BlogTravelers Championship Preview and Picks

The Buzz:

The U.S. Open from Los Angeles Country Club will not go down as one of those memorable events in the history of the USGA.  Sorry it’s not to say that Wyndham Clark is not a great player, it has taken him almost 30 years to finally find his talent.  It also took him almost a decade to get over the biggest pain the death of his mother.  She was the person that got Wyndham started in golf at the age of three and was always there to help him be better. When she died of Breast Cancer in 2013 it sent Clark on a tailspin that has taken him all these years to get over.

There are so many stones that fell into place for Clark to win the U.S. Open.  First had to be Clark leaving Oklahoma State and transferring to Oregon.  Under the guidance of Ducks head coach Casey Martin, he instilled the confidence that Clark had lost in the death of his Mother.  Clark was able to make it to the Korn Ferry Tour on the first try and then made it to the PGA Tour soon after, but he was still missing some pieces.  Clark is one of those rare breed that doesn’t have or need a swing coach.  But he needed an extra pair of eyes to help solve problems and when he hired caddie John Ellis at the end of 2022 that helped him because Ellis could spot little problems and help them not turn into big problems.  Then Clark’s agent suggested that he see a mental coach.  He found sports psychologist, Julie Elion who had worked with Phil Mickelson and Jimmy Walker.  Under Elion, Clark was able to harness his potential and overcome mental barriers while playing golf.  To show how much Ellis and Elion have helped Clark, at the end of 2023 he ranked 163rd in the Official World Rankings.  As of today, Clark is 13th.  Going into the final round on Sunday, Elion told him to stay cocky and since he was playing with fan favorite Rickie Fowler, he wanted to show those fans what he really was made of.  Talking about Fowler, the two are good friends, staring with their Oklahoma State connection.  But many times the two play together and one of those times was before the Arnold Palmer Invitational back in March.  The two were playing at Medalist Club in Jupiter, Fla., and Fowler was beating Clark by making every putt.  Clark was amazed at the putting exhibition that Fowler put on and tried the Odyssey Versa putter that Fowler was using.  He liked it so much he got in touch with the Odyssey rep and had one almost exactly like Fowlers.  He started using it at the Players Championship and the next week was 5th at the Valspar, followed by a 6th at the Corales Puntacana Championship.  Other than a miss cut at the PGA Championship, Clark hasn’t finished out of the top-30 and that includes two wins and five top-12 finishes.  So with the change of putter, caddie and mental coach Clark has shined.

One thing that I wish is that I was near the 18th green of Los Angeles Golf Club two weeks ago, the Tuesday before U.S. Open week.  Clark called up a friend who is member of LAGC and played his first round with his buddy a week before the start of the Open.  As Clark said, it was love at first sight.  He felt that the holes fit his eye.  He loved the design of the course, loved the greens and felt so comfortable with the course that he didn’t have to strain and play a lot in the practice rounds.

Something like that happened to me in 1996 at on the Wednesday before the British Open at Royal Lytham.  I was going back to my hotel for dinner and ran into an old friend, Andy Martinez.  I grew up playing junior golf with him and he joined the caddie ranks, caddying for a lot of famous players including Johnny Miller and Tom Lehman.  He was caddying for Lehman at Lytham and I saw him finishing a practice round on my way to dinner and talked with him.  All Martinez said was how remarkable Lehman was playing and Andy felt that Tom would win.  So thanks to the tip from a friend I went into a betting shop and place several bets on Lehman to win and show.  Sure enough I was able to parlay 20 pounds into a 800 pound take which made my British Open very pleasant.

Now on Clark, I really can’t say what the future of him really will be.  Sure he has played well since March, but what happens when the hard times come and we all know they will come.  Will Clark find a way to play decent when his game isn’t sharp like Scottie Scheffler has shown us in the last 18 months?  I can say that Clark is hot right now, I wouldn’t put a dime on him at the Travelers, but after that we should watch him.

As for the rest of the U.S. Open was surprised that players didn’t take a liking to the course.  When players start complaining the talk gets more intense and it even got to the fans as many people didn’t like the L.A.fans.  Oh well it will be 16 years before the U.S. Open returns to Los Angeles Golf Club in 2039 so the USGA can think about it for a bit.

