BlogTravelers Championship Preview and Picks

The Buzz:

So, is there anything else that you expect from Oakmont, including some carnage?

There was plenty of that; the eight players in the last four twosomes shot 36 over par. It wasn’t like the course was impossible, as five players broke par, with Rory McIlroy and Jan Rahm, the low men of the day, posting rounds of 67. Many thought it was over the top, but I found the day good theater. We have all been programmed by the PGA Tour to expect low scoring; it makes the product look great. If the tour had Oakmont every week, we would all question the integrity of the players. Of course, much of the carnage on Sunday was due to the weather, which made things even more challenging.

The only problem with having harsh conditions, like Sunday, is that you’ll get the occasional journeyman winner, like J.J. Spaun. Remember 2023, on a rainy weekend, Brian Harman, who was a journeyman, surprised the world by winning the 2023 British Open. Similar to the 2019 U.S. Open, in windy conditions during the final round, Gary Woodland broke out to win, surprising everyone. A year previously, Italian Francesco Molinari broke out of the pack to win at Carnoustie. We can go on for a long time; not many people bet on Jimmy Walker at the 2016 PGA Championship, and the same was true for Danny Willett a few months earlier at the Masters. At the 2009 U.S. Open, Lucas Glover shocked the world, again in rainy conditions, to beat everyone from Tiger to Sergio Garcia to Phil Mickelson. Other U.S. Open surprises include Michael Campbell’s win at Pinehurst in 2005, Steve Jones’ victory at Oakland Hills in 1996, and Andy North, who won the U.S. Open twice, in 1978 and 1985. How about the most significant journeyman victory by Ben Curtis at the 2003 British Open? The simple point is that “shit happens.”

I bet not many people wagered anything on J.J. Spaun. At 125 to 1, a ten-dollar bet would have returned $ 1,250. What made Spaun such a surprising winner was his lack of experience in major championships. Going into the week, he had played in just eight majors, and his best finish was T-23rd at the 2022 Masters. He has never played in a British Open and just played in one U.S. Open, missing the cut in 2021. The last player to win the U.S. Open on his second start was Webb Simpson in 2012 at the Olympic Club.

Now, a lot of players walk into a win in a major; that wasn’t the case with Spaun. He won it the hard way but played the first eight holes in five over. A lot of that was terrible breaks, like his second shot at 2, which was perfectly struck and landed two feet short of the pin, but instead of cozying up close, it hit the pin and sent the ball backward off the green and 49 yards from the pin. What should have been a birdie turned out to be a bogey. So when the rain caused a 96-minute delay, Spaun got the break of the week, as he was able to reset for his last ten holes. Spaun returned to the clubhouse, changed into a dry pair of clothes, and was able to relax, which helped him. What the rain did was wipe away all of Spaun’s back luck, which plagued him on the front eight holes. When he returned, it was like Tinkerbell spread some pixie dust over him. Spaun shot 40 on the front nine; it was the first time a U.S. Open winner had shot 40 or higher since Francis Ouimet shot 43-36 in the final round of his 1913 victory. In a way, I find what Spaun did in the same realm as Tiger Woods’s first round of the 1997 Masters. In that event, he opened with a 40 and shot 30 on the back for a 70. Spaun shot 32 on the back nine, a remarkable number that included four birdies and one bogey. Talk about luck turning around; Spaun holed putts of 22, 40, and 64 feet, during his last seven holes played. The luck part was his putts at 12 (40 feet) and 18 (64 feet). If you watch the replays, both putts dove into the hole, but both were going pretty fast and would have left him with putts of at least five feet coming back. Talking about how long his putts were, he made 160 feet of putts on Sunday, 133 of them coming on the last seven holes. For the week, Spaun made 402 feet of putts, the best of anyone in the field (Robert MacIntyre was next at 397 feet).

But what won the U.S. Open for Spaun was a pair of great drives on the 17th and 18th holes. They were perfect; on 17, he hit the green, which led to a birdie, and the drive at 18 was down the center and made the hole a lot more stress-free.

So, with that, the next question will be: what’s next for Spaun? Will this open the door to other victories, possibly in majors? I think of Spaun’s win this week, like those of Gary Woodland, Michael Campbell, and Steve Jones, as one and done. He will win on the PGA Tour again, but not at a major.

