Course Guide: TPC River Highlands is a stock ‘Up-State’ Par 70. At a reduced 6,835 yards (down 17 yards), the course is attackable and gives all styles of play a chance of victory. Chez Reavie averaged 279 yards off the tee here in 2019, whilst Bubba Watson has averaged 317 yards off the tee across his 3 victories here, as did (pretty much) Keegan Bradley in 2023. Jordan Spieth, Russell Knox, Kevin Streelman, Ken Duke and Freddie Jacobson plotted and putted their ways to victory, as did Dustin Johnson, Harris English, and Xander Schauffele over the past 5 years, using hybrids off many tees. Scottie Scheffler used 3-wood off many tees 12 months ago, and won this title with accurate driving, elite approach play and made enough ground with the putter to see off Tom Kim in an eventful play off.
River Highlands has seen significant changes since the 2015 renewal with a PGA Tour-inspired renovation seeing 50 bunkers removed and the remaining bunkers being upgraded and in many cases moved to create fairway pinch points. 5 greens on the inward set were also rebuilt to present new hole locations. All in all though, River Highlands is a good, solid, mid-scoring, tree-lined parkland course where making birdies and putting extremely well will be key on Poa Annua/Bentgrass mix greens that aren’t overly taxing. Birdies and minimising mistakes will be the name of the game.
TPC River Highlands, Cromwell, Connecticut:
Designer Robert J. Moss 1928 with Pete Dye (1982), Bobby Weed (1989), PGA Tour 2016 and 2024 renovations; Course Type: Parkland, Up-State, Resort, Short; Par: 70; Length: 6,835 yards; Holes with Water In-Play: 5; Number of Sand Bunkers: 68; Acres of Fairway: 28; Fairways: Bentgrass with Poa Annua; Rough: Kentucky Bluegrass with Fescue +4″; Greens: 5,000 sq.ft average featuring Bentgrass with Poa Annua; Tournament Stimp: 11ft.
Course Scoring Average + PGA Tour Difficulty Rank:
- 2024: 67.63 (-2.37), Rank 42 of 51 courses
- 2023: 68.40 (+1.60), Rank 39 of 49 courses
- 2022: 69.39 (-0.61), Rank 22 of 50 courses
- 2021: 69.74 (-0.26), Rank 22 of 51 courses
- 2020: 68.63 (-1.37), Rank 32 of 41 courses
Fairway Widths (yards): Below are the fairway widths for TPC River Highlands and how they compare to recent courses that we’ve seen on Tour:
- TPC River Highlands: 250 yards from the tee: 38 yards wide; 275:36; 300:29; 325:29; 350:28.
- Oakmont: 18-28 yards at 300 yards
- TPC Toronto: 35-37 yards at 300 yards.
- Muirfield Village: 24-25 yards at 300 yards.
- Colonial: 25-30 yards at 300 yards.
- Quail Hollow: 28-30 yards at 300 yards.
- The Dunes Golf and Beach Club: 20 – 25 yards at 300 yards.
- Philadelphia Cricket Club: 30-32 yards at 300 yards.
- TPC Craig Ranch: 30 – 40 yards at 300 yards.
- Harbour Town: 250 yards from tee: 29 yards wide; 275:26; 300:22; 325:26; 350:22.
- Oaks Course: 250 yards from tee: 33 yards wide; 275:34; 300:29; 325:27; 350:26.
- Memorial Park: 30 – 40 yards at 300 yards.
- Copperhead: 250 yards from the tee: 24 yards wide; 275:20; 300:21; 325:23 350:19.
- TPC Sawgrass: 250 yards from the tee: 31 yards wide; 275:32; 300:30; 325:28 350:20.
- Bay Hill: 250 yards from the tee: 32 yards wide; 275:33; 300:33; 325:39 350:29.
- PGA National: 250 yards from the tee: 29 yards wide; 275:27; 300:25; 325:27 350:25.
- TPC Scottsdale: 250 yards from the tee: 33 yards wide; 275:30; 300:28; 325:27; 350:27.
- Pebble Beach: 250 yards from the tee: 33 yards wide; 275:33; 300:29; 325:30 350:26.
- Torrey Pines South: 250 yards from the tee: 26 yards wide; 275:27; 300:25; 325:24; 350:23.
- Pete Dye Stadium: 250 yards from the tee: 29 yards wide; 275:27; 300:26; 325:26; 350:24.
- Waialae: 250 yards from the tee: 34 yards wide; 275:32; 300:34; 325:37; 350:34.
- Plantation Course: 250 yards from the tee: 59 yards wide; 275:61; 300:65; 325:60; 350:62.
Course Designer Links: For research purposes, other Pete Dye designs include:
- Austin Country Club – WGC Dell Matchplay 2016-2023.
- Crooked Stick – 2012 and 2016 BMW Championship.
- Harbour Town Golf Links – RBC Heritage
- Ocean Course – Kiawah Island – 2012 + 2021 PGA Championship
- TPC Louisiana – Zurich Classic of New Orleans
- TPC Sawgrass – The Players Championship
- TPC Stadium, PGA West – The American Express since 2016
- Whistling Straits – 2010 and 2015 PGA Championship
Course Overview: TPC River Highlands is a traditional north-eastern state parkland golf course that features little water. The short format calls for a greater degree of accuracy off the tee to fairways which aren’t difficult to hit for players who focus on course management. At an average of 5,000 square feet, the green complexes are a typical short Par 70 affair, but the key to the course is that the Poa Annua/Bentgrass mix surfaces run at a receptive speed. River Highlands is a second-shot course where accurate approach play is key. Accurate drivers and plotters tend to prosper, although bombers can contend with Dustin Johnson and Bubba Watson prime examples. But here more than anywhere a red-hot putter will be required to deliver the 22-27 birdies required for victory.
For the 2024 Travelers Championship at TPC River Highlands, several changes were implemented including narrowing fairways, adding mounding and rough, and adjusting tee locations. Specifically, fairways were narrowed on multiple holes, and rough was added in strategic locations, such as on the 12th hole where a section of fairway was replaced by rough. Mounding was also added to both par-5s and the 6th hole, and the green on the par-3 11th was reshaped. Designed to make the course more challenging it had little effect.
