Damien Kayat previews the 2023 edition of the Traveler’s Championship coming your way from the TPC River Highlands.
2022/2023 US PGA Tour
Traveler’s Championship
TPC River Highlands, Cromwell, Connecticut
22nd-25th June
Los Angeles Country Club was a little quirkier than I expected. It wasn’t fully embraced by the players and I can’t see it hosting a Major Championship for some time to come. Still, you can’t blame Wyndham Clark for the idiosyncratic nature of the layout. He was remarkably assured under pressure, delivering short-game theatrics akin to that of Phil Mickelson. You have got to feel for four-time Major champion Rory McIlroy. He played well all week but just couldn’t buy a putt on Sunday. All in all, it was an interesting watch that never approached the epic status of recent US Opens.
And I’m fairly certain that the US PGA Tour’s decision to elevate so many events has added to that feeling. Practically every week feels like a Major Championship now. That may sound good from a broadcasting perspective. But it’s starting to make the Major Championships feel a little ordinary. Maybe I’m just being a cranky traditionalist.
Founded as the Insurance City Open in 1952, the Travelers Championship has had a number of facelifts over the years. It was reshuffled in the 2016 and 2020 calendars (due to the Olympics and Covid respectively). But since 2007 it has been the traditional post US-Open stop-off. And this event has always been embraced as a gentle tonic to the vagaries of US Open Golf. That’s all going to change with the new elevated status. Players are going to be desperate to make up for missed opportunities in LA. And there will be plenty of opportunities out there.
It’s been 11 years since Patrick Cantlay set the course record with a 60 (which is also the lowest round on the PGA Tour by an amateur). In 2014, Kevin Streelman became the first player to birdie the last seven holes to win a PGA Tour event. And who could possibly forget Jim Furyk’s iconic performance in 2016, where he became the first person in the history of the PGA Tour to shoot a 58?
TPC River Highlands was originally designed by Robert J. Ross and Maurice Kearney in 1928. But it has gone through significant renovations under the eyes of Pete Dye and Bobby Weed. Holes 15, 16 and 17- known as the ‘Golden Triangle’- wind around a lake and often make for a dramatic finish (though not quite as dramatic as last week’s treacherous final three holes). As I alluded to earlier, this isn’t the most exacting test on the tour. This par 70 is absurdly small at around 6,842 yards. The fairways and smaller-than-average Poa Annua greens are easy to find. It all really boils down to who putts the best throughout the week. It’s probably also good to look for players with a high birdie average.
Last year’s champion Xander Schauffele looked primed for a maiden Major title after a sensational opening 62 last week. But he faded miserably over the weekend in what has become a bit of a trend for the talented American.
Course specialist Patrick Cantlay played in spurts in LA and will no doubt be a firm favourite this week. Scottie Scheffler was once again in contention despite his typical issues on the greens. Rory will want to prove a point this week after yet more Major Championship heartbreak. Elsewhere, the likes of Viktor Hovland and Tommy Fleetwood have been in magnificent recent form. Ricky Fowler will look for a pick-me-up this week after yet another failed Major bid. It will also be interesting to see how Wyndham Clark fares after his post-US Open celebrations.
Past Winners
2022: Xander Schauffele (-19)
2021: Harris English (-13) *playoff
2020: Dustin Johnson (-19)
2019: Chez Reavie (-17)
2018: Bubba Watson (-17)
2017: Jordan Spieth (-12) *playoff
Betting Favourites (To Win)
Scottie Scheffler (13/2), Patrick Cantlay (11/1), Jon Rahm (11/1), Rory McIlroy (12/1), Xander Schauffele (12/1)
Value Bets
Viktor Hovland- To Win (18/1), To Place (39/10)
This one is just a no-brainer. Hovland managed a 19th place finish in LA despite expressing real concerns about the course. It was his 4th successive top 20 finish. This included a runner-up finish at the US PGA Championship and a victory at Muirfield. He is quite simply one of the truly elite players in world golf right now. And he should suit this course perfectly. He currently ranks 6th on tour for proximity to the hole and 8th in scoring average. He has been putting brilliantly and I expect him to improve on his 11th place finish from last season.
Sahith Theegala- To Win (50/1), To Place (11/1)
It’s easy to underestimate Theegala’s recent consistency. He actually hasn’t missed a cut since the start of the year. His run of 20 straight cuts is the 3rd longest streak on tour. And his T27 at last week’s US Open was his best finish in five starts. But my main cause for optimism this week is Theegala’s brilliant performance from last year. He finished runner-up to Schauffele after making a mess of the 72-hole. I think Theegala will feel hugely motivated to wrong that right. He ranked 1st for Strokes Gained: Around the Green in the final round of last week’s US Open.
The Man to Beat- Patrick Cantlay- To Win (11/1), To Place (24/10)
It’s always nice to play a ‘horses for courses’ pick who just happens to be in consistent form. Patrick Cantlay has finished inside the top 15 in each of his last five visits to TPC River Highlands. He has seven top 10’s this season and a brilliant 12 top 25’s. He was T14 last week despite never playing his best golf. He currently ranks 1st on tour for Total Driving and 2nd for Birdie Average. He loves a birdie fest and he is a guy who could flirt with 59 this week.
