name; however, the title would be altered just three years later. In 1988, Sammy Davis Jr. was removed from the name, and beginning in 1989; the tournament was became known as the Canon Greater Hartford Open. By 2001, the tournament had grown to previously unrealized levels. Phil Mickelson’s personal best 61, as well as appearances by Arnold Palmer and Lee Trevino, headlined the tournament, which saw a record 318,000 spectators come out to watch the 50th annual Canon Greater Hartford Open. In 2004, a three-year partnership was forged between Buick and the GHO. The result was the Buick Championship. After the three-year contract expired, however, Buick decided not to renew the contract. Consequently, St. Paul Traveler’s stepped in to become the new title sponsor in 2007.

Course information:

• TPC River Highlands
• Cromwell, Ct.
• 6,852 yards     Par 35-35–70

The TPC River Highlands has experienced as many changes as the name of the tournament it hosts. The original piece of property was designed in 1928 by R.J. Ross, cousin to the more notable golf course designer Donald Ross. The course was tied to the Edgewood Country Club. However, when the Greater Hartford Open was searching for a larger venue than its home at Wethersfield Country Club in 1982, the Edgewood Country Club seemed like a perfect fit. Before the venue was fit to host a major PGA Tour event, course renovations were necessary. The Greater Hartford Chapter of the USJC hired Pete Dye to renovate the Edgewood Country Club golf course. Dye’s finished product, known as The TPC Connecticut, hosted the Greater Hartford Open in 1984. One of the key features of the new course, especially the back nine, was the incorporation of amphitheaters to improve a fan’s viewing experience. In 1989, a re-design team that consisted of Bobby Weed, and consultants Howard Twitty and Roger Maltbie, made some additional changes. After the renovation, the course became known as the TPC River Highlands.

The golf course itself is forgiving. The par-70 course, measuring at 6,852 yards, has a Course Rating of 72.7 and a Slope Rating of 131. The tees and fairways are a 3/8″ cut of Bent Grass, while the greens are a 1/8″ cut of Bent Grass mixed with Poa annua. The rough consists of a mixture of Kentucky Blue Grass, Perennial Rye Grass, and fine Fescue cut at just over 6 inches. The 132-acre venue has 69 bunkers and five water hazards that come into play on six holes. Golf Digest rated TPC at River Highlands as one of the six best courses in the state of Connecticut. Another notable achievement for the TPC at River Highlands was that it was the 49th course to become fully certified in the Audubon Cooperative Sanctuary Program for Golf Courses (ACSP), which promotes ecologically sound land management and the conservation of natural resources.

Holes No. 4 and 10 provide the biggest challenge. The fourth hole is the most difficult on the golf course. It’s a severe dogleg right that measures 481 yards. The tee shot requires a massive fade to reach the fairway while avoiding the tree line on the right-hand side. From there, the approach shot goes into a tight green with a bunker guarding the front left. As for the 10th hole, the 462-yard par 4 requires a slight draw to the left-hand side of a tiny fairway to avoid the large fairway bunker on the right. From the fairway, the player aims for a green that is protected by a front left and back right bunker. The most famous portion of the course, the three-hole stretch from 15 to 17, incorporates a four-acre lake that is affectionately dubbed the “Golden Triangle.” Those three holes, along with the 18th, make up one of the top finishing stretches on the PGA Tour.

In the summer of 2008, the new practice facility opened. The 23.5-acre facility is adjacent to the new First Tee of Connecticut nine-hole golf course that is in its initial phase of construction.