No course statistics really jump from off the page – River Highlands really is pretty stock across the piece, apart from the fact that scrambling from the rough is particularly difficult (top 10 hardest pretty much every year) for those missing greens. This tournament though tends to be won on the par-4s, with the victor always towards the top of the scoring charts across the 48 looks at the par-4s.
Below is a breakdown of player par-4 scoring at TPC River Highlands across the last 11 tournaments here. Finishing position in brackets:
- 2024: Cameron Young (9th) -15; Patrick Cantlay (5th) -14; Scottie Scheffler (1st), Brian Harman (9th) -13.
- 2023: Keegan Bradley (1st), Rory McIlroy (7th) -16; Brian Harman (2nd) -15.
- 2022: Wyndham Clark (35th), Chesson Hadley (5th), Sahith Theegala (3rd) -11; Xander Schauffele (1st), J.T. Poston (2nd) -10.
- 2021: Kramer Hickok (2nd) -11; Hank Lebioda (5th) -10; Marc Leishman (3rd) -9; Guido Migliozzi (13th), Patrick Reed (25th) -8, Harris English (1st) -7.
- 2020: Dustin Johnson (Winner) -14; Mackenzie Hughes (3rd), Kevin Na (5th) -13; Bryson DeChambeau (6th) -12.
- 2019: Chez Reavie (Winner) -13; Keegan Bradley (2nd) -8; Kevin Kisner (15th), Zach Sucher (2nd) -7.
- 2018: Bubba Watson (Winner), Paul Casey (2nd) -11; Stewart Cink (2nd) -10; Brian Harman (6th) -9; J.B. Holmes (2nd) -8.
- 2017: Jordan Spieth (Winner) -11; Boo Weekley (5th) -9; Anirban Lahiri (17th) -8; Daniel Berger (2nd), Paul Casey (5th), Keegan Bradley (8th) -7.
- 2016: Russell Knox (Winner) -10; Jerry Kelly (2nd) Shawn Stefani (11th) -9; Tyrone Van Aswegen (5th) -8.
- 2015: Bubba Watson (Winner) -12; Bo Van Pelt (7th) -10; Paul Casey (2nd) -9; Curran (10th), DeLaet (4th), Jason Gore (10th), Harman (3rd), Pettersson (5th) -8.
- 2014: Kevin Streelman (Winner), Brandt Snedeker (11th) -11; K.J. Choi (2nd), Marc Leishman (11th) -9; Aaron Baddeley (4th), Sergio Garcia (2nd), Jhonattan Vegas (31st) -8.
- 2013: Chris Stroud (2nd) -9; Graham DeLaet (3rd), Ken Duke (Winner), Charley Hoffman (7th) -8; Ryan Moore (7th) -7.
- 2012: Charley Hoffman (2nd) -11; Tim Clark (4th), Matt Kuchar (8th), Bubba Watson (2nd) -10; Brian Davis (4th), Billy Hurley III (47th) -9.
Travelers Championship Winners: 2024: Scottie Scheffler (-22); 2023: Keegan Bradley (-23); 2022: Xander Schauffele (-19); 2021: Harris English (-13); 2020: Dustin Johnson (-19); 2019: Chez Reavie (-17); 2018: Bubba Watson (-17); 2017: Jordan Spieth (-12); 2016: Russell Knox (-14); 2015: Bubba Watson (-16); 2014: Kevin Streelman (-15); 2013: Ken Duke (-12); 2012: Marc Leishman (-14); 2011: Freddie Jacobson (-20); 2010: Bubba Watson (-14).
- 2024: Scottie Scheffler 65-64-64-65 -22/258
- 2023: Keegan Bradley 62-63-64-68 -23/257
- 2022: Xander Schauffele 63-63-67-68 -19/261 AM/PM Wave
- 2021: Harris English 67-68-67-65 -13/267 AM/PM Wave
- 2020: Dustin Johnson 69-64-61-67 -19/261 PM/AM Wave
- 2019: Chez Reavie 65-66-63-69 -17/263 PM/AM Wave
- 2018: Bubba Watson 70-63-67-63 -17/263 PM/AM Wave
OWGR of Travelers Championship Winners: 2024: Scheffler 1; 2023: Bradley 28; 2022: Schauffele 15; 2021: English 19; 2020: D Johnson 6; 2019: Reavie 48; 2018: Watson 20.
Datagolf Ranking Travelers Championship Winners: 2024: Scheffler 1; 2023: Bradley 30; 2022: Schauffele 8; 2021: English 27.
Lead Score Progression:
- 2024: Round 1 -8; Round 2 -13; Round 3 -18; Round 4 -22.
- 2023: Round 1 -10; Round 2 -15; Round 3 -21; Round 4 -23.
- 2022: Round 1 -8; Round 2 -14; Round 3 -17; Round 4 -19.
- 2021: Round 1 -7; Round 2 -9; Round 3 -10; Round 4 -13.
- 2020: Round 1 -10; Round 2 -13; Round 3 -18; Round 4 -19.
- 2019: Round 1 -6; Round 2 -11; Round 3 -16; Round 4 -17.
- 2018: Round 1 -7; Round 2 -10; Round 3 -16; Round 4 -17.
Path to Victory: Below are the round positions for the winners of the Travelers Championship since 2010:
- 2024 – Scottie Scheffler: Round 1: 6th, Round 2: 2nd, Round 3: 2nd.
- 2023 – Keegan Bradley: Round 1: 2nd, Round 2: 1st, Round 3: 1st.
- 2022 – Xander Schauffele: Round 1:3rd, Round 2: 1st, Round 3: 1st.
- 2021 – Harris English: Round 1: 15th, Round 2: 20th, Round 3: 6th.
- 2020 – Dustin Johnson: Round 1: 79th, Round 2: 20th, Round 3: 2nd.
- 2019 – Chez Reavie: Round 1: 7th, Round 2: 2nd, Round 3: 1st.
- 2018 – Bubba Watson: Round 1: 77th, Round 2: 8th, Round 3: 6th.
- 2017 – Jordan Spieth: Round 1: 1st, Round 2: 1st, Round 3: 1st.
- 2016 – Russell Knox: – Round 1: 9th, Round 2: 5th, Round 3: 2nd.
- 2015 – Bubba Watson: Round 1: 1st, Round 2: 1st, Round 3: 2nd.