The one thing this victory ensures is that Spaun will never have to worry about his future on the PGA Tour. He will be around for many years to come, and he is now financially well taken care of.

Onward to the Travelers

Of those playing at the Travelers, who did well at the U.S. Open? Of course, we must look at Robert MacIntyre and Viktor Hovland. Both had chances to win but needed some help from Spaun. MacIntyre did the same thing last year and played well during the summer, winning the Canadian and Scottish Opens. I have a feeling McIntyre will do this again. As for Hovland, I don’t expect much from him. He may have played well at Oakmont, but I’m sorry his driver was wild, and his swing is still very loose, and he needs some more work.

I have to wonder if Oakmont is the confidence boost that Cameron Young needs. He has been on tour since 2022 and has yet to win on the PGA Tour. He has seven runner-ups and two third-place finishes, but he is still looking for the first win. Cameron is a streak player, and it wouldn’t surprise me to see him do well this week at the Travelers. As for Ben Griffin, who has played well over the last six weeks, I am confident his good play will desert him this week. But for Scottie Scheffler, who could have easily won with some better putting, I still think he is the person to beat this week. One last player is Rory McIlroy, who played terribly the first three days but shot 67 on Sunday. There is still something amiss with him; something is wrong, and I have no idea if it’s golfing or a personal problem. So, has his 67 regained his mojo? Who knows?

Tournament information:

This is the 73rd 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 was 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 boosted 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 the 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 was altered just three years later. In 1988, Sammy Davis Jr. was removed from the name, and the tournament began to be known as the Canon Greater Hartford Open starting in 1989. By 2001, the tournament had grown to previously unrealized levels. Phil Mickelson’s personal best of 61 and appearances by Arnold Palmer and Lee Trevino headlined the tournament, which drew a record 318,000 spectators 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, Buick decided not to renew the contract. Consequently, St. Paul Traveler became 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 property was designed in 1928 by R.J. Ross, a cousin of the more notable golf course designer Donald Ross. The course was tied to the Edgewood Country Club. However, when the Greater Hartford Open searched for a larger venue than its home at Wethersfield Country Club in 1982, the Edgewood Country Club seemed like a perfect fit. Course renovations were necessary before the venue was fit to host a major PGA Tour event. The Greater Hartford Chapter of the USJC hired Pete Dye to renovate the Edgewood Country Club golf course. Dye’s finished product, The TPC Connecticut, hosted the Greater Hartford Open in 1984. One of the critical features of the new course, especially the back nine, was the incorporation of amphitheaters to improve a fan’s viewing experience. In 1989, a redesign team consisting of Bobby Weed and consultants Howard Twitty and Roger Maltbie made additional changes. After the renovation, the course became known as the TPC River Highlands.

The TPC River Highlands is a unique golfing experience. The par-70 course, spanning 6,852 yards, boasts a Course Rating of 72.7 and a Slope Rating of 131. The tees and fairways are meticulously maintained with a 3/8″ cut of Bent Grass, while the greens are a 1/8″ cut of Bent Grass mixed with Poa annua. The rough, a blend of Kentucky Blue Grass, Perennial Rye Grass, and fine Fescue, is cut at just over 6 inches. The 132-acre venue features 69 bunkers and five water hazards that come into play on six holes. Golf Digest has recognized TPC at River Highlands as one of the top six courses in Connecticut. Another feather in its cap is being the 49th course to achieve full certification in the Audubon Cooperative Sanctuary Program for Golf Courses (ACSP), a testament to its commitment to environmentally friendly land management and resource conservation.

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 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 affectionately dubbed the “Golden Triangle.” Those three holes and the 18th make up one of the top finishing stretches on the PGA Tour.

The new practice facility opened in the summer of 2008. The 23.5-acre facility is adjacent to the latest First Tee of Connecticut nine-hole golf course, which is currently under construction.