Last year TPC River Highlands played to a scoring average of 69.67 and was ranked 22nd out of 51 courses.  In 2020 the course played to a scoring average of 68.63 and was ranked 32nd out of 41 courses. In 2019 the course played to a 69.72 average and ranked T-19th.  In 2018 it played to a 69.60 average as it ranked 25th.  In 2017 the scoring average was 70.20 as it ranked T-20th.  In 2016 it played to an average of 69.67, just over a quarter of a shot under par.  It ranked 26th hardest course on the PGA Tour.  In 2015 it was to an average of 69.38, almost three-quarters of a shot under par.  It ranked as the 29th hardest course on the PGA Tour that year.  In 2014 it played to a 69.69 average while in 2013 TPC River Highlands played to a 70.25 scoring average, just a quarter of a shot over par.  So it has played easily of late.

Let’s take a look at vital stats that are important for those playing at TPC River Highlands.

This is based on the most vital stats from TPC River Highlands, based on data from last year’s Travelers, and using data from all the players in the field with stats from 2021.
The most important thing to realize about TPC River Highlands, it’s a course that is very forgiving, you don’t kill a lot of brain cells in getting your way around it, and if you drive it long and reasonably straight, you can win. Just look at the roll call of past champions, guys like Dustin Johnson, Jordan Spieth, Bubba Watson, Kenny Perry, Phil Mickelson, Kevin Streelman, Marc Leishman, J.J. Henry, and defending champion Harris English. These are guys that hit it far and chase it for their next shot. Now this doesn’t eliminate short hitters, guys like Brad Faxon, Woody Austin, Chez Reavie, and Olin Browne have won, and they are not long hitters. In 2016 Russell Knox won, he is classified as being in the middle, a person that can give it some stick, but is in the middle of the pack (in 2016 he ranked 108th in driving distance). Last year’s winner Harris English came into the Travelers on a high after finishing 3rd at the U.S. Open. He had won at the Sentry Tournament of Champions and was having a good year, with English winning the Travelers he made his year great. In 2020 Dustin Johnson won by a shot. Johnson’s game was in flux due to injury. After the break from the pandemic, Johnson missed the cut at Charles Schwab and then was T-17th at Hilton Head. So it wasn’t shocking to see Johnson win, but after that had some problems with his game before that got fixed and he finished up the year on a high. In 2019 Chez Reavie won by four shots. He was hot coming into the week, he was T-3rd at the U.S. Open at Pebble. Now playing well may not be a clue when you consider that in 2018 Bubba Watson won, the week before he missed the cut at the U.S. Open shooting rounds of 77-74. The year before in 2017 Jordan Spieth won, the week before he finished T-35th at the U.S. Open. So it doesn’t really matter how a player is doing coming into the Travelers, but like anything else, those playing well coming into the Travelers should do well.
In looking at characteristics of players who could win the Travelers of course your first choice should be guys that hit it a long way, guys that are playing well right now and showing some promise.
The field for this year is about the same as last year, pretty good with six of the top-11 in the world ranking. This is a fun event, in past years they have had massive crowds of 80,000 on the weekend, that included last year when they had a big gallery after 2020 when there was no gallery due to COVID-19.