- 2014 – Kevin Streelman: Round 1: 61st, Round 2: 39th, Round 3: 7th.
- 2013 – Ken Duke: Round 1: 48th, Round 2: 32nd, Round 3: 6th.
- 2012 – Marc Leishman: Round 1: 25th, Round 2: 8th, Round 3: 20th.
- 2011 – Freddie Jacobson: Round 1: 4th, Round 2: 5th, Round 3: 1st.
- 2010 – Bubba Watson: Round 1: 5th, Round 2: 10th, Round 3: 4th.
Shots From the Lead: Below are the Travelers Championship winners since 2010 and where they were positioned in terms of shots from the lead during the tournament:
- 2024 – Scottie Scheffler: Round 1: 3 back, Round 2: 2 back, Round 3: 1 back.
- 2023 – Keegan Bradley: Round 1: 2 back, Round 2: level, Round 3: 1 ahead.
- 2022 – Xander Schauffele: Round 1: 1 back, Round 2: 5 ahead, Round 3: 1 ahead.
- 2021 – Harris English: Round 1: 4 back, Round 2: 4 back, Round 3: 2 back.
- 2020 – Dustin Johnson: Round 1: 9 back, Round 2: 6 back, Round 3: 2 back.
- 2019 – Chez Reavie: Round 1: 1 back, Round 2: 2 back, Round 3: 6 ahead.
- 2018 – Bubba Watson: Round 1: 7 back, Round 2: 3 back, Round 3: 6 back.
- 2017 – Jordan Spieth: Round 1: 1 ahead, Round 2: 1 ahead, Round 3: 1 ahead.
- 2016 – Russell Knox: Round 1: 3 back, Round 2: 1 back, Round 3: 3 back.
- 2015 – Bubba Watson: Round 1: 2 ahead, Round 2: 2 ahead, Round 3: 1 back.
- 2014 – Kevin Streelman: Round 1: 7 back, Round 2: 8 back, Round 3: 4 back.
- 2013 – Ken Duke: Round 1: 8 back, Round 2: 7 back, Round 3: 2 back.
- 2012 – Marc Leishman: Round 1: 4 back, Round 2: 3 back, Round 3: 6 back.
- 2011 – Freddie Jacobson: Round 1: 2 back, Round 2: 4 back, Round 3: 1 ahead.
- 2010 – Bubba Watson: Round 1: 1 back, Round 2: 7 back, Round 3: 6 back.
Incoming Form of Travelers Championship winners since 2010:
- Scottie Scheffler: 41st US Open/1st Memorial/2nd Colonial/8th PGA.
- Keegan Bradley: MC US Open/30th Memorial/29th PGA/43rd Quail/59th Harbour Town.
- Xander Schauffele: 14th US Open/18th Memorial/13th PGA/5th TPC Craig Ranch.
- Harris English: 3rd US Open/12th Palmetto/64th PGA/13th TPC Craig Ranch.
- Dustin Johnson: 17th Harbour/MC Colonial/48th Mexico/10th Riviera.
- Chez Reavie: 3rd US Open/MC Colonial/14th PGA/18th Quail.
- Bubba Watson: MC US Open/44th Memorial/54th TPC Sawgrass/5th Augusta.
- Jordan Spieth: 35th US Open/13th Memorial/2nd Colonial/MC TPC4S.
- Russell Knox: 22nd PGA/30th Open/10th Scottish Open/54th Firestone.
- Bubba Watson: MC US Open/42nd TPC Sawgrass/29th Shenzhen/38th Augusta.
- Kevin Streelman: MC US Open/MC St Jude/MC Memorial/MC TPC Sawgrass.
- Ken Duke: MC St Jude/16th Memorial/31st Colonial/MC TPC4S.
- Marc Leishman: 58th Memorial/57th Colonial/3rd TPC4S/45th TPC Sawgrass.
- Freddie Jacobson: 14th US Open/32nd St Jude/27th TPC4S/31st Colonial.
- Bubba Watson: 33rd Memorial/MC TPC Sawgrass/43rd TPC Louisiana/14th Houston.
Tournament Stats: We’ve published some key player statistics for this week’s event that are well worth a look. Naturally they’ll help to shape a view on players who could go well this week: Current Form | Tournament Form | First Round Leader | Combined Stats.
My published predictor is available here. Top 10 of my published predictor are: 1) Scottie Scheffler; 2) Collin Morikawa; 3) Sepp Straka, 4) Viktor Hovland, 5) Sam Burns, 6) Patrick Cantlay; 7) Russell Henley, 8) Justin Thomas, 9) Nick Taylor, 10) Ryan Fox.
Our brand new predictor model is running alongside, where you can build your own rankings in live time, using the variables listed on the left hand side.
Travelers Championship Winning Prices: 2024: Scheffler 5/1F; 2023: Bradley 80/1; 2022: Schauffele 20/1; 2021: English 45/1; 2020: D Johnson 30/1; 2019: Reavie 70/1; 2018: Watson 33/1; 2017: Spieth 10/1; 2016: Knox 50/1; 2015: Watson 14/1; 2014: Streelman 150/1; 2013: Duke 150/1; 2012: Leishman 125/1; 2011: Jacobson 45/1; 2010: Watson 40/1. Past 5 Renewals Average: 36/1; Average: 58/1.
Historical Weather:
- 2024: Thursday: Partly cloudy. High of 93. Wind SW 10-15 mph, gusting to 18 mph. Friday: Partly cloudy with scattered afternoon thunderstorms. High of 91. Wind S 10-12 mph. Preferred lies were in effect for the second round. Saturday: Partly cloudy with afternoon thunderstorms. High of 89. Wind S 8-13 mph. The third round, which featured preferred lies, concluded at 8:33 p.m. Sunday: Mostly cloudy. High of 90. Wind S 12-17 mph, with gusts to 25 mph. Preferred lies were in effect for the final round.
- 2023: Thursday: Mostly cloudy. High of 71. Wind E 6-12 mph. Friday: Mostly cloudy with occasional showers. High of 78. Wind S 8-15 mph. Saturday: Mostly cloudy with occasional rain showers. High of 80. Wind S 8-15 mph. Sunday: Mostly cloudy. High of 85. Wind SW 5-10 mph.