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 2025.
The most important thing to realize about TPC River Highlands is that it’s a very forgiving course; you don’t kill many 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 Xander Schauffele, Dustin Johnson, Jordan Spieth, Bubba Watson, Kenny Perry, Phil Mickelson, Kevin Streelman, Marc Leishman, J.J. Henry, Keegan Bradley and defending champion Scottie Scheffler. These guys hit it far and chase it for their next shot. This doesn’t eliminate short hitters; guys like 2021 winner Harris English, Brad Faxon, Woody Austin, Chez Reavie, and Olin Browne have won despite being short hitters. In 2016, Russell Knox won; he is classified as being in the middle, a person who can give it some stick but is in the middle of the pack (in 2016, he ranked 108th in driving distance). 2023 winner, Keegan Bradley, is not known for being a big winner on tour, but when he does, it’s big tournaments like the PGA Championship in 2011, The WGC-Bridgestone in 2012, the BMW Championship in 2018 and the Zozo Championship at the end of 2022. The same was true for the 2022 winner, Xander Schauffele, who 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. Schauffele also won the 2019 Sentry Tournament of Champions. 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. Harris English came into the Travelers on a high the previous year 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, he had some problems with his game that were eventually fixed, and he finished the year on a high note. 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, considering 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. Talking about winning a lot how about our defending champion Scottie Scheffler, who won five times before beating Tom Kim in a playoff. Now the week before the Travelers, Scottie was T-41st at the U.S. Open, he worst finish in 2024. So it doesn’t matter how a player is doing coming into the Travelers, but like anything else, those playing well coming into the Travelers should do well.

Of course, when looking at the characteristics of players who could win the Travelers, your first choice should be guys who have hit it a long way, guys who are playing well right now, and showing some promise.
With the Travelers being the last of eight “signature events” this year, the field is the best it’s ever been. So, with this being a fun event, in past years, they have had massive crowds of 80,000 on the weekend, which has brought a lot of excitement.
When examining our four categories, we must think outside the box. Remember, this isn’t a tough course; it played to a 67.63 average last year, making it the 40th hardest course (out of 50 on tour last year). Hitting it long is essential; the previous year, it ranked 9th on tour, with an average of all drives being 2858. But you don’t have to be accurate; it ranked 37th on tour last year with a 66.40 of the drives into the fairway, so driving it straight is optional. Now, making birdies is essential, as 1,248 were made last year in this limited field event. To score low, you must play well on its 12 par 4s; last year, only three other courses had a lower par 4 average of 3.89. So you can see what it takes to win at TPC River Highlands.
As we said, the scoring average of the TPC River Highlands field last year was 67.63, and it was the T-40th hardest course on the PGA Tour of the 50 courses charted in 2024. Going deeper since 1990, when scoring averages were first recorded, it is the easiest the course has ever played; the next easiest was in 2023, when it played to a 68.40 average. Before that, the lowest was in 2011 when it played to a 68.57 average. A lot had to do with that. First, it had the best players at the time in the field. The weather was perfect for scoring conditions, making the course play easier, along with low winds each day.

Here is a look at the scoring average at TPC River Highlands for the last few years:
*2023 – Average was 68.40, was the 43rd hardest of the 58 courses that year
*2022 – Average was 69.39, was the 22nd hardest of the 50 courses that year
*2021 – Average was 69.67; it was the 22nd hardest of the 51 courses that year
*2020 – Average was 68.63; it was the 32nd hardest of the 41 courses that year
*2019 – Average was 69.60, was 25th hardest of 49 courses that year. In the history of the PGA Tour, it’s one of the lowest-scoring averages for any event.
So, the course is the type that you have to think low and make a lot of birdies on. Look for super low scoring this week, as the temperatures will be high, between 85 and 90 degrees each day. There are supposed to be Thunderstorms on Thursday, but only for that one day. They have had a lot of rain over the last couple of weeks, which will keep the course soft, so you will not get in much trouble off the Tee, and the greens will be easy to hit and putt on.