In looking at our four categories, we have to go outside the box. Remember this isn’t a tough course, last year it played to a 68.67 average making it the 22nd hardest course on tour (out of 51 on tour last year). Hitting it long is essential, last year it ranked 19th on tour with an average of all drives being 292.0. But you don’t have to be accurate, it ranked 32nd on tour last year with a 64.452 average so driving it straight isn’t important. Now making birdies is important as 1,608 were made last year making it the 40th hardest on tour, not bad for a course that only has two par 5s. To score low you have to play well on its 12 par 4s, last year the par 4s average was 4.00, and it ranked T-32nd on tour. So our first category is Strokes Gained Tee-to-Green because those that do well on the course do well in this stat and have a significant advantage. Last year’s winner Harris English ranked 3rd for the week. In 2020 Dustin Johnson ranked 6th for the week while 2019 winner Chez Reavie ranked 1st, and 2018 winner Bubba Watson ranked 2nd in this stat Next is Par Breakers which is a combination of birdies and Eagles, you have to make a lot of them this week to have any chance. Last year TPC River Highlands was the 19th hardest on tour as winner Harris English ranked T-10th. The year before, Dustin Johnson ranked T-2nd, and 2019 winner Reavie ranked T-5th. In 2018 the course was the 23rd toughest on tour in this stat while Watson ranked T-1st. Our third category is scrambling, that is getting it up, and down when you miss a green, last year TPC River Highlands was the 20th hardest as winner Harris English was T-2nd getting it up and down on 14 of the 18 greens he missed. In 2020 Johnson was T-33rd, and 2019 winner Chez Reavie was 2nd as he got it up and down on 15 of the 18 greens he missed. In 2018 the course was the 13th hardest while the winner Watson was T-44th. In 2015 Bubba won and he led that stat. Our final category is par 4 average, last year TPC River Highlands was T-32nd in this stat, and winner English was 7 under on the par 4s. In 2020 winner Dustin Johnson was 14 under and best while in 2019 Reavie was 13 under in this state not only the best in the field but the only player in double digits. In 2018 Watson was 11 under the same that Spieth was the year before that. In 2015 when Bubba won he was 12 under on the par 4s and led that stat. In looking at the winners, English broke a streak in which the year before the last seven champions had been in double-digit numbers in par 4s which means it’s a very important element in winning the Travelers.

*Strokes Gained Tee-to-green: Combination of distance off the tee, accuracy, and the ability to hit greens in regulation.

*Par Breakers: Who makes the most birdies and eagles per round.

*Scrambling: The percent of the time a player misses the green in regulation, but still makes par or better.

*Par 4 averages: Players that do the best on par 4s.

Of the 156 players in the field, 141 have stats on the PGA Tour for 2022.

Click any column title in the table header to sort columns.

Here is the link to all player stats for the Travelers

DraftKings tips

Of the 156 in the field, 125 have played at least once at TPC River Highlands in the Travelers since 2010:

• Charley Hoffman is 83 under in 42 rounds, playing 11 years
• Brendan Steele is 73 under in 38 rounds, playing 11 years
• Marc Leishman is 71 under in 38 rounds, playing 10 years
• Kevin Streelman is 70 under in 40 rounds, playing 12 years
• Brian Harman is 64 under in 36 rounds, playing 10 years
• Keegan Bradley is 58 under in 40 rounds, playing 11 years
• Chez Reavie is 57 under in 34 rounds, playing 9 years
• Zach Johnson is 48 under in 36 rounds, playing 10 years
• Patrick Cantlay is 47 under in 24 rounds, playing 7 years
• Jason Day is 44 under in 22 rounds, playing 6 years
• Brandt Snedeker is 44 under in 30 rounds, playing 9 years
• Webb Simpson is 40 under in 26 rounds, playing 7 years
• Brooks Koepka is 32 under in 20 rounds, playing 5 years
• Kevin Tway is 32 under in 24 rounds, playing 7 years
• Rory McIlroy is 30 under in 12 rounds, playing 3 years
• Martin Laird is 27 under in 24 rounds, playing 7 years
• Patrick Rodgers is 27 under in 28 rounds, playing 8 years
• J.J. Henry is 27 under in 38 rounds, playing 12 years
• Mackenzie Hughes is 26 under in 20 rounds, playing 5 years
• Brendon Todd is 25 under in 16 rounds, playing 5 years
• Si Woo Kim is 25 under in 16 rounds, playing 5 years
• Danny Lee is 24 under in 24 rounds, playing 8 years
• Harris English is 24 under in 27 rounds, playing 8 years
• Sam Burns is 22 under in 12 rounds, playing 3 years
• Tyler Duncan is 22 under in 16 rounds, playing 4 years
• Russell Knox is 22 under in 31 rounds, playing 10 years
• Jhonattan Vegas is 21 under in 22 rounds, playing 7 years
• Hank Lebioda is 20 under in 12 rounds, playing 3 years
• Jordan Spieth is 20 under in 14 rounds, playing 4 years
• Xander Schauffele is 19 under in 10 rounds, playing 3 years
• Joaquin Niemann is 18 under in 12 rounds, playing 3 years
• Harold Varner III is 18 under in 16 rounds, playing 5 years
• Tony Finau is 18 under in 18 rounds, playing 6 years
• William McGirt is 18 under in 26 rounds, playing 8 years
• Stewart Cink is 17 under in 19 rounds, playing 6 years