- 2022: Thursday: Mostly cloudy. High of 76. Wind SE 7-14 mph. Friday: Mostly cloudy. High of 81. Wind SW 3-6 mph. Saturday: Sunny. High of 91. Wind light and variable. Sunday: Sunny. High of 92. Wind SSW 8-15 mph.
- 2021: Thursday: Due to fog, the start to the first round was delayed 15 minutes and began at 7 a.m. Mostly sunny with a high of 79. Wind SW 10-15 mph. Friday: Light showers in the morning. Mostly cloudy with a high of 77. Wind SSE 6-14 mph. Saturday: Mostly cloudy with occasional showers. High of 81. Wind SSW 15-20 mph. Sunday: Partly cloudy with a high of 87. Wind SW 10-15, gusting to 25 mph.
- 2020: Thursday: Mostly sunny with a high of 87. Wind SW 8-16 mph. Friday: Partly cloudy with a high of 88. Wind W 6-12 mph. Saturday: Mostly cloudy with a high of 83. Occasional showers. Wind SSW 6-12 mph. Sunday: Partly cloudy with a high of 86. Wind SW 5-10 mph. Due to a dangerous weather situation, the final round was suspended from 5:17 p.m. until 6:15 p.m.
- 2019: Thursday: Overcast, with light showers throughout the day. High of 74. Wind S 6-12 mph. Due to wet course conditions, preferred lies in closely-mown areas were in effect for round one. Friday: Rain in the morning and partly cloudy in the afternoon. High of 74. Wind NNW at 10-20 mph. Due to wet course conditions, preferred lies in closely-mown areas were in effect for round two. Saturday: Sunny. High of 82. Wind NW 12-22 mph. Sunday: Sunny. High of 85. Wind WNW 10-20 mph.
- 2018: Thursday: Partly cloudy. High of 85. Wind NNE 6-12 mph. Friday: Mostly cloudy. High of 67. Wind SE 4-8 mph. Saturday: Mostly cloudy with scattered showers. High of 67. Wind NE 6-12 mph. Sunday: Mostly cloudy. High of 81. Wind SW 8-15 mph.
- 2017: Thursday: Mostly sunny, with a high of 85. Wind SSW 7-12 mph. Friday: Mostly cloudy, with intermittent showers throughout the day. High of 85. Wind SSW 10-20 mph. Saturday: Due to expected morning thunderstorms, tee times were between 10:45 a.m. and 1:05 p.m. Cloudy in the morning, with light rain. Clear and mostly sunny in the afternoon, with a high of 86. Wind NW 8-16 mph. Sunday: Sunny, with a high of 84. Wind SW 10-18 mph.
- 2016: Thursday: Sunny. High of 82. Wind SSE 6-12 mph. Friday: Sunny. High of 85. Wind SSW 10-15 mph. Saturday: Mostly cloudy with light precipitation. High of 85. Wind WSW 10-15 mph. Sunday: Sunny. High of 87. Wind WNW at 10-15 mph.
- 2015: Thursday: Sunny, with an afternoon high of 83. Wind SW at 6-12 mph. Friday: Partly cloudy, with an afternoon high of 85. Wind SW at 6-12 mph. Saturday: Cloudy, with an afternoon high 73. Light, afternoon rain. Wind SE at 8-15 mph. Sunday: Due to expected overnight rain Saturday, officials moved final-round tee times between 11:40 a.m.–1:30 p.m in threesomes off Nos. 1 and 10 tees. Cloudy, with light rain. High of 74. Wind NNE at 7-12 mph.
Weather Forecast: Latest weather forecast for Hartford, Connecticut is here.
From Pennsylvania we move further north-east this week for the Travelers. Weather thankfully though will be drier. Temperatures of 27-35 Celsius – 81-95 Fahrenheit – are warmer actually warmer than last week. The forecast sees light winds apart from the potential of a south-westerly 15-25 mph on Thursday. The amount of rain this month in Connecticut has been small, so expect fast fairways conditions and soft, watered greens. With this heat, expect thunderstorm risk in the afternoons, so the course could get a decent dousing and aid scoring further. All in all I’m expecting low scores.
Player Strokes Gained Rankings: These top 25 in the field rankings are based on an 8-tournament window that stretches back to the Hainan Classic which includes both PGA Tour and DP World Tour events, where recorded. Player rankings are based on performance relative to the rest of the field:
- Top 25 SG Off The Tee: 1) Adam Scott; 2) Rickie Fowler; 3) Scottie Scheffler; 4) Jhonattan Vegas; 5) Daniel Berger; 6) Sepp Straka; 7) Xander Schauffele; 8) Harris English / J.J. Spaun; 10) Patrick Cantlay; 11) Taylor Pendrith; 12) Keegan Bradley / Jordan Spieth; 14) Ryan Gerard / Maverick McNealy / Collin Morikawa; 17) Cameron Young; 18) Aaron Rai; 19) Austin Eckroat; 20) Jordan Spieth; 21) Ludvig Aberg; 22) Ben Griffin / Kevin Yu; 24) Justin Thomas; 25) Viktor Hovland / Sungjae Im.
- Top 25 SG Approach: 1) Scottie Scheffler; 2) Shane Lowry; 3) Viktor Hovland; 4) Tony Finau; 5) Luke Clanton; 6) Christiaan Bezuidenhout; 7) Ryan Fox / Ben Griffin / Nick Taylor; 10) Robert MacIntyre / Aaron Rai; 12) Daniel Berger / Si Woo Kim; 14) Lucas Glover / J.J. Spaun; 16) Tommy Fleetwood; 17) Jordan Spieth; 18) Tom Hoge; 19) Hideki Matsuyama / Sepp Straka; 21) Rickie Fowler / Max Greyserman / Xander Schauffele; 24) Ludvig Aberg / Collin Morikawa.
- Top 25 SG Around The Green: 1) Keegan Bradley; 2) Russell Henley; 3) Tony Finau; 4) Sam Stevens; 5) Jason Day; 6) Alex Noren; 7) Adam Scott; 8) Ryan Gerard / Joe Highsmith / Jordan Spieth; 11) Sungjae Im / Si Woo Kim; 13) Xander Schauffele; 14) Wyndham Clark / Collin Morikawa; 16) Lucas Glover; 17) Byeong Hun An / J.T. Poston; 19) Sam Burns; 20) Christiaan Bezuidenhout / Viktor Hovland / Scottie Scheffler; 23) Tom Hoge; 24) Thomas Detry / Harry Hall.
