Horses for Courses: Travelers Championship
2 Min Read
The PGA TOUR remains in the Northeast this week as only 110 miles separate The Country Club from TPC River Highlands.
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The US Open encore has taken place here since 2007 and the event has become one of the most attended on TOUR. The event stretches back to 1984 at TPC River Highlands then known as TPC Connecticut.
The Par-70 annually checks in as one of the shortest tracks in use and this year that rings true again. Even though 11 yards were added to the card this year to expand to 6,852 yards only Port Royal Golf Course in Bermuda has less meat on the bone (6,828 yards).
The challenge at TPC River Highlands has never been length. Big hitters who find GIR have feasted here but plenty of others have found out the hard way that wild doesn't cut it. Out of position off the tee will bring in patchy rough that's approaching four inches. Combine that with closely mown areas around the greens and bogeys can be in play. Four water penalty areas notoriously swallow up mis-hits and are live on five holes, including Nos. 15-17.
Keys to success are attacking from the fairway, sticking approaches tight and converting those opportunities. With only two Par-5 holes the Par-4s will carry the freight. Defending champion Harris English was the first winner in seven years NOT to lead the field in Par-4 scoring as he was sixth. There has only been one winner in the last seven who was inside T10 in Par-5 scoring.
A full field of 156 will be chasing a prize pool of $8.3 million with the winner taking home $1.494 million plus 500 FedExCup points.
Let's find some horses for courses!
Horses for Courses
| Recent Winners Entered this week (Cuts made/events entered) | Top 10 | Top 20 | 2022 BET MGM ODDS Win, Top 10, Top 20 |
| 2021: Harris English (6/8) | 2 | 3 | +10000; +900; +400 |
| 2019: Chez Reavie (9/11) | 1 | 4 | +15000; +1100; +500 |
| 2017: Jordan Spieth (3/4) | 1 | 1 | +2500; +240; +125 |
| 2016: Russell Knox (6/10) | 1 | 3 | +12500; +1000; +450 |
| Veteran Presence Entered this week (cuts made/events entered) | Top 10 | Top 20 | 2022 BET MGM ODDS Win, Top 10, Top 20 |
| Brian Harman (9/11) | 4 | 5 | +5000; +400; +150 |
| Brice Garnett (3/6) | 1 | 2 | +25000; +1800; +700 |
| Jason Day (6/7) | 2 | 4 | +6600; +550; +250 |
| Kevin Streelman (10/14) | 5 | 6 | +12500; +900; +400 |
| Brendan Steele (8/11) | 2 | 8 | +5000; +450; +175 |
| Scott Stallings (2/7) | 1 | 1 | +20000; +1200; +500 |
| Patton Kizzire (2/6) | 1 | 1 | +25000; +1800; +700 |
| Keegan Bradley (9/11) | 2 | 4 | +3300; +275; +125 |
| Kevin Tway (5/7) | 2 | 2 | +50000; +3300; +1400 |
| Stewart Cink (14/18) | 6 | 9 | +20000; +1400; +550 |
| Anirban Lahiri (2/4) | 1 | 2 | +15000; +1000; +400 |
| Danny Lee (4/9) | 1 | 3 | +25000; +1600; +650 |
| Webb Simpson (8/9) | 2 | 3 | +5000; +500; +240 |
| CT Pan (3/6) | 1 | 2 | +12500; +900; +400 |
| Troy Merritt (5/10) | 1 | 1 | +20000; +1100; +450 |
| Gaining Traction Entering this week | 2022 BET MGM ODDS Win, Top 10, Top 20 | ||
| Kramer Hickok (2/2) | 1 | 1 | +25000; +1800; +700 |
| Hank Lebioda (3/3) | 1 | 1 | +15000; +1400; +550 |
| Kevin Kisner (3/5) | 1 | 2 | +10000; +800; +350 |
| Brooks Koepka (5/5) | 2 | 3 | +4000; +350; +160 |
| Sepp Straka (1/3) | 1 | 1 | +15000 ;+1100; +450 |
| Mackenzie Hughes (5/5) | 1 | 2 | +12500; +900; +400 |
| Rory McIlroy (3/3) | 0 | 3 | +1000; +100; -190 |
| Joaquin Niemann (3/3) | 1 | 1 | +2800; +260; +125 |
| Others Entered this week | Top 10 | Top 20 | 2022 BET MGM ODDS Win, Top 10, Top 20 |
| Patrick Cantlay (5/7) | 0 | 5 | +1400; +140; -145 |
| Charley Hoffman (10/12) | 3 | 5 | +25000; +2000; +700 |
| Zach Johnson (12/15) | 2 | 8 | +20000; +1600; +700 |
| Justin Thomas (4/7) | 1 | 1 | +1200; +120; -165 |
| Si Woo Kim (3/6) | 0 | 2 | +8000; +600; +250 |
| Sam Burns (3/3) | 0 | 2 | +1800; +190; -110 |
| Xander Schauffele (2/3) | 0 | 2 | +2000; +190; -125 |
| Robert Streb (4/7) | 0 | 2 | +40000; +2500; +1000 |
Odds sourced on Tuesday, June 21th at 3 p.m. ET. For live odds visit betmgm.
