Travelers Championship Preview and Picks

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🏆 Travelers Championship Field

The Travelers Championship boasts a formidable field, featuring 68 of the top 100 and 44 of the top 50 players in the latest Official World Rankings. A strong contingent from the top-ten is present, including Scottie Scheffler, Rory McIlroy, Xander Schauffele, Collin Morikawa, Justin Thomas, Russell Henley, Sepp Straka, J.J. Spaun, Viktor Hovland, and Ludvig Aberg. Other notable players from the top 50 include Hideki Matsuyama, Robert MacIntyre, Maverick McNealy, Ben Griffin, Shane Lowry, Tommy Fleetwood, Sam Burns, Patrick Cantlay, Keegan Bradley, Harris English, Sungjae Im, Wyndham Clark, Brian Harman, Daniel Berger, Ryan Fox, Nick Taylor, Aaron Rai, Thomas Detry, Akshay Bhatia, Andrew Novak, Min Woo Lee, Taylor Pendrith, Jason Day, Cameron Young, Adam Scott, J.T. Poston, Tony Finau, Jordan Spieth, Denny McCarthy, Max Greyserman, Tom Hoge, Lucas Glover, Byeong Hun An, and Mackenzie Hughes.

This year's field is comparable to last year's, which saw 67 of the top-100 players and 43 of the top-21 competing.

In a significant showing for the FedEx Cup standings, all 26 of the top 26 players for 2025 are in the field, with the exception of Justin Rose. This includes top contenders like Scottie Scheffler, Rory McIlroy, Sepp Straka, Justin Thomas, Ben Griffin, J.J. Spaun, Russell Henley, Maverick McNealy, Andrew Novak, Corey Conners, Ludvig Aberg, Shane Lowry, Harris English, Nick Taylor, Collin Morikawa, Tommy Fleetwood, Robert MacIntyre, Sam Burns, Patrick Cantlay, Viktor Hovland, Sungjae Im, Hideki Matsuyama, Daniel Berger, Ryan Fox, Brian Harman, and Thomas Detry.

The tournament also welcomes back five past champions: Scottie Scheffler (2024), Keegan Bradley (2023), Xander Schauffele (2022), Harris English (2021), and Jordan Spieth (2017).

📊 Data-Driven Insights for Fantasy & Betting

If you’re serious about making the best picks this week, our GolfStats tools have you covered.

• Our Performance Chart ranks players by their average finish of all players the Travelers Championship, helping you identify those who consistently contend.

• Our GolfStats Custom Formula highlights the best performers at this event over the last five years, factoring in course history and key stats.

• Our Sortable 8-Year Glance lets you track trends, breakout performances, and potential sleepers at the Travelers.

These tools are invaluable whether you’re betting, setting a DFS lineup, or simply looking for an edge in your fantasy league. Check out the full blog post for DK fantasy advice.

⛳ Spaun’s Shocking Win at Oakmont

Sunday at Oakmont was a rollercoaster of drama, weather, and unpredictability. With brutal conditions and slick greens, the course chewed up the final groups—eight players in the last four pairings shot a collective 36-over-par. Yet, it wasn’t unplayable: five players broke par, including impressive 67s from Rory McIlroy and Jon Rahm. Still, the carnage was real, and the weather amplified it. That kind of setup favors grit over pedigree, opening the door for journeymen to break through. Enter J.J. Spaun, whose name now joins a long list of unexpected major champions like Brian Harman, Gary Woodland, and Ben Curtis—players who capitalized on chaos and carved their moment in history when few saw it coming.

Spaun’s path to victory was anything but smooth. He played the first eight holes five-over-par, marred by a mix of bad luck and tough bounces—including a shot that hit the pin and rolled nearly 50 yards off the green. Then came a rain delay that gave Spaun a critical reset. He changed clothes, regrouped mentally, and emerged a different player. His final ten holes were masterful: a 32 on the back nine, powered by long-range putts of 22, 40, and 64 feet, helped him post 160 feet of made putts for the day—133 of them on the final seven holes. He capped it off with two clutch drives on 17 and 18 that sealed the win. While it’s unlikely this sparks a run of major victories, Spaun’s life is forever changed—PGA Tour security, financial comfort, and a place in golf’s unpredictable legacy.