*Here are the ones with the best under-par totals averaging it per year played (2 or more starts)

• Rory McIlroy is 30 under, playing 3 years (-10.0)
• Charley Hoffman is 83 under, playing 11 years (-7.5)
• Jason Day is 44 under, playing 6 years (-7.3)
• Sam Burns is 22 under, playing 3 years (-7.3)
• Marc Leishman is 71 under, playing 10 years (-7.1)
• Doc Redman is 14 under, playing 2 years (-7.0)
• Patrick Cantlay is 47 under, playing 7 years (-6.7)
• Hank Lebioda is 20 under, playing 3 years (-6.7)
• Brendan Steele is 73 under, playing 11 years (-6.6)
• Brian Harman is 64 under, playing 10 years (-6.4)
• Brooks Koepka is 32 under, playing 5 years (-6.4)
• Chez Reavie is 57 under, playing 9 years (-6.3)
• Xander Schauffele is 19 under, playing 3 years (-6.3)
• Joaquin Niemann is 18 under, playing 3 years (-6.0)
• Kramer Hickok is 12 under, playing 2 years (-6.0)
• Kevin Streelman is 70 under, playing 12 years (-5.8)
• Webb Simpson is 40 under, playing 7 years (-5.7)
• Tyler Duncan is 22 under, playing 4 years (-5.5)
• Sungjae Im is 11 under, playing 2 years (-5.5)
• Keegan Bradley is 58 under, playing 11 years (-5.3)
• Joseph Bramlett is 16 under, playing 3 years (-5.3)
• Mackenzie Hughes is 26 under, playing 5 years (-5.2)
• Brendon Todd is 25 under, playing 5 years (-5.0)
• Si Woo Kim is 25 under, playing 5 years (-5.0)
• Jordan Spieth is 20 under, playing 4 years (-5.0)
• Lanto Griffin is 15 under, playing 3 years (-5.0)

Historical ParBreakers

Here is a look at those playing this week and who has made the most eagles and birdies:

So it makes sense that the top players on this list are guys that will make lots of points this week

DraftKings tips

*Here are the guys that cost the most on DraftKings this week:

• Scottie Scheffler – $11,200
• Rory McIlroy – $11,000
• Justin Thomas – $10,800 (has withdrawn)
• Sam Burns – $10,400
• Patrick Cantlay – $10,200
• Xander Schauffele – $10,000
• Jordan Spieth – $9,900
• Sungjae Im – $9,700
• Joaquin Niemann – $9,600
• Tony Finau – $9,500
• Keegan Bradley – $9,400
• Brooks Koepka – $9,300 (has withdrawn)
• Tommy Fleetwood – $9,200
• Seamus Power – $9,100
• Harold Varner III – $9,000

TPC Highland is one of those courses that you either like or don’t like.  Look at guys like Bubba Watson, Paul Casey, Marc Leishman, Keegan Bradley, and even Dustin Johnson.  These guys seem to always play well at River Highlands.  So look at past performances and you can tell if he is a guy to pick.  Unfortunately with the advent of the LIV series players like Dustin Johnson, Bryson DeChambeau, and Phil Mickelson that have done well are not playing.  Also lost are Paul Casey and Bubba Watson, both with serious injuries.  For Watson it’s a torn meniscus in his knee that he announced on May 23rd that he would be out for six weeks.  As for Casey, he has been having back spasms since mid-March.  His last official event was the WGC-Dell Match Play but he never hit a shot.  So his T-3rd at the Players is his last start, over three months ago.  He has had a lot of touch-and-go times, he thought he would be able to play in both the Masters and the U.S. Open but had to withdraw.  So frankly we have no idea when Casey will be back or if he will be able to hit a golf shot in the 2021-22 season.