- Top 25 SG Tee to Green: 1) Scottie Scheffler; 2) Keegan Bradley; 3) Xander Schauffele; 4) Adam Scott; 5) Jordan Spieth; 6) Viktor Hovland; 7) Si Woo Kim; 8) Ryan Gerard; 9) Tony Finau / Aaron Rai; 11) Ryan Fox; 12) Ben Griffin / Shane Lowry / J.J. Spaun; 15) Taylor Pendrith; 16) Daniel Berger; 17) Christiaan Bezuidenhout / Harris English / Tommy Fleetwood / Robert MacIntyre; 21) Collin Morikawa; 22) Sepp Straka; 23) Sam Burns / Lucas Glover / Tom Hoge / Nick Taylor / Jhonattan Vegas / Cameron Young.
- Top 25 SG Putting: 1) Sam Burns; 2) Harry Hall; 3) Max Homa / Cameron Young; 5) Ben Griffin; 6) Matt Fitzpatrick / J.T. Poston; 8) Denny McCarthy; 9) Rickie Fowler / Sam Stevens; 11) Tommy Fleetwood; 12) J.J. Spaun / Justin Thomas; 14) Robert MacIntyre; 15) Scottie Scheffler; 16) Akshay Bhatia / Xander Schauffele; 18) Eric Cole; 19) Ludvig Aberg / Brian Harman / Alex Noren / Adam Scott / Sepp Straka; 24) Max Greyserman; 25) Ryan Fox / Stephan Jaeger / Hideki Matsuyama / Gary Woodland.
- Top 25 SG Total: 1) Scottie Scheffler; 2) Sam Burns; 3) Cameron Young; 4) Ben Griffin / Xander Schauffele; 6) Keegan Bradley / Harry Hall; 8) J.J. Spaun; 9) Si Woo Kim / Robert MacIntyre / Adam Scott; 12) Matt Fitzpatrick; 13) Tony Finau / Jordan Spieth; 15) Tommy Fleetwood; 16) Ryan Fox / Viktor Hovland; 18) Collin Morikawa; 19) Max Greyserman / Sam Stevens; 21) Rickie Fowler / J.T. Poston; 23) Taylor Pendrith / Nick Taylor; 25) Harris English.
Trends & Key Factors: Analysing the Strokes Gained Stats of the Travelers Championship winners here at TPC River Highlands since 2016 gives us a little more insight into the requirements for this north-eastern parkland test:
Strokes Gained Tournament Trends:
- 2024, Scottie Scheffler (-22). SG Off the Tee: 4th, SG Approach: 6th, SG Around the Green: 17th, SG Tee to Green: 2nd, SG Putting: 16th.
- 2023, Keegan Bradley (-23). SG Off the Tee: 38th, SG Approach: 1st, SG Around the Green: 33rd, SG Tee to Green: 7th, SG Putting: 1st.
- 2022, Xander Schauffele (-19). SG Off the Tee: 15th, SG Approach: 5th, SG Around the Green: 47th, SG Tee to Green: 8th, SG Putting: 4th.
- 2021, Harris English (-13). SG Off the Tee: 9th, SG Approach: 32nd, SG Around the Green: 8th, SG Tee to Green: 3rd, SG Putting: 18th.
- 2020, Dustin Johnson (-19). SG Off the Tee: 46th, SG Approach: 6th, SG Around the Green: 25th, SG Tee to Green: 6th, SG Putting: 4th.
- 2019, Chez Reavie (-17). SG Off the Tee: 10th, SG Approach: 1st, SG Around the Green: 24th, SG Tee to Green: 1st, SG Putting: 10th.
- 2018, Bubba Watson (-17). SG Off the Tee: 4th, SG Approach: 18th, SG Around the Green: 10th, SG Tee to Green: 2nd, SG Putting: 22nd.
- 2017, Jordan Spieth (-12). SG Off the Tee: 56th, SG Approach: 7th, SG Around the Green: 2nd, SG Tee to Green: 1st, SG Putting: 30th.
- 2016, Russell Knox (-14). SG Off the Tee: 16th, SG Approach: 3rd, SG Around the Green: 42nd, SG Tee to Green: 5th, SG Putting: 19th.
Strokes Gained Tournament Skill Averages:
- SG Off the Tee: 22nd, SG Approach: 9th, SG Around the Green: 23rd, SG Tee to Green: 4th, SG Putting: 14th.
Across the 2021 to 2024 Travelers renewals, from a Stroke Gained perspective the winners gained on average 2.18 strokes per round from Tee to Green (62%) and 1.34 Putting (38%). These metrics are similar to what we saw a few weeks ago at the Charles Schwab Challenge at Colonial, with Strokes Gained Putting a significant part of any winning total.
Tournament Trends & Key Factors: Analysing the final stats of the winners of the Travelers Championship back to 2016 gives us a little more insight into the requirements for this parkland test:
- 2024, Scottie Scheffler (-22). 301 yards (30th), 82.1% fairways (3rd), 88.9% greens in regulation (2nd), 62.5 % scrambling (34th), 1.69 putts per GIR (27th).
- 2023, Keegan Bradley (-23). 316 yards (6th), 66.1% fairways (29th), 83.3% greens in regulation (5th), 66.7 % scrambling (22nd), 1.63 putts per GIR (7th).
- 2022, Xander Schauffele (-19). 296 yards (31st), 75.0% fairways (9th), 87.5% greens in regulation (1st), 66.7 % scrambling (20th), 1.67 putts per GIR (8th).
- 2021, Harris English (-13). 297 yards (31st), 75.0% fairways (11th), 75.0% greens in regulation (15th), 77.8 % scrambling (2nd), 1.69 putts per GIR (11th).
- 2020, Dustin Johnson (-19). 303 yards (27th), 62.5% fairways (47th), 77.8% greens in regulation (10th), 62.5 % scrambling (33rd), 1.63 putts per GIR (4th).
- 2019, Chez Reavie (-17). 279 yards (55th), 82.9% fairways (3rd), 75.0% greens in regulation (1st), 83.3% scrambling (2nd), 1.69 putts per GIR (10th).
