The traditional post-U.S. Open tournament gets underway this weekend in the Traveler’s Championship from TPC River Highlands in Cromwell, Connecticut. Harris English is the defending champion but he’s 100/1 to repeat.
Rory McIlroy and Scottie Scheffler are the co-favorites at 10/1, both playing well last weekend in Brookline with top five finishes. There’s some defending champions in the field as well including Chez Reavie (125/1), Jordan Spieth (22/1), Russell Knox (100/1), Kevin Streelman (80/1), and Marc Leishman (50/1).
About TPC River Highlands
TPC River Highlands is another par 70 that plays under 6900 yards, very similar to the Country Club last week that will require better wedges and iron play. The greens aren’t as miniscule as in Brookline, but still on the small side. The atmospheric conditions will be very similar to last weekend, as it’s just a short 1.5 hour drive to Cromwell.
While this is the second shortest course on tour to Port Royal, some heavy hitters have also come out on top here most notably Bubba Watson who won in 2010, 2015, and 2018 while finishing runner-up in 2012. Dustin Johnson also won this event in 2020.
When golfers are feeling it here they can go low – real low as evidenced by Jim Furyk’s famous 58 in 2016 and Patrick Cantlay firing a 60 prior to that for the course record as an amateur back in 2011. Mackenzie Hughes also had a 60 in the opening round of the 2020 Traveler’s.
Attendance at this course is second only to TPC Scottsdale, which is why Spieth’s hole-out from the bunker in 2017 seemed like it took place in a football stadium. That could give fan favorites like Spieth and McIlroy or Northeastern native Keegan Bradley (33/1) an extra look here.
Top Stats and Trends for the Traveler’s Championship
Obviously, course history is always huge to take into account, especially this week since the last two tournaments at St. George’s and The Country Club hadn’t been played there in over a decade.
Streelman rattled off seven straight birdies to finish the 2014 Traveler’s and pick up the win. That’s the first time a PGA Tour player had ever done that so he’s obviously got a handle on TPC River Highlands although he did miss the cut last year.
Brian Harman (40/1) finished 5th here in 2021, the third time he has finished in the top 10 in his last four trips to Cromwell. Cantlay has also finished in the top 15 the last three years to go along with his 60 over a decade ago.
Five of the last seven winners have gone off at better than 30/1 odds, so maybe somebody like Tony Finau (33/1) or Harold Varner III (50/1) find themselves in the mix on Sunday.
The last 10 winners have also averaged being in the top 10 in putting, which gives a Denny McCarthy (66/1) or a Brendon Todd (80/1) or a Kelly Kraft (500/1) a good chance for the weekend.
