The 2019 Travelers Championship Preview & Prediction
THE FACTS
When is the 2019 Travelers Championship? Thursday 20th to Sunday 23rd of June 2019
Where is the 2019 Travelers Championship? TPC River Highlands, Cromwell, Connecticut, USA
What is the total prize fund of the 2019 Travelers Championship? $7,200,000
What television channel can I watch the 2019 Travelers Championship on in the UK? Sky Sports Golf
Where can I stream the 2019 Travelers Championship in the UK? Sky Sports subscribers can stream the tournament online via Sky Go
Where can I get tickets for the 2019 Travelers Championship? https://www.pgatour.com/tournaments/travelers-championship/tickets.html
What is the course yardage at the TPC River Highlands? 6,841 yards
What is the par at TPC River Highlands? 70
What is the course information for TPC River Highlands? Entering its 36th year as host, River Highlands is best known for one of the most thrilling finishes on tour where holes 15-17 play around a four-acre lake that often creates drama. Due to its short yardage, there is a premium on accuracy, particularly when approaching the greens, which are some of the smallest on tour with flag positions being typically tough. It is also the course that witnessed the PGA Tour's only ever 58, scored by Jim Furyk.
What is the predicted weather for the 2019 Travelers Championship? Thunderstorms predicted for the afternoon during the openings day's play which could disrupt the later starters with showers expected on Friday. The weekend brings mostly sun with some cloud cover during the final round and temperatures consistently around 21c.
THE HISTORY
Bubba Watson became the tournament's second most successful player after winning in 2018 and taking his championship wins to three, just one behind Bill Casper. 2009 winner Kenny Perry set the tournament low score of 258 with the winning total being an average of 16 under – modest for a course that measures just over 6800 yards testament to the course design at TPC River Highlands. Moreover, this has often resulted in close finishes with the average winning margin being just one stroke since 2009.
THE FAVOURITES
Paul Casey
The English veteran is in the form of his career having claimed his third PGA Tour victory earlier in 2019 and has finished inside the top five on four occasions already this season. A final round 67 at last week's U.S. Open saw him claim his 11th top 25 finish from 15 starts this season, showing the level of consistency he is producing. Having finished inside the top five on three occasions here since 2014 which has included two runner-ups, it’s fair to say that Casey’s game is built for this layout. He ranks eight SG: off-the-tee, recording an average driving distance of nearly 300 yards while hitting just under 70% of fairways, something that will allow him to attack pins, where being ranked 19th SG: approach the green suggests being in contention again is likely.
Jordan Spieth
The young American has been showing many signs that his game is close to returning to the level that took him to world number one. If he can just remove one bad round from the four days, he will be in the winners' circle again having recorded three top-tens from his last four starts. As a former winner here in 2017, he’ll be heading to Connecticut knowing this is a great opportunity to convert around a course that he has performed well on and suits his game. Ranked seventh SG: putting proposes he will make plenty of birdies this week, however he must create the opportunities to hit it close from the fairways and improve his off-the-tee game, where he ranks 147th SG.
THE OUTSIDERS
Charley Hoffman
The typically consistent American has had a poor season to date, missing seven cuts and only finishing inside the top ten on just two occasions. However, a second place finished at the Valero Texas Open in April and a T13 last month at the Charles Schwab Challenge - which included a third round 63 - suggests his game is heading in the right direction. Having not finished lower than 26th here since 2014, it suggests this is a course he feels comfortable around. His all-round game is in solid shape as he ranks 54th SG: total, and if he finds his groove early in the tournament, the recent form and past success around River Highlands could see him contend come Sunday afternoon.
Daniel Berger
The young American is a player that often goes under the radar even though he has two tour victories to his name at just 26 years old. With just three top-25 finishes so far this season but only four missed cuts, his form has been steady throughout. Nevertheless, a T5 here in 2016 followed by a runner-up finish the following year demonstrates his liking for this course. Ranked 37th SG: off-the-tee should give him good birdie opportunities over the shorter layout, however he must improve on his approach-the-green - where he ranks 114th - to take advantage. If he can hit his short irons close enough, he has a great chance to contend due to being ranked inside the top 40 for putting inside ten feet.
Marc Leishman
The Australian has become one of the world's very best and most consistent players in recent years and currently ranks 12th in this season's FedEx Cup, demonstrating his good play in many of the bigger tournaments. In recent competitions, he has produced some of his worst finishes of the season but still managed to record a fifth place at the Memorial Tournament, suggesting his game is never too far away from being in the mix. Three top-25 finishes here since 2014 shows this is a course he could perform well around this year and being ranked 27th SG: total displays there are no weaknesses in his game. If he hits fairways this week – currently 145th for driving accuracy – then the rest of his game is in place to see him contend for his second victory of the season.