- 2018, Bubba Watson (-17). 312 yards (7th), 51.8% fairways (70th), 77.8% greens in regulation (7th), 56.4% scrambling (44th), 1.64 putts per GIR (5th).
- 2017, Jordan Spieth (-12). 290 yards (52nd), 62.5% fairways (41st), 68.1% greens in regulation (42nd), 65.2 % scrambling (19th), 1.63 putts per GIR (3rd).
- 2016, Russell Knox (-14). 296 yards (24th), 67.9% fairways (30th), 79.2% greens in regulation (5th), 66.7 % scrambling (19th), 1.68 putts per GIR (8th).
Tournament Skill Averages:
Driving Distance: 29th, Driving Accuracy: 27th, Greens in Regulation: 10th, Scrambling: 22nd, Putting Average 9th.
For a summary of the Strokes Gained Performances from this week’s field here at TPC River Highlands click here.
Let’s take a view from players as to how TPC River Highlands sets up and what skill sets the course favours:
Scottie Scheffler (2024): “I lean pretty heavily on Ted week-to-week. This is a golf course that he’s had a lot of success on, so if there’s a difference of opinion I’m probably going to lean towards him a little bit more than myself, just because I haven’t had the success on this golf course specifically. A different tournament I may lean more to what I feel and think, whereas out here he really does a good job of managing around this golf course. I think of another place, Augusta is kind of like that, where whatever he says seems to kind of go for me in my head, just because he’s had the success, he has the pedigree, he knows where to put the ball and where not to put the ball. And especially when it comes to a lot of course management stuff clubs to choose off the tees, what areas to play into, just because, like you said, he has seen Bubba win here numerous times and he knows exactly I think how to kind of get me there, if that make sense.
I would say No. 12 definitely changed. That’s a hole where I would usually try and get driver down there to the bottom. Today I hit 3-wood there instead because driver was going to go through the fairway. I did really like the changes, I didn’t feel like they did too much. They did what I would call just enough to kind of bring in a few more challenges and still without kind of taking away the character of a lot of holes..”
Keegan Bradley (2023): “My start was amazing. There are some tough shots there actually, especially when you’re off that early. They’re all birdie holes, but they’re all bogey holes as well. I hit just perfect shots on every shot I had on those first five holes.
Yeah, I love the 15th because everybody is going to hit — try to drive the green. It’s not some people laying up. It’s basically 100%, and it’s a risk reward hole and it’s an awesome hole.
Well, I mean, just I’ve been putting really well all year, especially lately, especially on bent grass greens. I was just reading them really good, and it was just — when you’re putting good everything feels easy and it’s automatic. It breaks a little this way, a little that way, and I just had that going today.
Yeah, I was playing great. I didn’t look a little many leaderboards because I knew I sort of had control of the tournament if I just played my best. With Chez, who was kind of right behind me who was a little bit back, I knew that I sort of had control. This course is so fun to play because every hole is a birdie hole, but also on that backside there is water everywhere so you can make a bogey in a second. It was a stressful finish, but once I got that ball on the green on 17, I kind of could take a little bit of a deep breath.”
Xander Schauffele (2022): “It’s one of those courses if you’re living in the rough all day it’s going to be a long day. You can’t really get too aggressive to pins. I was in the rough a few times. Fortunately I had room to run up the ball. I got nine yards of roll on a couple of wedge shots out of the rough. It’s not too hard to shoot level par or nothing too low if you’re not in the fairway off the tee.”
“Yeah, this course protects itself. It did rain last night, but if it didn’t rain, the course is pretty firm. Mid teens to high teens have won this tournament. If you finish in the high teens you’re in a pretty good spot for the week. If it stays soft, it may be lower than that for the week. I think it’s just a forgiveness thing. After playing the U.S. Open you kind of beat yourself up all week and then you kind of hit a bad shot on a day like today and your ball may stay on the green and not roll off into some ankle-high rough. I think mentally it’s a little bit more forgiving.”
“ I think I focused a little bit more. I was expecting him (Sahith Theegala) to par or birdie. He hits it a really long way. So if he hit it down the fairway he would have had a lob wedge in as well. I knew the 18th hole is, even though it’s downwind, that left bunker is dangerous, as we saw. The right rough is probably the thickest on the property. So if for whatever reason you don’t hit a great tee shot there you’re trying to play for par. With the greens being firm and crusty you just never know what can happen. So I really just tried to worry about myself and the task at hand and I think Austin and I did a really good job of that.”
Harris English (2021): “I’ve played here a lot over the years, so I feel like I know where the pins are going to be. Kind of played this course in my mind. Coming out here I know where to hit all the shots. It’s just about focusing and pulling it off.”
“I love the U.S. Open setup. I love when it’s difficult like that. I can use a lot of that on days like today where it’s tough, it’s windy, you’ve got to grind out there. I feel like I’m a really good grinder on the golf course. I never really get out of it. Had some really great up-and-downs today, made some great seven- or eight-foot par saves. It just shows the validation, all the work you put in, the work I put in back at Sea Island, and putting myself in those positions. I love being in that spot. I love being in the hunt of a golf tournament, and to come down the stretch and actually pull it off is an unbelievable feeling.”
Dustin Johnson (2020): “Well, to me I thought the wind, well, yesterday morning they didn’t have any breeze. Today we had, I mean, I was just talking to Jordan, and other than 16, every single shot we hit was into the wind. I mean, we didn’t get one hole downwind. I don’t know how you can go around this golf course and do that other than 16, which worked in our favour. All three of us made birdies there. But yeah, I thought the wind was tricky today. It was hard to get a beat on it, and it wasn’t blowing one or two miles an hour, it was enough to where it would affect the golf ball enough. That’s why I think it played tougher this morning.”
“Yeah, I mean, probably obviously the way I hit my irons today was, finally I felt like I had a lot of control of my distance and the shot shapes. I hit a lot of great shots, you have to shoot a 61. I think that was probably the biggest key. But probably the most important part of the round would have been No. 11, where I made that really good bunker save because I put myself in just an awful spot with a wedge.”