Of those playing at the Travelers, who did well at the U.S. Open, of course we must look at Rory McIlory and Scottie Scheffler as the cream of the crop. But his record at TPC River Highlands is not good, he was T-13th last year, T-47th in 2021 and missed the cut in 2020.  Now Rory McIlroy, who again played well finishing 2nd has played a bit better at the Travelers finishing T-13th last year, T-11th in 2020, T-12th in 2018 and T-17th in 2017.  Another person to think about is Brian Harman, who shot a first round 66 at the U.S. Open but finished T-43rd.  I like Harman because at River Highlands he was T-8th last year, T-5th in 2021, T-8th in 2019, T-6th in 2018 and 3rd in 2015.

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 since 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 dog-leg 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 summer 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 69.39 and was ranked 22nd out of 50 courses.  In 2021 it 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 a 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, data from last year’s Travelers, and data from all the players in the field with stats from 2023.
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 Xander Schauffele. These guys hit it far and chase it for their next shot. Now this doesn’t eliminate short hitters, guys like 2021 winner Harris English, Brad Faxon, Woody Austin, Chez Reavie, and Olin Browne, who has won, 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 Xander Schauffele, had won two months before, but that was the Zurich Team event. Before that, he won the 2021 Olympics, which isn’t a PGA Tour event. You had to go back to Schauffele’s 2019 Sentry Tournament of Champions for his last individual PGA Tour title. Still, Schauffele was playing well going into the Travelers, finishing T-14th at the U.S. Open the week before. He was hot; after winning the Zurich with partner Patrick Cantlay, Schauffele was in the top 20 in his four starts between the Zurich and Travelers. In the previous year, 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 matter how a player is 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 the best it’s ever been, thanks to it being a designated tournament. So with this being a fun event, in past years, they have had massive crowds of 80,000 on the weekend, bringing a lot of excitement.
In looking at our four categories, we have to go outside the box. Remember, this isn’t a tough course; it played to a 69.39 average last year, making it the 22nd hardest course (out of 50 on tour last year). Hitting it long is essential; last year, it ranked 15th on tour, with an average of all drives being 292.9. But you don’t have to be accurate; it ranked 40th on tour last year with a 65.09 average, so driving it straight isn’t important. Now making birdies is important as 1,625 were made last year, making it the 37th 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 3.99, 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 Xander Schauffele ranked 15th for the week. The previous year, Harris English ranked 3rd for the week, while in 2020, Dustin Johnson ranked 6th. In 2019 winner Chez Reavie ranked 1st, and 2018 winner Bubba Watson ranked 2nd in this stat.
Next is Par Breakers, 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 21st hardest on tour as winner Schauffele ranked 4th as he made 22 birdies. In the previous year, Harris English ranked T-10th. Dustin Johnson ranked T-2nd the year before, 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, which is getting it up and down when you miss a green; last year, TPC River Highlands was the 16th hardest, as winner Xander Schauffele was T-20th, getting it up and down 6 of the 9 greens he missed. In 2021 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 30th in this stat, and winner Xander Schauffele was 10 under on the par 4s. In 2021 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 stat 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 last 9 winners, 8 have been double digital, as Harris English was the only champion not to make it to double-digit numbers on the par 4s.

*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 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, 140 have stats on the PGA Tour for 2023.

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

Here is a link back to all the players in the field stats

DraftKings tips

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

• Scottie Scheffler – $11,300
• Rory McIlroy – $10,900
• Jon Rahm – $10,800
• Xander Schauffele – $10,400
• Patrick Cantlay – $10,200
• Viktor Hovland  – 9,900
• Tony Finau – $9,700
• Collin Morikawa – $9,500
• Tommy Fleetwood – $9,300
• Wyndham Clark – $9,200
• Rickie Fowler – $9,100
• Matt Fitzpatrick – $9,000

TPC Highland is one of those courses that you either like or you 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 is Paul Casey and Bubba Watson..