Notes
• Stewart Cink (2008, 1997) is the only multiple winner in the field.
• Jordan Spieth (21, 2017) is the only winner in the 20s in the last seven editions.
• Tournament record: 258; Kenny Perry, 2009.
• Course record: 58; Jim Furyk (T5), 2016.
• Oldest winner: 48; Kenny Perry, 2009.
• Youngest winner: 23; Jordan Spieth, 2017.
• First time winner on TOUR (last): Ken Duke, 2013.
• Best Round 2021: 62, Jason Day.
• Best Round 2020: 60, Mackenzie Hughes.
• Best Round 2019: 63, Jason Day, Chez Reavie.
Recent Event Winners Stats
| Year | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 | 2018 |
| Winner | Harris English | Dustin Johnson | Chez Reavie | Bubba Watson |
| Score | -13 | -19 | -17 | -17 |
| MOV | Playoff (Hickok) | 1 (Streelman) | 4 | 3 |
| Cut | -2 | -4 | -2 | -2 |
| Age | 31 | 36 | 37 | 39 |
| Pre Tournament Odds | +4000 | +2000 | +5000 | +2500 |
| Disantance - All Drives | 30 | 16 | 56 | 4 |
| Driving Accuarcy | T11 | T47 | T3 | T70 |
| GIR | T15 | T18 | T7 | T7 |
| Ball-Striking | T6 | T30 | 8 | 25 |
| Proximity | T9 | 4 | 6 | T34 |
| Putting: Birdie or Better % | T16 | 5 | T17 | 15 |
| SG: Off-the-Tee | 9 | 46 | 10 | 4 |
| SG: Approach-the-Green | 32 | 6 | 1 | 18 |
| SG: Around-the-Green | 8 | 25 | 24 | 10 |
| SG: Putting | 18 | 4 | 10 | 22 |
| SG: Tee-to-Green | 3 | 6 | 1 | 2 |
| Scrambling | T2 | T33 | 2 | T44 |
| Bogey Avoidance | T2 | T12 | 1 | T10 |
| Par-3 Scoring | T8 | T7 | T16 | T49 |
| Par-4 Scoring | 6 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| Par-5 Scoring | T16 | T47 | T31 | T2 |
| Birdies | T4 (15) Leaders 17 | T4 (13) Leader 15 | 17 (T9) Leader 19 | 14 (4th) Leader 17 |
| Eagles | 0; Leader 2 | 1 (2) | 0 Leader 2 | 0 |
| Bogeys/Doubles | 8 | 11 (least) | 4 | 13 |
Key stat leaders
Top golfers in each statistic on the 2021-22 PGA TOUR are listed only if they are scheduled to compete this week;
| Strokes Gained: Tee to Green | |
| Rank | Player |
| 1 | Rory McIlroy |
| 3 | Justin Thomas |
| 4 | Jon Rahm |
| 6 | Luke List |
| 7 | Xander Schauffele |
| 8 | Joaquin Niemann |
| 9 | Sungjae Im |
| 10 | Jordan Spieth |
| 12 | Mito Pereira |
| Par 4 Scoring | |
| Rank | Player |
| 1 | Justin Thomas |
| 2 | Sungjae Im |
| 2 | Seamus Power |
| 4 | Nate Lashley |
| 4 | Scottie Scheffler |
| 9 | Sam Burns |
| 9 | Mito Pereira |
| 9 | Xander Schauffele |
| 14 | Brian Harman |
| 14 | Charles Howell III |
| 14 | Rory McIlroy |
| 14 | Denny McCarthy |
| Proximity | |
| Rank | Player |
| 5 | Russell Knox |
| 7 | Justin Thomas |
| 9 | Tyler Duncan |
| 11 | Christiaan Bezuidenhout |
| 11 | Joel Dahmen |
| 14 | Webb Simpson |
| 16 | Keegan Bradley |
| 16 | Austin Smotherman |
| 21 | Mito Pereira |