“On 9, I’ve been hitting hybrid off the tee, and today I hit hybrid and a pitching wedge to about two inches, and then yesterday I did the same thing, hybrid and a pitching wedge to about five feet and made it. I just want to hit it off the fairway, especially around here, because the rough is pretty thick. It’s hard to control the golf ball. The greens are fast and kind of firm. For me, it doesn’t really matter what distance I’m playing from, as long as I’m in the fairway.”
Chez Reavie (2019): “ I mean, I hit the ball a little closer on the back than I did on the front, but I hit a lot of great shots on the front, too. I would say the front was a little tougher for me. Some of the holes are real long and playing into the wind today. I was hitting 5-wood. Like at 4 and 5 I hit 5-wood at both of those holes and hit good shots. So I just got some more scorable clubs on the back nine in my hands. I have shot 28 before on nine holes, but not on tour, I don’t believe. I’ve done it at home.”
“Yeah, the golf course is great. You can shape it both ways off the tee; hit every club in your bag from longer irons to short irons. It’s just a test of all your shots. That’s something I like. I’m a shot maker. I like to work it both ways. Fortunately I don’t have to hit hybrid like I did at Bethpage. I’ve always loved the layout since the first time I came here. Just the way the holes are shaped you can shape shots and think around the greens. It’s a great challenge and something I really enjoy”.
“Biggest shot for me down the stretch? When I stepped up to 17 tee, which that is the toughest visual shot for me on the golf course because I like to hit a draw. With that water off to the left it kind of doesn’t suit me, so I just tried to aim at the bunkers and let the wind blow it into the fairway. Knocked it on the green and I was very comfortable, and when I made the putt it kind of sealed the deal for me.”
Bubba Watson (2018): “Earlier this year I had won in L.A. for my third win in L.A. Now I just need one more in Augusta and that would be great. Get a different jacket. I like this jacket, don’t get me wrong. I love this. I’ve got a few of them. But, yeah, there are certain places that we’ve built our schedule, everybody builds their schedule around places they’ve seen, loved, the atmosphere, all of that comes into play. Around here there are a lot of driver holes where I can hit some drivers and shape it. There are a lot of guys, a lot of guys that are starting to come. Jordan came last year when he won, and he said, “Bubba, anywhere you play good that’s where I want to play, because I think I can play where you can play.” I don’t know if that was a dig or what, but he backed it up with a win. Yeah, it’s one of those things where it just fits our eye. You can see the fairway. You can see the shape of the holes and the greens are always in great shape, so it’s fun.”
Jordan Spieth (2017): “Yeah, I had no idea until we kind of got on the grounds and I saw Michael (Greller) on Tuesday before we played any holes, and he said, “This course is tailor made for you,” is what he said. I love the back nine. I think it’s a very exciting nine holes of golf, one of the coolest stretches that we play where anything can happen. So that’s good and bad when you’re leading. So again, yeah, I thought it was a really good golf course for us. You kind of manoeuvre the ball both ways. You’ve kind of got to watch out for – you’ve got some clearings where the wind affects it more than other times where you’re kind of in the valleys. But overall, poa annua greens, historically, aren’t my best, and so today was a big confidence boost. The rest of the golf course I really love. You’ve got to work both ball flights. You’ve got to kind of be fearless in playing different shots. You really have to. You can’t get out there and just step and hit just draws the whole day. It forces you to hit different shots. The greens are just tough.
Yeah, you’ve got to stay patient. You can’t force it here. You get so many opportunities, you feel like you’re losing to the field if you don’t birdie with a wedge in your hand. But they put these pins in such difficult locations it’s hard to feed it next to it, once you do, it’s difficult to get the right line on the green. So recognizing that the course is 6800 yards for a reason. It’s tricked out elsewhere. And being very patient on the weekend is key. I always mention that, that’s always the word. I try to tell myself that, and sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn’t. Given here especially, given that we’re going to have a lot of chances, greens in regulations is going to be an important stat.”
Russell Knox (2016): “The scores here – I always think this course, if you tee off in the morning, the conditions, you can always shoot a mega low score. That’s what Jim Furyk did last year on Sunday. But as the day goes on, teeing off in the afternoon, especially on a weekend, shooting under par is a great score if you tee off at 1, 2 o’clock. So the course changes significantly as the day goes on, just the firmness of the greens. I think players like that. But every hole, I don’t really feel uncomfortable on. I mean, you don’t have to overpower this course. I remember watching the year before. I think Bubba Watson and Corey Pavin were in a playoff with Scott Verplank maybe too. And I remember thinking what an amazing course this must be that the shortest hitter and longest hitter in the field are in the playoff. So this course, I think, allows everyone in the field to win, and I think that shows what a great course this is.”
Paul Casey: “This is a golf course where the green is relatively small, but they’re tucking the pins away and putting them on some funky little slopes. If you short side yourself, especially if you get over these greens, you’re going to be in a world of hurt. I’m a guy that hits a lot of greens in regulation. I’m pretty aggressive when going with the irons into the greens. I try to give myself a lot of birdie looks. To me, as a player, I love playing these kinds of events where you can go low. I think it’s good for the psyche. If all you ever do is play events where level par is winning score, you feel like you get beaten up, and you’ve got to have these, because every now and then you’ve got to go really low. It is fun. You can’t get the wrong side of it. With a golf course like this, it’s not that easy. I think the scores are reflective in the fact that we’ve got perfect conditions and perfect greens. If you get to the wrong side of it, you can make bogeys very easily out there.”
Bubba Watson: “First hole is going to be a wedge; second hole, wedge; third hole, wedge. These are the approach shots. And then next hole is going to be…it’ll change, but 8, 9 or wedge; next hole is a 6 iron to a 5 iron; next hole is a 3 iron, going for it in two; next hole is a wedge; next hole is an 8 iron; next hole is a wedge; next hole is a wedge; next hole is a wedge; next hole is a wedge; next hole is going for it in two; next hole is a wedge; next hole is a wedge, or if you drive the green you can putt; next hole is a 9 or an 8; 17 is a 9 or a wedge; and 18 is a wedge. So when you look at that, why would I not want to play here if I’m hitting that many wedges? It doesn’t matter if I’m in the rough or not, those are the clubs I’m hitting. It comes down to me putting; if I can putt halfway decent, I have a chance to top 10 here or scare a victory.”