Our first category is Strokes Gained Tee-to-Green, because those who excel on the course tend to excel in this stat, gaining a significant advantage. Last year, the field averaged 74.31% of the greens and ranked 44th (only three other courses hit more greens). At the same time, the course had an average of 66.40% of the fairways being hit, which ranked 37th (10 courses had more fairways hit). So this is important in Strokes Gained Tee-to-Green, our top stats to look for. Last year’s winner, Scottie Scheffler, ranked 2nd in Greens in Regulation, hitting 64 of 72 greens, and was T-3rd in Fairways hit with 46 of 56 fairways hit. He was 2nd for the week in Strokes Gained Tee-to-Green, gaining 2.497 strokes per round.
Here is a look at the Greens in Regulation and fairways hit at TPC River Highlands and how it corresponds to the winners in the last few years in Strokes Gained Tee-to-Green:
*2023 – TPC River Highlands ranked 46th in Greens in Regulation and 38th in Driving accuracy. Winner Keegan Bradley ranked T-5th in Greens in Regulation, hitting 60 of 72 greens, and was T-29th in Fairways hit with 37 of 56 fairways hit. He was 7th for the week in Strokes Gained Tee-to-Green, gaining 2.174 strokes per round.
*2022 – TPC River Highlands ranked 38th in Greens in Regulation and 40th in Driving accuracy. Winner Xander Schauffele was 1st in Greens in Regulation, hitting 63 of 72 greens, and was T-9th in Fairways hit with 42 of 56 fairways hit. With that, he was 8th in Strokes Gained Tee to Green, picking up 2.112 shots per round.
*2021 – TPC River Highlands ranked 34th in Greens in Regulation and 32nd in Driving accuracy. Winner Harris English was T-15th in Greens in Regulation, hitting 54 of 72 greens, and was T-11th in Fairways hit with 42 of 56 fairways hit. With that, he was 3rd in Strokes Gained Tee to Green, picking up 2.007 shots per round.
*2020 – TPC River Highlands ranked 34th in Greens in Regulation and 29th in Driving accuracy. Winner Dustin Johnson was T-18th in Greens in Regulation, hitting 56 of 72 greens, and was T-47th in Fairways hit with 35 of 56 fairways hit. He was 6th in Strokes Gained Tee to Green, picking up 1.826 shots per round.
*2019 – TPC River Highlands ranked 27th in Greens in Regulation and 42nd in Driving accuracy. Winner Chez Reavie was T-7th in Greens in Regulation, hitting 54 of 72 greens, and was T-3rd in Fairways hit with 47 of 56 fairways hit. With that, he was 1st in Strokes Gained Tee to Green, picking up 2.865 shots per round.

Our 2nd category is Par Breakers because making eagles and birdies is significant. Last year at TPC River Highlands, 1,248 birdies were made, which ranked 23rd in the number of birdies made for the event (remember it was a limited field event). There were 34 eagles made last year, which ranked T-24th. Thanks to this, 25.44% of the holes were played under par (par breakers) as the Travelers ranked 40th in par breakers. Winner Scottie Scheffler was T-2nd with 24 birdies and had one eagle. He was T-1st in Par Breakers at 34.72%.

Here is a look at the Par Breakers of the Travelers winners in recent years:
*2023 – Made 1,844 birdies (51st hardest) and 44 eagles (T-47th) as 23.73% of holes were under par, making it the 44th hardest of the 58 courses that year.
Winner Keegan Bradley was 1st with 27 birdies and no eagles. He was 1st in Par Breakers at 37.50%.
*2022 – Made 1,625 birdies (37th hardest) and 25 eagles (T-17th) as 20.33% of holes were under par, making it the 21st hardest of the 50 courses that year.
Winner Xander Schauffele made 22 birdies (T-3rd) and no eagles, as 30.56% of the holes played were under par, and he ranked 4th in Par Breakers.
*2021 – Made 1,608 birdies (40th hardest) and 26 eagles (T-16th) as 19.31% of holes played were under par, making it the 19th hardest of the 51 courses that year.
Winner Harris English made 18 birdies (T-9th) and no eagles as 25.00% of the holes played were under par, ranking him T-10th in Par Breakers.
*2020 – Made 1,774 birdies (37th hardest) and 28 eagles (T-16th) with 22.45% of holes played under par, making it the 15th hardest of the 41 courses that year.
Winner Dustin Johnson made 25 birdies (T-2nd) and no eagles as 34.72% of the holes played were under par, ranking him T-2nd in Par Breakers.
*2019 – Made 1,579 birdies (36th hardest) and 28 eagles (T-19th) as 19.24% of holes played were under par, making it the 15th hardest of the 49 courses this year.
Winner Chez Reavie made 20 birdies (T-4th) and no eagles as 27.78% of the holes played were under par, ranking him T-5th in Par Breakers.
Therefore, the winner must make a lot of birdies and eagles.

