The scoring will be different at the Travelers Championship compared to last week at the Olympic Club where every player in the field finished over par.
The last 18 winners of the Travelers have carded double-digit scores under par which means ball striking and hitting greens are of the utmost importance. This can be said almost every week on tour but when you are talking about going low, they become even more important. Last year, 37 players finished double-digits under par.
TPC at River Highlands has hosted this event since 1984 and it was formerly known as the Buick Championship and the Greater Hartford Open. It has gone through two redesigns and River Highlands is second only to the TPC Scottsdale for most spectators at a PGA Tour event. With the scoring, it is not a very difficult track and last year it was ranked 41st in difficulty out of 51 venues. The 6,841 yards in length makes it one of the shorter stops as well.
Because of the U.S. Open taking place last week, the field has been thinned out but there are still some significant names with five of the top nine in the money standings are in play. However, just nine tournament winners from this year are teeing it up so the possibility is there once again to crown a first-timer. Six of the past eight Travelers Champions are also here including 2010 champion and the defending Masters champion Bubba Watson. Last week's U.S. Open winner Webb Simpson is also in Cromwell.
The favorite this week is Matt Kuchar (+1,200) who is making his first start at the Travelers since 2008 when he finished T52. He was in the running last week at Olympic but a Sunday 74 knocked him down to a T27, his second straight finish outside the top 20 after seven of his previous eight starts finished inside the top 15. He is ranked 15th in ball striking so he'll be dangerous here.
Hunter Mahan (+1,500) won here in 2007, followed that up with a T2 and T4 the next two years.He could become the first three-time winner on tour this year and it doesn't hurt knowing he is ranked third in ball striking and sixth in greens in regulation.
Padraig Harrington (+2,000) was one of the feel good stories at the U.S. Open last week as he got himself into contention by shooting -1 over the last three rounds before a Sunday bogey on 18 left him with a T4. After missing the cut at the Heritage and at The Players, he has posted three straight in the top 15 and prior to his T63 last year, he finished T5 here in 2010.
John Rollins (+4,000) has been all over the place this year. He has missed seven cuts but has also placed in the top 10 four times. He has not won since August 2009 at the Reno-Tahoe Open and while you can't play the due factor, his T2 here last year shows he should come in with great confidence.
Harris English (+5,000) will be the longshot this week and while he has never played here, the same can be said about every course for the rookie. He has two top eight finishes and finished T8 at the Heritage right after the Masters and T5 at Colonial right after The Players. He could be set to pounce as other players suffer letdowns.
Recommended Tournament Win Five Pack at the Travelers Championship (all for one unit)
Matt Kuchar (+1,200)
Hunter Mahan (+1,500)
Padraig Harrington (+2,000)
John Rollins (+4,000)
Harris English (+5,000)
Record to date after 22 events: +39.1 Units
Sony Open -5 Units
Humana Challenge -6 Units
Farmers Insurance Open +22 Units
Waste Management Phoenix Open -5 Units
AT&T Pebble Beach National Pro-Am -5 Units
Northern Trust Open -5 Units
Accenture Match Play +7.1 Units
Honda Classic -5 Units
WGC-Cadillac Championship -5 Units
Transitions Championship +6 Units
Arnold Palmer Invitational -4 Units
Shell Houston Open +16 Units
The Masters -6 Units
RBC Heritage -5 Units
Valero Texas Open -4 Units
Zurich Classic of New Orleans +21 Units
Wells Fargo Championship +36 Units
THE PLAYERS Championship -5 Units
HP Byron Nelson Championship -5 Units
Crowne Plaza Invitational at Colonial +11 Units
The Memorial -5 Units
FedEx St. Jude Classic -5 Units
U.S. Open -5 Units