So looking at who to pick this week, our top player is Scottie Scheffler at $11,200.  He is having the best season of anyone, but he is not playing at the same pace he did between wins in Phoenix and at the Masters.  He finished 2nd at the Charles Schwab, losing a playoff to Sam Burns who holed a 40-footer in the playoff.  Last week he was runner-up at the U.S. Open, so you would think I would be enthusiastic about picking him.  Frankly, I’m not, he didn’t hit the ball that well last week at Brookline, and with his high price I am going to be careful.  Sure he is the cream of those in the field, but he was in Canada two weeks ago and finished T-18th. Yes, I am taking a pass on Scottie.  As for Rory McIlroy – $11,000 he has been on a roll since his runner-up finish at the Masters.  He got off to hot starts at both the PGA Championship and the U.S. Open, but just like other weeks had that one poor round.  Last week at the U.S. Open he shot a third-round 73 which put him too far behind to make a charge on the final round.  I like Rory, think that he is playing great, is hitting it very well and I feel that anytime he plays, he could win.  Still think he has a win left up his sleeve in the next ten weeks of the season.  Justin Thomas at $10,800 is a good pick, yes he has been up and down, winning the PGA and then missing the cut at Colonial.  He then finished 3rd in Canada but after an opening round of 69 at the U.S. Open, shot 72-72-74 to finish T-37th.  Sorry but we just don’t know which player will show up in Hartford, but I feel Thomas will be tough on this course.  The same with Sam Burns at $10,400, he is playing great right now.  He has played better at the Travelers, and was T-13th last year so think he will contend.  Patrick Cantlay at $10,200 is a person to look at.  On paper, TPC River Highlands is perfect for his game, but in seven starts his best finish is T-11th in 2020.  He was T-13th last year so I feel he can be better.  2022 has had mixed results but he looked good at Brookline finishing T-14th so take a chance on Cantlay this week.  Xander Schauffele at $10,000 is a tough sale for me, his record has been ok at the Travelers, but the reality is his best finish in T-14th in three starts so maybe the course is not suited for him.  Still, he has played well since the Masters, in his five starts he hasn’t finished higher than T-18th, he was T-14th at Brookline so he is a tough choice.  I say no, just on his high price and not playing well in this event.  As for Jordan Spieth at $9,900 I say no based on the fact that he wasn’t feeling well last week at the U.S. Open and it bothers me that despite winning the Travelers in 2017, he has struggled in this event in his last three starts.  So Jordan is a no for me.  Now I am really puzzled at the pricing of Sungjae Im at $9,700.  In two Travelers starts his best finish was T-21st and he has finished in the top-21 in five of his last six starts, but his last start was a missed cut at the U.S. Open.  So he is a no for me.  Joaquin Niemann at $9,600 is a good choice, think the course will suit Niemann who was T-5th at River Highlands in 2019 and played well in 2022.  So he will be a great pick this week,  I will not pick Tony Finau at $9,500,  It seemed he was playing well going into the U.S. Open but flopped missing the cut.  In his six starts at the Travelers, nothing gives me any confidence in him, he has missed the cut in his last three visits.  Keegan Bradley at $9,400 is worth looking at.  Yes in 11 starts he only has two top-tens, but one was a runner-up finish in 2019.  He is playing well of late and putting well, so this could be a good week for him.  Now Brooks Koepka at $9,300 will take some thinking.  He hasn’t played that great in 2022, but he was T-5th at the Travelers last year.  Now it looks like he is going to play in the LIV series so he will get hounded this week, but Koepka gets more energy when there is some controversy.  Still, I have never been a big Brooks Koepka fan and will find it hard to root for him as he is on the cusp of playing the LIV series.  Another person that is hard to judge is Tommy Fleetwood at $9,200.  Has not played well in 2022, yes was T-5th at the PGA Championship but he missed the cut at the U.S. Open.  Has played once at the Travelers and was T-13th in 2019, but I think it’s best to hold off on him.  Seamus Power at $9,100 is a toss-up pick for me, has played well in 2022 but his Travelers record isn’t great, had his best finish last year, T-19th.  Harold Varner III at $9,000 is also hard, you just know that he is close to his first PGA Tour win, but he is always up and down.  He missed the cut at the U.S. Open, but again could bounce back and have a good week.