Our third important stat is scrambling, and you can see why. Since the course is compatible with low scoring, you can see that if you miss a lot of greens, you’d better get it up and down to play well. Last year, TPC River Highlands ranked 32nd out of 50 courses in scrambling, getting it up and down 61.62% of the time. Winner Scottie Scheffler ranked 34th, getting up and down on 5 of the 8 greens he missed.
Here is a look at the scrambling of Travelers winners in recent years:
*2023 – TPC River Highlands ranked 19th in scrambling out of the 58 courses that tracked scrambling for the year, getting it up and down 57.339% of the time.
Winner Keegan Bradley ranked T-22nd, getting up and down on 8 of the 12 greens he missed.
*2022 – TPC River Highlands ranked 16th in scrambling out of the 50 courses that tracked scrambling for the year, getting it up and down 56.19% of the time.
Winner Xander Schauffele was T20th, getting it up and down 6 of the 9 greens he missed.
*2021 – TPC River Highlands ranked 20th in scrambling out of 51 courses that tracked scrambling for the year, getting it up and down 57.64% of the time.
Winner Harris English was T-2nd, getting it up and down on 14 of the 18 greens he missed.
*2020 – TPC River Highlands finished 20th in scrambling out of the 41 courses that tracked scrambling this year, getting it up and down 58.37% of the time.
Winner Dustin Johnson was T-33rd, getting it up and down 10 of the 16 greens he missed.
*2019 – TPC River Highlands was ranked 21st in scrambling out of the 49 courses that tracked scrambling for the year, getting it up and down 58.57% of the time.
Winner Chez Reavie ranked 2nd, getting it up and down 15 of the 18 greens he missed.
The winner has to do a great job of getting it up and down on the greens he misses.

Our final category is the par 4 average; this is the heart and soul of low scoring at TPC River Highlands, since there are 12 of them, and we can see how to score low: you have to attack the par 4s. Last year, TPC River Highlands was 47th (out of 50th courses) in this stat, playing the par 4s to an average of 3.89. Winner Scottie Scheffler was 13 under on the par 4s and was T-3rd.
Here is a look at the par 4s of Travelers winners in recent years:
*2023 – TPC River Highlands ranked T-49th in Par 4 average out of the 58 courses with an average of 3.94. Winner Keegan Bradley was 16 under on the par 4s and was T-1st.
*2022 – TPC River Highlands ranked T-32nd in Par 4 average out of the 50 courses with an average of 3.99. Winner Xander Schauffele was 10 under on the par 4s and was T-4th.
*2021 – TPC River Highlands ranked T-32nd in Par 4 average out of 51 courses with an average of 4.00. Winner Harris English was 7 under on the par 4s and was 6th.
*2020 – TPC River Highlands ranked T-34th in Par 4 average out of 41 courses with an average of 3.95. Winner Dustin Johnson was 14 under on the par 4s and was 1st.
*2019 – TPC River Highlands ranked T-24th in Par 4 average out of 49 courses with an average of 4.02. Winner Chez Reavie was 13 under on the par 4s and was 1st.
The winner has to do a great job of getting it up and down on the greens he misses.

As you can see, going low will be crucial in winning this week.

*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 who do the best on par 4s.

Of the 72 players in the field, 70 have statistics on the PGA Tour for 2025 (Luke Clanton and Alex Noren have no statistics).

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

DraftKings tips

Most DraftKings points earned

We have compiled a database covering the last 59 events on the PGA Tour, spanning from the start of the 2024 season to the 2025 U.S. Open. The database includes the number of points a player won during each event, along with its associated cost. From the database, we can determine the total DraftKing points earned, the players’ average points earned per event, and the average points based on the number of rounds played.

Of the players in the field, here are the top 60 playing in at least ten events:

DraftKings tips

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

• Scottie Scheffler – $13,300
• Rory McIlroy – $11,500
• Xander Schauffele – $10,800
• Collin Morikawa – $10,200
• Patrick Cantlay – $9,800
• Ludvig Aberg – $9,600
• Justin Thomas – $9,300
• Sepp Straka – $9,200
• Sam Burns – $9,100
• Viktor Hovland – 9,000

TPC Highland, a course that elicits strong preferences, is best understood through the lens of past performances. These performances serve as a reliable indicator of a player’s potential. However, the absence of players like Dustin Johnson, Bryson DeChambeau, Phil Mickelson, Paul Casey, and Bubba Watson due to the LIV series is a significant factor to consider.

