Travelers Championship Preview
June 21, 2017
The week after the US Open used to be an off week for many of the players on the PGA Tour. However, that all changed when Travelers took over as the title sponsor for the Travelers Championship. The crew worked hard to try and recruit better and better players, and this year it paid off with Jason Day, Jordan Spieth, Rory McIlroy, and Justin Thomas all in the field, just to name a few. The tournament is located in sleepy Cromwell, CT and is played at TPC River Highlands, a 6,847 yard scorers paradise. Just last year, Jim Furyk shot the tour’s lowest score ever recorded, making the cut on the number and then shooting a final round 58 to sneak in for a backdoor top 5 finish. With the course in great shape, expect to see low scores throughout the week.
That being said, here are my picks for the week:
Winner: Justin Thomas
After his collapse (ok, not really, he just got outplayed by Koepka) at the US Open, I think that JT is going to come back with a vengeance this week. The course can be bombers paradise if you drive it well, and so long as Thomas’s putting and chipping hold up, expect him to do well this week.
Top 10: Wesley Bryan
Bryan isn’t the longest of hitters on tour, so the shortness of this course should definitely help him. His approach game with shorter clubs has been on point for the entire season, and it has led him to success, including four top 10 finishes as well as a victory at the RBC Heritage. If he can bounce back from a MC at Erin Hills and putt well this week, look for him to record yet another top 10 finish this week
Top 25: Bubba Watson
In my opinion, Bubba Watson is an inconsistent, highly overrated player. On tour, his unique swing really only yields success at two courses: Augusta National and TPC River Highlands. The former has led him to two green jackets, and most likely a spot in the World Golf Hall of Fame. The latter has led him to plenty of success and two wins here in 2010 and 2015. Whenever he’s playing here, you can’t sell Bubba out. Therefore, it’s a safe bet to assume he’ll have a strong finish this week.
Written by Paul Choma