By popular demand our feature in which we help you decide which guys make the cut the most in a tournament.  The importance of picking six players that play 72 holes is vital in playing well in Draftkings, and this list will help.  It’s a look going back to the 2010 Travelers on who has made the most cuts.  Of course, those who make a lot of cuts and are priced low are very helpful.  To get on this list, you have to make at least three Travelers starts:

• Brooks Koepka made 5 cuts in 5 starts for a 100.0%.  His DraftKings cost is 9,300.
• Rory McIlroy made 3 cuts in 3 starts for a 100.0%.  His DraftKings cost is 11,000.
• Hank Lebioda made 3 cuts in 3 starts for a 100.0%.  His DraftKings cost is 6,500.
• Tyler Duncan made 4 cuts in 4 starts for a 100.0%.  His DraftKings cost is 6,400.
• Sam Burns made 3 cuts in 3 starts for a 100.0%.  His DraftKings cost is 10,400.
• Joaquin Niemann made 3 cuts in 3 starts for a 100.0%.  His DraftKings cost is 9,600.
• Mackenzie Hughes made 5 cuts in 5 starts for a 100.0%.  His DraftKings cost is 7,400.
• Henrik Norlander made 4 cuts in 4 starts for a 100.0%.  His DraftKings cost is 6,300.
• Lanto Griffin made 3 cuts in 3 starts for a 100.0%.  His DraftKings cost is 7,100.
• Charley Hoffman made 10 cuts in 11 starts for a 90.9%.  His DraftKings cost is 6,500.
• Marc Leishman made 9 cuts in 10 starts for a 90.0%.  His DraftKings cost is 8,400.
• Chez Reavie made 8 cuts in 9 starts for a 88.9%.  His DraftKings cost is 7,200.
• Webb Simpson made 6 cuts in 7 starts for a 85.7%.  His DraftKings cost is 8,500.
• Jason Day made 5 cuts in 6 starts for a 83.3%.  His DraftKings cost is 8,100.
• Keegan Bradley made 9 cuts in 11 starts for a 81.8%.  His DraftKings cost is 9,400.
• Zach Johnson made 8 cuts in 10 starts for a 80.0%.  His DraftKings cost is 6,800.
• Brian Harman made 8 cuts in 10 starts for a 80.0%.  His DraftKings cost is 8,600.
• Emiliano Grillo made 4 cuts in 5 starts for a 80.0%.  His DraftKings cost is 7,100.
• Jordan Spieth made 3 cuts in 4 starts for a 75.0%.  His DraftKings cost is 9,900.
• Joel Dahmen made 3 cuts in 4 starts for a 75.0%.  His DraftKings cost is 7,700.
• Harris English made 6 cuts in 8 starts for a 75.0%.  His DraftKings cost is 7,600.
• Sam Ryder made 3 cuts in 4 starts for a 75.0%.  His DraftKings cost is 6,200.
• Seamus Power made 3 cuts in 4 starts for a 75.0%.  His DraftKings cost is 9,100.
• J.J. Spaun made 3 cuts in 4 starts for a 75.0%.  His DraftKings cost is 7,000.
• Brendan Steele made 8 cuts in 11 starts for a 72.7%.  His DraftKings cost is 7,700.
• Patrick Cantlay made 5 cuts in 7 starts for a 71.4%.  His DraftKings cost is 10,200.
• Kevin Tway made 5 cuts in 7 starts for a 71.4%.  His DraftKings cost is 6,300.
• Nick Watney made 5 cuts in 7 starts for a 71.4%.  His DraftKings cost is 6,100.
• Martin Laird made 5 cuts in 7 starts for a 71.4%.  His DraftKings cost is 6,900.
• Tom Hoge made 5 cuts in 7 starts for a 71.4%.  His DraftKings cost is 7,400.
• Morgan Hoffmann made 5 cuts in 7 starts for a 71.4%.  His DraftKings cost is 6,000.

