Power Rankings: Travelers Championship

Before the chase down summer’s straightaway for a spot in the FedExCup Playoffs commences in earnest, there’s one more reminder of the opportunities earned for finishing inside the top 50 of last year’s FedExCup. It’s this week’s Travelers Championship.

The PGA TOUR is poised to present the last of the eight Signature Events this season. Like all others, its construct first took shape via that valuable bubble. Like only four that preceded it, there is no cut, so all 72 entrants are guaranteed to contribute to their FedExCup totals with their performances at TPC River Highlands in Cromwell, Connecticut.

Scroll or swipe past the ranking of projected contenders for a review of the shortest par 70 of the season, Mother Nature’s intentions for the tournament and more.

No two golf courses are alike, but when you zero in on only stock par 70s, you’d struggle at hand-picking two on opposite sides of the spectrum of difficulty that aren’t Shinnecock Hills Golf Club and TPC River Highlands. This juxtaposition is particularly striking across a mere fortnight.

Checking in at 2.683 strokes over par for the U.S. Open, Shinnecock Hills stood up for the highest average score in relation to par since Oakmont Country Club, another stock par 70, hosted last year’s U.S. Open. By comparison, TPC River Highlands slotted as the easiest par 70 in 2024. It may have replicated the position last year if not for abnormally gusty winds in the second round. Still, the scoring average for the week landed at a sporty 69.238.

When qualifying for a no-cut Signature Event that immediately follows the U.S. Open, it’s a perk, but TPC River Highlands still has teeth, so respecting where it bites is no different than mapping out a successful strategy on any course.

At just 6,844 yards from the tips, TPC River Highlands pulls drivers out of the grips of the field in favor of fairway finders and irons. With the combination of bluegrass and fescue rough allowed a prominence of at least 4½ inches, the priority is on playing approaches from the shortest grass, which is the combination bentgrass-Poa annua that blankets the rest of the property. This is especially important given the talent pool of the field and that all in it play four rounds.

The greens average just 5,000 square feet, but that’s commensurate with the overall length on any given day. The size of the targets can benefit ball-strikers by default, but anyone who’s thinking about attacking flags might be surprised to learn that TPC River Highlands typically ranks comfortably inside the harder half of all courses in salvaging pars. When looping the scoring averages over time into the calculus, it’s counterintuitive, but it’s actually a reflection of one area in which the top of the leaderboard at the finish line flourishes.

Converting putts on the surfaces measuring a standard 12 feet using the Stimpmeter can be testy but with only seven in the field making their debuts, experience feeds directly into confidence to shoot and score. On cue, it will require the blend of piling up the opportunities with pouring them in for us to notice.

The absence of strong breezes all week will favor the possibility of a shootout, but it won’t be golf in a dome. After exceptional conditions for the first round, some energy enters the picture on Friday and lingers into Saturday. The chance of boomers will exist, but it shouldn’t disrupt the smaller field too much. Sunday’s finale could be nicer than the opener. Daytime highs in the mid-80s will bracket potentially cooler air mid-tournament.

ROB BOLTON’S SCHEDULE

PGATOUR.com’s Rob Bolton previews and recaps every tournament. Refer to the timing of his contributions below. He’s also active as @RobBoltonGolf on X where you can connect with him.

MONDAY: Power Rankings
TUESDAY*: Sleepers*; Expert Picks**; Fantasy Insider
SUNDAY: Points and Payouts; Qualifiers
* – Sign up now for content found exclusively in “The Early Card” newsletter, arriving to your inbox each Tuesday.
** – Rob also is included in Expert Picks for PGA TOUR Fantasy Golf that publishes on Tuesday.