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Onward to the Travelers

Coming off a dramatic U.S. Open at Oakmont, several players in this week’s Travelers Championship field will be riding waves of momentum—or seeking redemption. Robert MacIntyre and Viktor Hovland both contended at Oakmont, but fell just short of catching J.J. Spaun. MacIntyre has a track record of heating up in the summer, with wins at the Canadian and Scottish Opens last year, and he could be primed for another surge. Hovland, on the other hand, looked shaky off the tee with a loose swing and inconsistent driver—there’s reason to doubt whether his game is fully dialed in. Meanwhile, Cameron Young may finally be poised for a breakthrough. Despite seven runner-ups on tour, he remains winless, but Oakmont could be the spark he’s needed. Scottie Scheffler remains a favorite this week, especially if he can clean up his putting, while Rory McIlroy’s closing 67 offers a glimmer of hope—though questions linger about what’s really holding him back.

Now in its 73rd year, the Travelers Championship is one of the longest-running events on the PGA Tour. It began in 1952 as the Insurance City Open, born out of a failed turtle race fundraiser by the U.S. Junior Chamber. The event quickly became a platform for rising stars—most notably a young Arnold Palmer, who earned his first American win here in 1956. Over the decades, the tournament has seen multiple rebrands, with names like the Greater Hartford Open, the Canon GHO, and eventually the Travelers Championship taking hold. Notable moments include Billy Casper’s record four wins and a star-powered era in the early 2000s that drew crowds of over 300,000. Through it all, the event has remained focused on charitable giving, consistently raising millions for community causes.

The tournament is hosted at TPC River Highlands in Cromwell, Connecticut—a course that’s seen nearly as many redesigns as the event has name changes. Originally laid out in 1928 and revamped by Pete Dye in 1984, the course was later refined by Bobby Weed with input from PGA Tour pros. It’s a par-70 layout stretching 6,852 yards, offering a mix of scoring opportunities and demanding challenges. Its signature back nine amphitheater layout is designed with spectators in mind, and the “Golden Triangle”—holes 15 through 17—adds late-round drama with water hazards and risk-reward decisions. Holes 4 and 10 present the toughest tests, requiring both precision and creativity off the tee and into tight greens.

Beyond its playability, TPC River Highlands is also recognized for its environmental stewardship, being one of only 49 courses to earn full certification from the Audubon Cooperative Sanctuary Program. With a mix of short par-4s, challenging long holes, and a strong finishing stretch, the course offers a fitting stage for those seeking redemption or riding momentum after Oakmont. Whether it’s a marquee name like Scheffler or a first-time winner like Cameron Young, the Travelers often produces compelling storylines—and this year should be no different.

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Key Stats for Success at TPC River Highlands

Scoring low is the name of the game at TPC River Highlands, one of the most forgiving and birdie-friendly courses on the PGA Tour. With soft greens, wide fairways, and ideal summer conditions expected this week, players will need to capitalize on scoring opportunities rather than simply survive the course. While distance off the tee helps, it’s not everything—smart play, precision, and a hot putter can level the field. Based on historical trends and data, here are the four most important stats to watch for predicting who might win the 2025 Travelers Championship:

1. Strokes Gained Tee-to-Green
This stat consistently separates contenders from the rest. Winners at TPC River Highlands tend to rank in the top 10 in this metric, showcasing their ability to combine distance, fairway accuracy, and hitting greens in regulation. Scottie Scheffler gained nearly 2.5 strokes per round last year and hit an astounding 64 of 72 greens. Whether bombing it or threading it, those who excel tee-to-green gain a big edge here.

2. Par Breakers (Birdies + Eagles)
To win at River Highlands, you must make birdies—and lots of them. Recent winners like Keegan Bradley (27 birdies in 2023) and Dustin Johnson (25 birdies in 2020) dominated by racking up red numbers. With soft course conditions and favorable weather, expect the winning score to be well into the double digits under par. Par Breakers reflects how aggressive and effective players are when scoring opportunities arise.

3. Scrambling
Even with easier conditions, players will miss greens—and when they do, saving par becomes essential. Winners here typically scramble well when needed, like Chez Reavie in 2019 (83% up-and-down rate) or Harris English in 2021 (78%). A hot short game keeps momentum alive and scorecards clean, especially when navigating trickier lies around the greens.

4. Par 4 Scoring Average
With 12 par 4s on the course, success here is vital. Winners almost always dominate these holes—Scheffler was -13 on par 4s last year; Keegan Bradley went -16 the year before. Low scores on par 5s are expected, but it’s efficiency on the par 4s that separates the champion from the chasers. Master these, and the trophy may follow.

Focus on these four categories when making your picks—and don’t be surprised to see a familiar name with hot stats take the title on Sunday. See this week’s Composite Rankings based on these 4 key stats (for those with a Golf IQ subscription).

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