(Those that I like are in bold)

*Players in that $7,500 to $8,900 price range, which ones are worth the money?:

Now Davis Riley at $8,900 is someone that has played well for a bit, yes has never played at the Travelers, but your going to get your money’s worth out of him so pick him.  Another good pick is Aaron Wise at $8,800.  He has played well since Valspar, he was 2nd at the Memorial.  Mito Pereira at $8,700 is also worth the money, yes he missed the cut at Brookline, but has played solidly the last couple of months.  Marc Leishman at $8,400 is also worth thinking about, has won this event and played well in it.  His game hasn’t been great since he was T-3rd at the Shriners back in October, but he does make a lot of points and rarely misses the cut.  Now this could be the week for Denny McCarthy at $8,300, he was T-5th at the Memorial and T-7th at the U.S. Open so maybe this will be his week.  The same with Joel Dahmen at $7,700, he has played ok of late and was T-10th at the U.S. Open.

Some of the “bargains” this week at the Travelers

Lots of tough sales, but someone like Cameron Tringale at $7,400 could be good, but in eight starts at the Travelers has missed five cuts, but for the year has been good in June.  Kevin Streelman at $7,200 looks good with his Travelers record which includes a win in 2014, but everything else shows that he has struggled this year.  Nick Hardy at $7,100 is a guy to watch.  He has struggled most of the year but has found some really good golf of late including a 2nd at Memorial and T-14th at the U.S. Open

Here are some of the secrets of what it takes to play well at the Travelers:

The key stat for the winner:

The TPC at River Highlands is a different type of TPC course.  It was a reconfiguration of a traditional, old-style course, but it still has some of that flavor.  Most of the greens are small, raised, or crowned, making it a scrambler’s delight.  The tournament is well supported in the community — as many as 80,000 spectators could be in attendance but after COVID-19 they will have 10,000 a day — so the timid need not apply.  Another factor that comes into play is the fact that the tournament has close finishes every year (except of course in 2009 when Kenny Perry won by three and last year).  Since it moved away from Wethersfield in 1983, 27 of the 37 tournaments have been decided by either a shot or a playoff, including last year when it took Harris English eight holes to beat Kramer Hickok.  In 2012 Marc Leishman was a shot better than Charley Hoffman and Bubba Watson.  In 2014 it was another playoff, with Ken Duke getting the better of Chris Stroud. In 2015 Bubba Watson won again in a playoff, this time against Paul Casey.  In 2016 Russell Knox won by a shot over Jerry Kelly, in 2017 Jordan Spieth won spectacularly by holing a bunker shot in a playoff to beat Daniel Berger so tight finishes are the norm.  The last two years have been a big snooze as the Bubba Watson won by three shots in 2018 and Chez Reavie won by four shots in 2018.  Last year Dustin Johnson shot a third-round 61 and then 67 in the final round for a one-shot win over Kevin Steelman.

