Travelers Championship Score Predictions (How Will Top Players Fare at TPC River Highlands?)

The PGA Tour shifts to Cromwell, Conn. this week as the Travelers Championship take place at TPC River Highlands. 

Rory McIlroy and Scottie Scheffler are tied atop the odds board at WynnBET Sportsbook, and you can read our own Joe Summers’ preview of the tournament here. 

The Travelers Championship is one of the players’ favorite events of the year, because it allows for them to score after a usually grueling U.S. Open. Jim Furyk shot a shocking 58 at TPC River Highlands back in 2016, and every winner dating back to 1994 at TPC River Highlands has shot a -10 or better score. 

So, we should expect someone to go low this weekend. 

I am going to attempt to predict the winning score this weekend, as well as how some of the top golfers in the odds will fare at this week’s Travelers championship. 

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Travelers Championship Score Predictions

Winning Score: -14

I mentioned that the winner of the Travelers Championship usually goes low, and there have been eight winners that have shot 15-under or better since Travelers took over the event in 2007. 

However, three winners have shot exactly 14-under over that same stretch. Last year’s winner, Harris English, shot 13-under in his playoff win. Only two of the last 14 Travelers Championships have been decided by more than one stroke, so I’m going to guess that we get a rather close finish this weekend. 

Rory McIlroy (+1000) – Score Prediction: -12

Rory McIlroy has been in fantastic form this season, and he enters his fourth Travelers Championship as the favorite to win it all. 

In his first three starts at the event, McIlroy has progressively been better, shooting a 6-under in 2017 before going 11-under in 2018 and 13-under in 2020. He’s never finished inside the top 10 at TPC River Highlands, but he’s also posted nine consecutive rounds under par at the course. 

I think he finishes near the top of the leaderboard. 

Scottie Scheffler (+1000) – Score Prediction: -7

Scottie Scheffler has been arguably the hottest golfer on Tour this season, but he’s lost a little of his luster failing to hang on in recent tournaments. 

This is just his third start at TPC River Highlands, and he shot 3-under (T47) in 2021. He missed the cut in 2020. We’ve seen some regulars here, Bubba Watson, Stewart Cink are always near the top of the leaderboard and have multiple wins, constantly play well. Scheffler unfortunately isn’t in that category, but he’s impossible to count out this year. 

I think he improves on last year’s score.

Justin Thomas (+1100) – Score Prediction: -4*

Justin Thomas has a ton of experience at TPC River Highlands, and he’s making his eighth career appearance in Cromwell this weekend. 

Thomas has missed three cuts here, but he did finish tied for third in 2016, shooting 12-under. That does seem to be a bit of an anomaly compared to his other scores at the Travelers Championship, as he’s also finished at 4-under, 3-under and 2-under. 

I’d stay away from him based on his history here. 

*UPDATE: Justin Thomas withdrew from the Travelers Championship on Wednesday.

Patrick Cantlay (+1400) – Score Prediction: -10

Patrick Cantlay is also appearing in his eighth Travelers Championship this weekend. Cantlay has finished 15th or better in four straight years and has never shot below 8-under in a tournament at TPC River Highlands he made the cut.  

While some of Cantlay’s strokes gained around the green place him 35th on the Tour, I think he continues his strong play here this week. 

Sam Burns (+1600) – Score Prediction: -10

Sam Burns has been money approaching the green this year, ranking No. 4 on Tour in strokes gained, and he’s looking to carry that into a fourth consecutive made cut at TPC River Highlands. 

Burns finished 13th last year, shooting 8-under and has an 11-under score to his name from 2020 in Cromwell. He should be in contention again this year. 

Jordan Spieth (+2200) – Score Prediction: -5

Jordan Spieth has cooled off a bit since winning the RBC Heritage and finishing second at the AT&T Byron Nelson, but he’s coming back to a place where he pulled off one of the most improbable shots to win back in 2017. 

Since then, Spieth hasn’t fared nearly as well at TPC River Highlands, missing the cut in 2019 and finishing 42nd in 2018 and T54 in 2020. 

He probably still ends up under par, but I don’t think he’s atop the leaderboard when its all said and done. 

Find Peter Dewey’s full betting record here.