So, looking at who to pick this week, our top player is Scottie Scheffler, who will cost $13,300. As we have said many times, it’s a lot of money and has always been very high on Scottie’s list for the last few years. But he is always worth the money.  Just look at his record at the Travelers, won last year, T-4th in 2023, and T-13th in 2022.  Rory McIlroy at $11,500 is a tough choice; he ended the U.S. Open with a 67 and has played well at TPC River Highlands.  The big question is Rory’s frame of mind.  Is it a problem with his game, or does he have personal issues? We don’t know.  Still think he will be okay this week, but if I’m going to spend this kind of money, I’m going with Scheffler before Rory.  Xander Schauffele at $10,800 should be an easy yes, but he is still in some funk; he was T-12th at the U.S. Open, and I have to say no to him this week.  Collin Morikawa at $10,200 is a no; his record in this event is not good, and he hasn’t played well since the Arnold Palmer.  Patrick Cantlay at $9,800 is a yes despite missing the cut at the PGA Championship and U.S. Open.  Has a record of always playing well at the Travelers. In his last seven Travelers, his worst finish is T-15th, so he is a good choice.  Ludvig Aberg at $9,600 is a no, has not played well since the Masters, and hasn’t played that great at TPC River Highlands.  Justin Thomas at $9,300 is a yes, was T-5th last year at the Travelers and T-9th in 2023.  Yes, he missed the cut at the PGA Championship and U.S. Open, but I’m confident I’ll play well on this course.  Sepp Straka at $9,200 is a no, but yes, he won the Truist and was 3rd at the Memorial.  However, he missed the cut at the PGA Championship and U.S. Open, and he hasn’t played particularly well in the Travelers.  Sam Burns at $9,100 is a no; his record at the Travelers isn’t great, and he will still be licking his wounds from the U.S. Open for weeks to come.  Viktor Hovland at 9,000 is also a no; his record at TPC River Highlands is not good, and I don’t think his U.S. Open finish was good enough for me since he had problems with his driver.

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

J.J. Spaun at $8,600 seems to be a bargain after winning the U.S. Open, but I will stay away from him due to him enjoying his Open win.  We realize it’s an impossible task to play in an event the week after winning a major.  However, the main reason is his Travelers’ record.  Keegan Bradley at $8,500 is worth a look.  He has won at the Travelers and has played well of late.  Robert MacIntyre at $8,400 is a great choice; he is playing well now, and the course suits his game.  Jordan Spieth, at $8,200, is worth the choice, having won the Travelers Championship, and his game has been strong; he is ready to surprise us all.  Cameron Young at $7,800 is a great choice, having played well at River Highlands and performed well lately.  He is overdue to break his winless streak.  Harris English at $7,700 is cheap enough to take.  He is a past winner at the Travelers and has been very consistent in 2025.

Some of the “bargains” this week at the Travelers

There are many tough buys, but someone like Akshay Bhatia at $7,400 is a good investment. He was T-5th in his first Travelers start, despite missing the cut at the PGA and U.S. Open, I still think he is worth it.  Min Woo Lee at $7,300, is worth a look, having finished T-9th at the Travelers in his only start in 2023.  Has struggled in 2025, but the course is suitable for him, and I expect a good performance.  Brian Harman at $7,200 is the best buy of the week.  He has played well at River Highlands, with 14 starts resulting in seven top tens, including a runner-up finish in 2023 and a T-9th last year.  Tom Kim, at $7,100, is a good buy, having been the runner-up last year after losing a playoff to Scottie Scheffler.  Ryan Fox at $7,000 is a good buy due to his great play since winning the Myrtle Beach Classic.

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, with as many as 80,000 spectators expected to attend. However, following COVID-19, attendance is expected to be reduced to 10,000 per 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, 28 of the 39 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 emerging victorious over 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 bit of a snooze, as Bubba Watson won by three shots in 2018 and Chez Reavie won by four shots in 2019.  In 2022, Xander Schauffele shot 63 and 63 in the first two days and held on to win by two shots over J.T. Poston and Sahith Theegala, who could have had a playoff but made a double bogey on the last hole.  In 2023, Keegan Bradley did something unheard of at the Travelers: he won it by three shots.  Last year, it came down to a playoff between Scottie Scheffler and Tom Kim.

Here is a chart that shows exactly how close tournaments have been in the 70-year history of the Travelers Championship:

• Tournaments tied after 72 holes: 25
• Tournaments won by one shot: 24
• Tournaments won by two shots: 9
• Tournaments won by three shots: 7
• Tournaments won by four shots or more: 8