So looking at who to pick this week, our top player is Scottie Scheffler at $11,300.  He is having the best season of anyone from tee-to-green, just not putting well. He 3rd last week at the U.S. Open, 3rd at Memorial, T-3rd at the Charles Schwab, T-2nd at the PGA and T-5th at the Byron Nelson so you can say he is playing well and worth picking him.  As for Rory McIlroy at $10,900, he has four top-20 finishes at the Travelers but showed a lot of heart in finishing 2nd last week at Los Angeles.  Historically, when he finishes 2nd or 3rd in a major, a win is close behind so yes good pick for this week.  As for Jon Rahm at $10,800 his game is not sharp and has not played well at TPC River Highlands so he is a big no.  Xander Schauffele at $10,400 is the defending champion and someone playing well right now.  He didn’t fare well at the U.S. Open after an opening round 62 went on to finish T-10th, but I like him this week.  The same with Patrick Cantlay at $10,200, he hasn’t broken the top-ten at TPC River Highlands but has five straight top-15 finishes. Viktor Hovland at 9,900 is still a thought, he was 19th at the U.S. Open but still playing well.  Tony Finau at $9,700 and Collin Morikawa at $9,500 are a no for me, both have struggled in the last month, Morikawa for a while.  Tommy Fleetwood at $9,300 is a great choice, lost a playoff at the Canadian Open and shot a final round 63 at the U.S. Open.  Wyndham Clark at $9,200 is a no, sorry too much going on in his life after winning the U.S. Open.  Rickie Fowler at $9,100 is a yes, he is close and have to think he gets a win before 2023 finishes.  Matt Fitzpatrick at $9,000 is a yes, even with missing the cut in his only Travelers start.  He is playing well the last few weeks.

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

Lots of players like Max Homa, Justin Thomas, Sungjae Im and Hideki Matsuyama in the $8,600 to $8,900 range that you don’t want anything to do with them now.  Cameron Young at $8,500 is the first in this price range I like, yes not playing well and never played at TPC River Highlands, but think this week he breaks it open.  I am really high on Tom Kim at $8,100 who has played poorly for months but showed signs of breaking out of his slump at the U.S. Open.  Also very high on Harris English at $7,700 he won in 2021 and played great at the U.S. Open, he could win this week. Yes Corey Conners at $7,700 has missed two cuts at the Travelers, but is playing well right now.  Denny McCarthy at $7,600 has not played well at the Travelers but playing well of late.  Brian Harman at $7,500 is a great choice based on his great record at River Highlands and he played well at the U.S. Open.

Some of the “bargains” this week at the Travelers

Lots of tough sales, but someone like Ludvig Aberg at $7,400 could be good, he is just coming out on the PGA Tour and has been impressive.  Austin Eckroat at $7,300 played well in the final round at the U.S. Open and has several great finishes including a T-2nd at the Byron Nelson.  Patrick Rodgers at $7,300 has also been steady of late and could surprise some.  Also Sam Bennett at $7,000, he has played well since turning pro and finished T-43rd at the U.S. Open despite shooting 79 in the third round.

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

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 38 tournaments have been decided by either a shot or a playoff, including in 2021 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.  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 Xander Schauffele shot 63 and 63 in the first two days and hug out to win by two shots over J.T. Poston and Sahith Theegala who could of had a playoff but made a double bogey on the last hole.

Here is a chart that shows exactly how close tournaments have been in the 69-year history of the Travelers Championship:

• Tournaments tied after 72 holes: 24
• Tournaments won by one shot: 24
• Tournaments won by two shots: 9
• 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 Xander Schauffele 1st in Strokes Gained total, 1st in Greens in Regulation, 4th in Strokes Gained Putting and 4th in par breakers  In 2021 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 every one.  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 23 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.  Last year distance was not the key in Xander Schauffele win as he ranked 21st.  But in 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 26 champions, 18 have played those holes in 8-under or better, with Notah Begay III playing them the best in 16-under in 2000. Last year Xander Schauffele was ten under par.  In 2021 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 Xander Schauffele hit 63 of 72 which ranked 1st.  In 2021 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 cool and cloudy but most of the week was perfect. But this week it’s going to be 80 and humid every day with tempertures in the low 80s.  Bad news, rain and thunderstorms on Friday, Saturday and Sunday.