The PGA Tour will switch gears after Brooks Koepka’s run to the U.S. Open at Erin Hills as they move to the Travelers Championship at TPC River Highlands. The Travelers Championship was first played in 1952 and will be referred to as the Greater Hartford Open as well as it is held in Cromwell, which is just south of Hartford, and it is the second-best-attended tournament on the PGA Tour following the Waste Management Open in Scottsdale. It has a prize fund of $6.8 million.
Details
Event: Travelers Championship
Category: PGA
Date: June 22-25
Location: TPC River Highlands, Cromwell, Connecticut
The winning scores are generally in double digits at the Travelers Championship, which is usually something to look forward to after a grueling U.S. Open, but the major didn’t turn out to be as tough as usual this year. In the long history of this tournament, only three times has the winner failed to get to double digits under par, which was actually a three-year stretch from 1991 to 1993. Since 2009, there have been two winning scores of -20 or lower, including Kenny Perry’s record of -22 in 2009.
Past Five Winners
2016: Russell Knox -14
2015: Bubba Watson -16
2014: Kevin Streelman -15
2013: Ken Duke -12
2012: Marc Leishman 14
The Field
We’ve got a star-studded field for the event this week, which is a bit of a surprise after the U.S. Open last week. It is not unusual for players to take a week or two off after a big major, but it looks like the big stars are set to shine. Jordan Spieth enters the tournament as the favorite. He has not performed all that well of late. He finished 35th at the U.S. Open, 12th the week before at the Memorial and second at the Deal & Deluca. However, he missed two cuts before that. We’ll also see the likes of Rory McIlroy at this event (he’s second in line according to the betting odds) as well as Jason Day. After the aforementioned three, there are only two other golfers inside of 25/1 and that’s Justin Thomas and Paul Casey.
What To Know About The Course
TPC River Highlands is 6,844 yards, but the key here is to hit the greens, which are very small by most standards, so the approach shot will be crucial to success here. Look for those who are good with their irons, so Greens-In-Regulation is something to look at. Also, consider looking at the Scrambling statistic because if a player misses the green, the ability to get up and down and save par will definitely help them from falling behind the pack. Last year’s scrambling was the lowest it has been at the Travelers Champion in almost a decade.
A Good Matchup To Bet: Jordan Spieth over Jason Day
Spieth had a tough stretch where he missed the cut in three of four events, but finishsed T-11 at the Masters, then he has had two top-15s and a T-35 at the U.S. Open, where he shot a 69 on Sunday. Day missed the cut at Erin Hills, and a solo second at the Byron Nelson was his second top-10 finish in his last 13 starts. To be fair, Day has had some off-course issues regarding the health of his mother, so he is definitely excused, but you don’t know where his focus is going to be, which is why Spieth gets the edge here.
Top-Five Pick: Justin Thomas
Thomas’ 63 on Saturday at the U.S. Open was a record-setter, and even his 75 on Sunday was fine as he felt the pressure of being in the final group of a major on Sunday. Thomas finished T-3 in this tournament last year and shot a blistering 62 to give himself a chance, and when he gets hot, Thomas is as good as anyone on the PGA Tour. He has just has to be consistent for four rounds, but even then, Thomas can still sneak out a top-five.
Odds To Win The 2017 Travelers Championship
Jordan Spieth +905
Rory McIlroy +1015
Jason Day +1050
Justin Thomas +1250
Paul Casey +2050
Patrick Reed +2550
Marc Leishman +3250
Brandt Snedeker +3250
Tony Finau +3250
Daniel Berger +3250
Brian Harman +3250
Bubba Watson +3250
Brendan Steele +3550
Charley Hoffman +3550
Graham Delaet +4550
Kyle Stanley +4550
Byeong Hun An +5500
Bud Cauley +5500
Zach Johnson +5500
Webb Simpson +5500
Emiliano Grillo +6550
David Lingmerth +7550
Danny Lee +7550
Kevin Tway +7550
Russell Knox +7550
Harris English +7550
Adam Hadwin +7550
Jim Furyk +7550
Kevin Streelman +8550
Chez Reavie +8550
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