First Round Leader Analysis: First round leader(s), their group and winning score since 2010. Full First Round Leader stats are here.
- 2024 – Tom Kim – Group 26 -8/62 – 40/1.
- 2023 – McCarthy – PM -10/60 – 70/1.
- 2022 – McIlroy / Poston – AM/PM Split -8/62 – 25/1 & 150/1.
- 2021 – Hickok / Kodaira – AM/PM Split -7/63 – 200/1 & 150/1.
- 2020 – Hughes – AM -10/60 – 150/1.
- 2019 – Ancer/Armour/Burgoon/Hughes/K.H. Lee/Sucher – 2AM/4PM -6/64 – 95/1,150/1,200/1,125/1,125/1 & 250/1.
- 2018 – Z Johnson/Spieth – AM/PM Split -7/63 – 55/1 & 33/1.
- 2017 – Spieth – PM -7/63 – 20/1.
- 2016 – Kelly/V Taylor – AM/PM Split -6/64.
- 2015 – Watson – PM -8/62.
- 2014 – Steele – AM -8/62.
- 2013 – Hoffman – PM -9/61.
- 2012 – Mathis – PM -6/64.
- 2011 – Renner – PM -7/63.
- 2010 – Goggin/Harrington/Rose/Wi – 3AM/1PM -6/64.
For the record, here’s the breakdown of pure Poa Annua and Bentgrass/Poa Annua mix PGA Tour victors in the field since 2008:
- 5 – Rory McIlroy.
- 4 – Jason Day, Max Homa.
- 3 – Keegan Bradley, Collin Morikawa.
- 2 – Cameron Davis, Harris English, Hideki Matsuyama, Adam Scott, Jordan Spieth, Nick Taylor, Gary Woodland.
- 1 – Ludvig Aberg, Daniel Berger, Akshay Bhatia, Patrick Cantlay, Wyndham Clark, Nick Dunlap, Tony Finau, Matt Fitzpatrick, Rickie Fowler, Ryan Fox, Tom Hoge, Viktor Hovland, Shane Lowry, Robert MacIntyre, Matthieu Pavon, Xander Schauffele, Scottie Scheffler, J.J. Spaun, Sahith Theegala, Justin Thomas.
From a correlating course perspective, there’s undoubtedly a form link between TPC River Highlands and a number of other parkland golf courses. The course here features Bentgrass with Poa Annua mixed green surfaces, and as we know the latter is a problem for many players. So a look at west coast courses which feature Poa Annua isn’t a bad angle in my view, namely Torrey Pines, Pebble Beach and Riviera Country Club.
A look at Dustin Johnson’s west coast resume tells you all you need to know. A 2-time winner at Pebble Beach (2009, 2010) a winner at Riviera Country Club (2017) amongst 10 top 10 finishes. DJ also has a 3rd place at Torrey Pines (2011) to his name and is a 2-time winner (2013 & 2018) on the rolling Bermudagrass green course at Kapalua.
Johnson may not be the best example, so let’s take Xander Schauffele. A winner at Kapalua (2019) with supporting runner-up (2020) and 5th (2021) on the Plantation Course, Xander has also finished runner-up and 3rd at TPC Scottsdale (2021 & 2022). From a Poa Annua perspective, 2nd (2021 Farmers Insurance Open) and 7th (2021 U.S. Open) at Torrey Pines, Schauffele also finished 3rd at the Pebble Beach-hosted 2019 U.S. Open and was 4th (2024) at Riviera Country Club.
How about defending champion Scottie Scheffler? 7th at the Torrey Pines-hosted U.S. Open in 2021, 7th (2022) and 10th (2024) at Riviera Country Club, plus 6th (2024) at Pebble Beach prior to winning the Travelers, highlight a player who could contend on Poa Annua. 7th (2023) and 5th (2024) on the Plantation Course at Kapalua also chime in with DJ and Xander.
Keegan Bradley fits too. 2nd (2023), 4th (2017) and 5th (2018) at Torrey Pines, Keegan has also finished 2nd (2012) and 4th (2015) at Riviera Country Club. 4th at Kapalua (2013) forms a similar, if not quite as successful west coast footprint to Johnson and Schauffele.
Harris English – 2021 Travelers champion – is a winner at Kapalua (2021) and with a 3rd (2015), 4th (2014) and 9th (2013) at Waialae he’s also played well on the Bermuda segment of the west coast swing. However even the Georgia based player has a decent west coast Poa resume. 10th (2014) at Riviera, Harris had finished 2nd (2015) and 8th (2018) at Torrey Pines, before finishing 3rd at the Torrey Pines hosted 2021 U.S. Open. That was his best ever Major finish and by the following Sunday he had won the Travelers Championship.
2019 champion Chez Reavie won this straight off finishing 3rd at Pebble Beach-hosted U.S. Open the week before. He had also finished 2nd at the 2018 AT&T Pro-Am at the classical Pebble and a finished 7th (2016) and 10th (2020) at Riviera Country Club.
3-time Travelers winner Bubba Watson has a great west coast Poa Annua CV. 4th (2007), 1st (2011) and 6th (2020) at Torrey Pines is supported by 3 wins (2014, 2018 and 2018) at Riviera. 2017 Travelers winner Jordan Spieth follows the Reavie-mould with 4th (2014), 7th (2015), 1st (2017), 9th (2020) and 3rd (2021) at the AT&T National Pebble tournament. He’s also been a feature at Riviera finishing 12th (2014), 4th (2015) and 9th (2018). 2014 champion here at TPC River Highlands, Kevin Streelman, is a real Pebble Beach specialist chalking up 4 top 9 finishes on the Monterey coast. 9th (2012), 6th (2018), 7th (2019) and 2nd (2020) highlights a player who copes admirably on a short course, with Poa Annua greens.
And 2012 Travelers champion Marc Leishman has finished 2nd (2010), 9th (2011), 2nd (2014), 8th (2018) and 1st (2020) at Torrey Pines, with 5th (2016) and 4th (2019) at Riviera.
So what is the key to TPC River Highlands? Well high quality birdie making powered by top-notch Strokes Gained on Approach is the winning formula here in Hartford, Connecticut. 8 of the last 9 winners all have ranked in the top 18 for Strokes Gained on Approach and all have been in the top 8 for Strokes Gained Tee to Green.