Here is a chart that shows exactly how close tournaments have been in the 68-year history of the Travelers Championship:

• Tournaments tied after 72 holes: 24
• Tournaments won by one shot: 24
• Tournaments won by two shots: 8
• Tournaments won by three shots: 6
• Tournaments won by four shots or more: 8

Here are some more key stats to look to for this week:

• So what is an essential element for the most recent past champions of the Travelers?  Putting and hitting it a long way.
• Last year Harris English was 1st in Strokes Gained Total, 4th in putting from 4 to 8 feet, and 2nd in Scrambling. In 2019 Chez Reavie was first in Strokes gained Tee-to-Green, 2nd in scrambling, and 4th in putting.  Last year Dustin Johnson was 6th in Strokes Gained Tee-to-Green, T-33rd in scrambling, and 4th in Strokes Gained Tee-to-Green.  In 2018 before Bubba Watson kept the trend going winning his third Travelers title.  He did it ranked 2nd in Strokes Gained Tee-to-Green and 5th in total putting and putting average.  In 2017 Jordan Spieth kept the trend as he was 1st in Strokes Gained Tee-To-Green and was 4th in putts per round.  In 2016 Russell Knox’s key was hitting a lot of greens, but putting was very important for him as in the 48 putts he had of 4 feet and in he made everyone.  Look at Bubba Watson in 2015, he not only was the longest driver in the field but also had the best overall putting average. Kevin Streelman in 2014, he was 1st in putting average, 8th in total putting, and 3rd in strokes gained putting.  The year before Ken Duke was 1st in putting average, 3rd in total putting, and 10th in strokes gained putting.  To put this into perspective, of the last eleven champions in the total number of putts, eight of them were in the top five, and all of them were in the top 13 except for Russell Knox in 2016, so putting well is the key to being successful.
• Hitting it far is more important than accuracy because the last 13 of 22 champions have been in the top-13 of the driving distance stat while only five winners have broken into the top ten of the accuracy stat just once.  2020 winner Dustin Johnson wasn’t the best as he ranked T-47th, but in 2019 Chez Reavie was the best of anyone since Peter Jacobsen also finished T-3rd in 2003.  In driving distance, Johnson is 16th, while in 2019 Reavie ranked T-54th with a 279.3 average.  In 2018 Bubba Watson was 7th in driving distance while he was T-70th in accuracy.  In 2017 Jordan Spieth was T-51st in driving distance and T-42nd in driving accuracy.  But in 2015 Bubba Watson was 1st in driving distance and 70th in accuracy, so driving it long does have its advantages.
• Playing the par 4s well is another key. Of the last 25 champions, 17 have played those holes in 8-under or better, with Notah Begay III playing them the best in 16-under in 2000. Last year Harris English was only 7 under but the year before Dustin Johnson played the par 4s in 14 under.  In 2019 Chez Reavie played the par 4s in 13 under, in 2018 Bubba Watson played the par 4s in 11 under while the year before Jordan Spieth also played them in 11 under.  In 2016 Kenny Knox played them in 10 under while in 2015 Bubba played the par 4s in 12 under while the year before Kevin Streelman played them in 11-under par.
• Hitting greens will be at a premium. Just like in a U.S. Open, hitting lots of greens goes a long way in this event.  Normally you would look for the winner to hit globs of greens and in 2016 Knox did it hitting 57 of 72 which ranked T-5th.  Last year Harris English hit 54 of 72 greens to rank T-15th.  The previous year, Dustin Johnson hit 56 of 72 to rank T-18th.  In 2019 Chez Reavie hit 54 of 72 to rank T-7th, Bubba did about the same in 2018 hitting 56 and was T-7th.  The year before Spieth hit 49 and ranked T-42nd while in 2015 Bubba hit 50 and was ranked T-38th.  The year before that Streelman hit 53 and was ranked T-10th.  But the previous three years the winners were poor in hitting greens, still, in looking at the last 17 champions, eight of them were in the top ten.
• Now those playing in the U.S. Open experienced a lot of great weather, yes Sunday was cold but most of the week was perfect. But this week it’s going to be 80 and humid every day with temperatures in the low 80s.  Good news, light 8 to 10 mph wind for the first three days and 13 mph for Sunday.