Following one of the most remarkable US Opens in recent history, the PGA Tour stages its final elevated event of the season with Scottie Scheffler once again favoured to claim another win in The Travelers Championship.
Key Stats/Skill Set Required
- Putting Average
- Strokes Gained: Putting
- Birdie or Better
- Par 4 Scoring
- Strokes Gained: Approach
- Ball Striking
- Proximity
- Bogey Avoidance
TPC River Highlands is a typical NorthEast course, a Par 70 where conditions dictate how this plays. All styles are suited with form on the greens typically dictating the victor. Making birdies and minimising mistakes are the key here.
Key Correlation Courses/Tournaments
- Riviera
- Innisbrook Resort
- TPC Scottsdale
It has been a very disappointing year on the major front for Justin Thomas, missing the cut at the PGA Championship and US Open. Outside of the majors though, Thomas has reasserted himself as a big dog of the PGA Tour. He broke a long drought with a win at the RBC Heritage in April and has finished Top 2 in three of his last four regular tour events while he has eight Top 9 finishes from 13 regular season starts. He profiles superbly for this, leading the Tour in Putting Average and Birdie or Better while ranking Top 15 in Par 4 Scoring, Strokes Gained: Putting and Strokes Gained: Approach. Finished Top 10 here the last two years.
Patrick Cantlay has had a very similar year to JT – shockers in the majors combined with some consistent Tour showings. He has finished Top 17 in 12 of his last 15 regular Tour events. He loves TPC River Highlands with seven straight Top 15 finishes including Top 5 finishes at his last two. Ranks 6th in Par 4 Scoring, 14th in Birdie or Better and 15th in Strokes Gained: Approach. Loves poa greens.
We are running with a third “major failure/Tour thriver” candidate this week in Sepp Straka. Straka has won twice this year including the Truist Championship back in May. He followed that up with a third in The Memorial. He ranks Top 15 in Putting Average, Birdie or Better, Par 4 Scoring, Strokes Gained: Approach, Ball Striking, Proximity and Bogey Avoidance. He has two Top 25 finishes in his last four starts here.
Kiwi Ryan Fox is clearly more than comfortable on the PGA Tour now with the popular New Zealander winning two of his last three regular-season events that has been interspersed with two Top 30 major finishes. He is absolutely airborne! Fox ranks 7th in Putting Average ad 9th in Strokes Gained: Approach and looks a huge price this week.
Elite putter Harry Hall can ride his form with the flat stick to a good result in the Travelers. Hall ranks 2nd in Putting Average, 2nd in Strokes Gained: Putting, 3rd in Par 4 Scoring, 5th in Birdie or Better and 12th in Bogey Avoidance. He has finished Top 25 in his last four events including the PGA Championship.
This is a three-man field but suspect Viktor Hovland is the play. He won at the Valspar this year.
Harry Hall is playing some very good golf and he should not be the outsider in this four-horse field. He is an excellent value play.